Low Traffic Corstorphine “deeply concerned” about road safety

Low Traffic Corstorphine (LTC) has said it is deeply concerned about the recent spate of road traffic incidents in the west of the city, including a death on St John’s Road and several other collisions involving drivers and pedestrians.

The group has sent an open letter to the council asking councillors to take immediate action:

“These incidents highlight the continued and urgent need for action to reduce road violence and improve safety for all members of our community, especially pedestrians, the most vulnerable road users.

Some of the recent incidents we are aware of include:

• A collision on St John’s Road on 30th December 2024, involving a car driver and a pedestrian who subsequently tragically died on 3rd January as a result of the collision.
• A child was hit by a car driver while crossing at the pedestrian crossing on Drum Brae South, on their way home from school on 4th December.
• A crash into a garden wall on Castle Avenue around 1.30am on 4th January – it is understood that the driver left the scene.
• A parked car written off after a driver crashed their vehicle into it outside 18 Castle Avenue in August 2024.
• A parked car and a garden wall were damaged on North Gyle Terrace.
• A child was hospitalised after a driver mounted the pavement near the Drumbrae roundabout two years ago.
• A near miss involving a pedestrian at the same Drumbrae roundabout recently, near a pedestrian crossing north of the Chinese Manor restaurant.
• Every pedestrian refuge along Glasgow Road between Drum Brae roundabout and Maybury has been hit by drivers, some on more than one occasion.
• A bus shelter on Glasgow Road hit by a driver.
• Drivers using mobile phones behind the wheel and ignoring red lights are regularly witnessed throughout the area. In one example from 12th December an LTC member witnessed three cars ignoring a red light while a pedestrian pushing a pram was using the crossing.

These are only a small selection of the incidents noted by LTC members. The increase in reported crashes, near misses and property damage indicates an extremely worrying trend that must not be ignored.

We urge the City of Edinburgh Council to take immediate steps to investigate these incidents and implement effective interventions. Specifically, we request the following:

1. Targeted police patrols to address illegal mobile phone use and those driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
2. To ensure a commitment by Police Scotland to take seriously and deal with the increasing number of drivers who do not stop at red lights at pedestrian crossings. 
3. A comprehensive Safety Audit: identify and address high-risk areas in Corstorphine, including St John’s Road, Drumbrae roundabout, Glasgow Road and other sites which have experienced repeated issues.
4. Implement Traffic-Calming Measures wherever this could mitigate harm to vulnerable road users such as reduced speed limits, enhanced signage, raised crossings and improved traffic light timings.
5. Community Speed Watch Programmes: Consider introducing trained community volunteers to monitor and deter speeding. Reinstate speed cameras and red light cameras.
6. Improved Data Reporting: Ensure crash data is accurately recorded, monitored and shared with the public to identify trends and evaluate the impact of safety measures.

The Council’s commitment to Vision Zero, with a target of zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland’s roads by 2050, must guide these efforts.

However, we believe immediate action is needed to safeguard the most vulnerable road users in our community.

We stand ready to work with Council officers, local representatives and community members to advocate for these changes and create a safer environment for all. 

Signed

Low Traffic Corstorphine

RESPONSES

The City of Edinburgh Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson said: “Safety for all road users is a key priority for us and I’d like to thank Low Traffic Corstorphine for highlighting these issues.

“I’m conscious that there are unfortunately those who break the law whilst driving and we’ll continue to work closely with Police Scotland on enforcement.

“For St John’s Road we’re looking at improving the layout of the pedestrian junction between Templeland Road and Featherhall Avenue. This will benefit all road and pavement users and I’m hopeful that we can begin work on this in early spring.

“On wider traffic calming measures these benefit everyone, making people feel more comfortable walking, wheeling and cycling, and creating more liveable and inclusive streets and neighbourhoods. The safety benefits are also clear and we will always look to see what further work is appropriate.

“The Costorphine Connections project indeed aims to create more liveable environments for all, and you can keep up to date with project progress on our website”.

Inspector Kos Papakyriakou of Road Policing at Police Scotland said: “Road safety remains a priority in Edinburgh. The city has a dedicated Road Policing unit with specialist officers who actively conduct patrols and carry out a wide variety of operations to target those who commit road traffic offences.  This includes focusing on offences such as speeding, drink or drug driving or using a mobile phone.

“Officers will continue to take action to improve road safety and ask that anyone who has concerns about other road users report it to Police Scotland on 101.”