Strategic action, compassionate post-crash care and the future of road safety in Scotland

Last month, Brake – the road safety charity’s After the Crash conference brought together more than 200 professionals from across emergency services, legal practice, government and charities to drive forward the conversation on road safety.

Ashley Sturrock, Partner in our Edinburgh office, shares her reflections on the critical issues raised at the event and the ongoing work needed to reduce harm on our roads.

My reflections on Brake’s After the Crash road safety conference 2025

The conference tackled a range of issues aimed at reducing risk on our roads - from 20mph speed limits and graduated driving licences to discussions around re-testing more mature drivers.

One of the standout moments for me was hearing from George Henry, Head of Road Policy and Safety at Transport Scotland, who spoke passionately about the transformational work under way to improve road safety across the country.

He outlined Scotland’s ambitious framework to 2030 - a national strategy with clear targets to reduce fatalities and provide better support to victims. The framework sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and a long-term vision for road safety, known as ‘Vision Zero’, where there are zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 2050.

Equally powerful was the moving presentation from keynote speaker Joy Allen, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham, which highlighted something we at Digby Brown are acutely aware of - behind every statistic is a person, a family, forever changed.

This, I would say, was the key message running throughout the conference - the human impact road traffic accidents carry.

After all, strategies and policies matter, but they are ultimately about protecting lives.

This was brought into sharp focus by the deeply moving stories shared by speakers like Sarah Harrison who lost her mother in a road traffic accident and now works with Brake to support others facing similar loss.

We also heard from Violet Atkinson who shared the truly tragic story of the death of her 12-year-old son Steven who was killed by a speeding driver when crossing the road with friends. Violet’s courage in telling her story highlighted just how critical Brake’s work is in supporting families through their grief and loss and helping them navigate next steps like starting a legal process to seek justice.

Why it matters

The day served as a reminder that each life lost on our roads is one too many - and that urgent change is needed to make our roads safer for everyone.

Digby Brown is proud to help survivors and bereaved families after life-changing road traffic collisions through our work as a legal panel member for Brake in Scotland.

We know that support goes beyond securing damages - that's why we help people access healthcare, medical treatment and dedicated support workers so they can focus on their recovery, their family and their future.

If you are considering seeking legal help and would like to discuss your circumstances, you can contact us through our Legal Enquiry Team on 0333 200 5925 or complete our Brake enquiry form.

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Ashley Sturrock, Partner