WATCH: Young drivers warned to expect the unexpected on country roads in new #DriveSmart campaign
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The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland have launched a new #DriveSmart campaign targeting young male drivers.
Aimed at drivers aged between 20 and 29, it urges them to prepare for the unexpected and slow down on country roads.
The campaign features the return of the cheeky straight-talking Gran character, who was a central feature of a number of highly-successful campaigns over the past year.
Inappropriate speed leading to loss of control is the biggest cause of deaths on country roads. The campaign launch includes a humorous and thought-provoking video, highlighting speed and other potential hazards on country roads that can turn even a familiar journey into a potentially fatal one. Gran appears from a young man’s crashed car to give him the appropriate dressing down following a lucky escape.
Country roads account for 60 per cent of casualties on Scotland’s roads, with latest figures highlighting that over 7000 people were killed or seriously-injured while driving on them in 2018 (the last year for which figures are available). Two-thirds of those killed were men with 40 per cent of all drivers killed or seriously injured on country roads aged between 22 and 49.
The #DriveSmart campaign targets young male drivers to encourage them to adopt safer driving habits. Despite 61 per cent of 20-29 year-old males claiming to be good or excellent drivers, statistically they are more likely to be involved in a collision than any other age group.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “Sadly, country roads continue to make a significant contribution to both deaths and serious injuries in Scotland, so we must continue to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by drivers travelling on them. This new campaign strikes just the right balance of humour while delivering an incredibly important message, so it is sure to stick in the minds of our target audience of young male drivers.
“Country roads are notoriously unpredictable and, with so many potential distractions both within and outside the car, it’s absolutely crucial drivers prepare for the unexpected and slow down when travelling on them – no matter how well they think they know the route. We’ve had great success using Gran to deliver these messages, so we’re pleased to welcome her back for this campaign too.”
Rolling out from this week, the highly-targeted advertising campaign will run across a number of relevant channels for the audience including TV and catch-up TV, cinema, digital and audio/radio platforms.
Online ads will feature on a variety of websites and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. The world of gaming will also be targeted with adverts appearing within games such as Grid and Football Manager. Adverts will also run across Spotify and around podcasts.
