Drivers in Scotland are being encouraged to slow down on country roads and prepare for the unexpected.
That’s the key message of an awareness-raising campaign, being re-launched by the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland this month.
Devised in 2018, the country roads campaign primarily targets male drivers aged 22-29 years – stressing the importance of slowing down to anticipate hazards.
The campaign is running throughout February and March, across multiple channels including digital advertising, radio and social media.
It features an immersive virtual reality film, which uses 360 technology to position the viewer as a driver in a car. The film highlights many of the unexpected hazards on country roads, and how they can be potentially fatal.
The VR film is being used at a number of events taking place across the country to support the campaign.
The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland say the campaign has been successful in engaging with its core audience – but there is still ‘a lot of work to be done’.
Approximately 60% of all road deaths in Scotland occur on country roads. In 2018, 706 people were killed or seriously injured on these roads – and two thirds of them were men.
Figures also show that nearly 40% of all drivers killed or seriously injured on country roads are men aged between 22-49 years.
Good video – as ever going too fast is the problem. It’s no good conscientiously keeping to hands on the wheel, if you can’t see and stop in time anyway.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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