Country Roads (campaign update)

This campaign from the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland (part of Transport Scotland) urges drivers to watch their speed on country roads in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities.

Country roads account for the largest number of fatal accidents on Scotland’s roads – over half (55%). In 2014 755 people were killed or seriously injured while driving on country roads and three out of four of those were men.

Loss of control is the biggest cause of deaths on country roads, frequently associated with driving too fast for the conditions and leaving too little time to react to unpredictable road conditions and hazards.

The campaign follows a fictional character losing control of his car on a country road with devastating consequences. The campaign is particularly targeted at young male drivers aged 22-40 years who have a higher risk of being involved in a crash, and focuses on what they would miss if they weren’t around, with the strapline: “Don’t miss what’s round the corner. Watch your speed on country roads.”

The campaign ran throughout Scotland across multiple channels including TV, cinema and radio, and was backed by the Scottish international rugby player Stuart Hogg (the campaign was launched during the 2015 Rugby World Cup which was staged in England and Wales).