In Town, Slow Down (campaign)

This campaign calls for all road users in Scotland to travel at appropriate speeds.

Backed by Living Streets Scotland, Cycling Scotland and local authorities, the campaign is designed to unite road users and create a greater sense of shared responsibility.

The campaign TV advert highlights the frequency with which motorists are apprehended for speeding on roads across Scotland.

The narrator says: “Every 11 minutes in Scotland, someone is stopped for speeding. Sometimes, they’re stopped by speeding. In town, slow down.”

The campaign was launched on the back of Transport Scotland figures which show 96% of accidents involving pedestrians happen in built-up areas, with most casualties occurring between 4-6pm on weekdays and 1-3pm on weekends.

Research also suggests that more than a third of Scotland’s drivers ‘rush through town’ if they’re late for work, with nearly one in five admitting to speeding.

In a survey published by the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland, 58% of respondents admitted to ‘taking risks when travelling in built-up areas’ – including travelling over the speed limit (19%) and jumping amber lights (19%).

5% also admitted to travelling on ‘autopilot’ every day – not paying ‘full attention to their surroundings or other road users’.