Young Scottish male drivers are being urged to drive like their granny’s in the car with them.
The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland, along with Knockhill racing circuit, has launched a new #DriveSmart campaign encouraging them to adopt safer driving habits.
New research reveals that more than 61% of Scottish men aged between 20 and 29 consider themselves to be either very good or excellent drivers.
Despite this claim, latest figures show that more than 2,040 were involved in accidents in the last 12 months, with 314 killed or seriously injured.
This age group were also more likely to be involved in an accident than any other.
But it’s also been found that young men change their driving behaviour depending on who they have as a passenger.
They claim to drive better when they are carrying “precious cargo” like their gran in the car.
They are also concerned about letting down family members with their poor driving behaviour.
The #DriveSmart campaign introduces a series of larger-than-life, relatable gran characters, who unexpectedly appear while their grandsons are driving, and put the young men firmly in their place.
Road Safety Scotland director Michael McDonnell said: “Young men are prone to over-confidence in their abilities, a misplaced sense of control and a desire to push themselves and their cars to the limits.
“This campaign will address some of the key contributing factors that lead to casualties on Scotland’s roads in a way that young men will take notice of.
“Next time the drivers see themselves slipping into bad habits, they should imagine gran is in the car with them.”
Stuart Gray, events and marketing director at campaign partner Knockhill, added: “Running a centre like Knockhill means we come across a great deal of young men who want to come and prove their skills on the track week after week.
“That’s great, they just need to remember to save it for their track time and not apply the same rationale as they go about their day to day.
“So we adopted our slogan, Race on Track, Stay Safe on the Roads.”
Christine Hinshelwood, a Scottish grandmother who took part in the campaign, added: “The thought of my grandson being involved in an accident or, God forbid, being the cause of one just doesn’t bear thinking about.”
