Campaign launched to tackle road rage in Scotland
A campaign tackling aggression on the roads has reached Scotland in the aftermath of shocking research.
#SwearToChange has been created encouraging people to change the way they treat fellow pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.
A recent survey, conducted by Auto Trader, revealed that almost half of people in Scotland (49%) have experienced some form of anger on Scottish roads.
Over a third of survey respondents (38%) reported being shouted at, 36% were sworn at or insulted and 58% have been tailgated.
Furthermore, 14% claim to have been physically threatened and 7% were involved in a physical altercation.
3,000 people were involved in the survey last month, including 240 Scots.
The #SwearToChange campaign was created by Auto Trader in response to the findings and is supported by Olympian gold-medallist Victoria Pendleton and British Paralympian Lauren Steadman.
Lei Sorvisto from Auto Trader said: “Despite Scotland’s infrastructure and Britain’s highway code changing, our research shows that attitudes on who owns the road aren’t changing at the same pace.
“It also reveals there is much fear and intimidation on Scotland’s roads, but we can all play a part in helping to eradicate it, by acknowledging the responsibility we have for motorists and other road users.”
People have taken to twitter in support of the campaign. @MattLeitch posted: “A nice campaign. As I am a car driver, cyclist and a pedestrian it’s about time we tried to emphasise mutual respect on the roads. #sweartochange.”
@sargeant_gail tweeted “I will be more mindful of cyclists” while @ffrankenbiker commented “Stop victim blaming, start driving responsibly.”
Joggers and cyclists have also been heavily affected by roadside aggression, the survey showed.
According to the figures, one in five joggers and one in eight cyclists were caught up in a physical altercation last year while nearly a third of runners and a fifth of cyclists claimed to have been left feeling afraid for their safety afterwards.
Auto Trader, as part of the #SwearToChange campaign, is distributing 20,000 free reflective outdoor jackets, backpack covers and dog-leads in its efforts to make pedestrians more visible to motorists and cyclists in the winter months.
By Selena Drake
