Question reference: S6W-11337
- Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 5 October 2022
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Current status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 October 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has spent on raising awareness in Scotland of the changes to the Highway Code, which were introduced in January 2022.
Answer
The Highway Code changes which came into effect at the start of the year were supported by a nationwide multi-media campaign in February 2022. Amendments to The Highway Code are reserved to the UK Government, and DfT is responsible for marketing these changes. The Scottish Government and road safety partners across Scotland support the latest changes.
The Scottish Government was disappointed the UK Government felt unable to promote those changes ahead of 29 January, so we took the proactive decision to do so ourselves in Scotland. Transport Scotland, Police Scotland, Road Safety Scotland and Traffic Scotland all used their social media to raise awareness of the changes, and the Scottish Government provided £103,000 for a three-week awareness-raising campaign, which ran in February on radio and social media. This phase was funded by DfT. Transport Scotland continues to work with partners across the UK, including DfT, to align future awareness campaigns for any further changes to the Highway Code.