Phone messages target young drivers

Young drivers are to be targeted using the latest mobile phone technology in a pioneering initiative.

For the first time, road safety messages are to be sent directly to the mobile phones of thousands of young people at cinemas throughout Scotland.

The technology works by beaming a film clip on to the person's phone as they arrive in cinema foyers.

The footage is of a motorist who crashes after he is distracted by a text message on his phone. The mobile phone screen of the person viewing the clip then appears to crack and the words "One distraction is all it takes" are displayed.

The Scottish Government initiative runs in conjunction with a new cinema advert by Road Safety Scotland.

Transport minister Stuart Stevenson said: "Too many people are still dying on Scotland's roads and sadly, young drivers continue to be over-represented in these deaths.

"As a government, we are constantly looking at new ways to reach this age group and I am determined that we look beyond the traditional and towards the innovative in our efforts to save lives. This campaign is new, it is innovative and it can make a real difference."

Mr Stevenson said recent statistics revealed 97% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 now owned mobile phones. "That is a huge audience we can potentially reach with this campaign and it has my full backing," he said.

"As we move towards the publication of our new 10-year road safety strategy for Scotland we will continue to look at what more we can all do to improve road safety across the country."

Latest figures show 282 people died on Scotland's roads last year. A further 2,316 were seriously injured.

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