With disabled drivers representing five per cent of the driving population, we’re committed to making sure our disabled customers have an equal experience. We also want them to feel safe using our roads. As part of our 2021 Breakdowns Campaign, we worked with social media influencers to get vital safety advice from the campaign to disabled and Deaf communities.
16 influencers from both the Mobility and Deaf community joined our campaign to help disabled people feel more confident about what to do if they broke down on a motorway. With a combined reach of over 1.3 million followers, the influencers first helped us to identify gaps in road safety knowledge within their communities. We then worked with them to tailor content from our Breakdowns Campaign to fill the gaps and build confidence.
Both before and after the campaign, the influencers asked their followers if they were confident that they’d know how to stay as safe as possible if their vehicle broke down on a motorway. Before the campaign, 25% of the respondents selected ‘yes’. Following the campaign, this increased to 53% of respondents feeling confident that they’d know how to stay safe.
"I had no idea about ringing Highways England. I’m not in a wheelchair full time but I’ve always been anxious about how I’d get behind barriers as I’m on crutches and have no sensation in my lower limbs. Thankfully I’ve never broken down on a motorway, but will be better prepared now if it happens. Thank you for this!"A customer responding to a disabled influencer on Instagram