A scarlet letter of a different kind is coming to Scotland’s roads: a green ‘T’ for tourists. This simple plate is the latest initiative aimed at preventing crashes involving visitors who are unfamiliar with driving on the left-hand side of the road.
The idea comes from Robert Marshall, an entrepreneur and hospitality professional based in the Scottish Highlands. He was inspired by his own stressful experience driving in Tenerife. He assumed that impatient drivers would show more patience and give him more space if they knew he was a tourist.
The plate features a green letter ‘T’, styled like the traditional ‘L’ plate for learner drivers, with the word ‘TOURIST’ written. “It’s a simple idea, but one that’s started conversations about road safety”, Marshall told the BBC. On LinkedIn, he further explains that the “goal is to encourage patience, space, and understanding, thereby making journeys safer for everyone”.
This initiative follows warnings from Transport Scotland earlier this year about a sharp increase in crashes involving overseas drivers.
According to data from the Government, the number of fatal accidents on the A9, the main road between Perth and Inverness – notorious for its frequent changes from single to multi-lane carriageway – has risen significantly in the past decade, with almost 50 deaths involving tourists. In 2023 alone, 35 collisions were attributed to “inexperience of driving on the left”, up from 24 the previous year – a 46% increase.
❗️NEW ⏲️06:00
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) October 3, 2025
🛣️#A9 S/B
⚠️The A9 southbound at Auchterarder is partially blocked due to an accident this morning.
⌚️Please take care on approach and expect delays.@NETrunkRoads pic.twitter.com/65GSWJsjOJ
Laura Hänsler, a road safety campaigner who works to improve conditions on the A9, partly blames the problem on ‘overtourism’. “The infrastructure in the Highlands is under severe strain with the sheer influx of tourism”, she said. “Anything that we can do to help create a wee bit more awareness about other people’s driving and take that added stress away from them can only be seen as a positive.”
Although the plates have yet to receive official endorsement, Transport Scotland told CNN that “as long as it’s not offensive, you can put what you like on your car”.
Early trials on the road, shared by Hänsler on Facebook, appear encouraging. She recalls an uplifting moment when a driver realised the purpose of the plate, noting, “on the A9, you don’t get the chance to have the split-second of a mistake. And that can cost you your life”.
In recent years, Scotland’s roads have seen several devastating crashes involving overseas visitors unfamiliar with driving on the left. Among them were families following Outlander routes through the Highlands and tourists whose momentary mistakes proved fatal.
The custom of driving on the left dates back centuries, rooted in the days of horse riding. It allowed a mostly right-handed population to keep their dominant sword arm free to face an opponent when passing on the road. The French Revolution – and later Napoleon – reversed the rule in France and imposed right-hand driving across conquered territories. In the United States, the shift was reinforced by the design of large freight wagons in the late 18th century and later by Ford’s Model T, which standardised the driver’s position on the left.
Not everyone is convinced by the ’T’ initiative, though. Neil Greig, a road-safety consultant at IAM RoadSmart, remains sceptical. He told The Scotsman that, although he had no issue with the idea itself, the claims made about its effectiveness seemed ‘overblown’. “Plates and stickers”, he said, “have minimal impact on road safety. The key is for every driver to take personal responsibility for their driving, wherever they are”.
