Scotland is facing mounting challenges on its roads as a result of overtourism, with officials citing a 46% increase in collisions involving foreign drivers in recent years. Much of the concern centers on the A9 highway, a major route connecting Perth to Inverness, which has long been considered one of the country’s most dangerous roads. Authorities say many accidents occur when visitors forget to drive on the left-hand side of the road, particularly when pulling out of lay-bys, approaching roundabouts, or navigating single-lane stretches.
Rising Crash Numbers Spark Concern
The uptick in crashes was first highlighted in May 2025, raising alarms among road safety campaigners and local communities who have seen traffic volumes soar in the wake of the pandemic. Scotland’s popularity as a destination for self-drive tourism, often involving rental cars and large motorhomes, has intensified the pressure on rural infrastructure. Local drivers have voiced growing frustration, and policymakers have been urged to act before the situation worsens.
What The Tourist Plates Involve
The most notable response has been the development of “Tourist Plates,” or T-Plates, designed as adhesive signs to be placed on the back of vehicles driven by visitors. Each plate displays a green letter “T” alongside the word “Tourist”, clearly signaling to others that the driver may be unfamiliar with Scottish road rules. The idea came from Robert Marshall, a hotelier who said his own difficulties navigating foreign roads inspired him to create a tool that could help visitors and locals alike.
The plates are priced at around £9.99 (approximately US$13.50) and are already available online, with 10% of proceeds donated to road safety charities. According to Marshall, orders have come in from drivers across Europe, North America, and Asia. Social media platforms such as TikTok have further boosted awareness, with videos demonstrating the concept receiving significant attention.
Supporters argue that T-Plates could serve as a low-cost way to improve safety and reduce tensions between tourists and residents. Locals encountering a marked vehicle would be able to anticipate hesitant or unusual maneuvers, slowing down or giving extra space.
Testing And Early Results
Transport Scotland has confirmed that T-Plates are legal and can be voluntarily displayed on vehicles. Pilot testing has already taken place, particularly on the A9, where road-safety advocate Laura Hanser and the A9 Dual Action Group trialed the plates during the summer travel season. Hanser reported that other motorists reacted more cautiously when following a car with a T-Plate, often keeping a safer distance or overtaking less aggressively.
The findings have been welcomed by campaigners who have long called for stronger safety measures on Scotland’s roads. Statistics underscore the urgency: in 2023, crashes linked to drivers unfamiliar with left-hand traffic rose from 24 to 35 incidents year-on-year. Advocates suggest that while T-Plates alone cannot solve the problem, they can complement ongoing infrastructure upgrades such as the £3 billion A9 dualling project, which aims to convert large portions of the highway into dual carriageway by 2035.
Public feedback has also been largely positive, with some tourism bodies noting that visitors themselves appreciate the added protection the plates offer. Rental car agencies have reportedly expressed interest in distributing them as an optional add-on for customers, though no mandatory policy has been introduced.
Challenges And Broader Implications
Despite enthusiasm, several challenges remain. One issue is ensuring that foreign visitors know about T-Plates and can easily obtain them upon arrival, particularly at airports and ferry terminals where many collect rental cars. Another is ensuring that the plates are not stigmatizing or used as a reason for road rage against tourists. Critics caution that some drivers may see the plates as a license to pass or intimidate slower vehicles, potentially undermining the initiative’s safety goals.
Questions also remain about the scale of the problem relative to broader road safety trends. While foreign drivers are disproportionately represented in accidents involving wrong-side driving, they account for only a small fraction of total collisions in Scotland each year. Campaigners therefore argue that T-Plates should be viewed as part of a wider road safety strategy, rather than a standalone fix.
Government officials are expected to review the pilot programme and issue a broader decision in October 2025, which could pave the way for T-Plates to be formally recommended nationwide. If adopted, Scotland would become one of the first countries in Europe to endorse such a measure. The decision is being closely watched by other tourist-heavy regions, including parts of Ireland, Iceland, and New Zealand, where similar challenges with foreign motorists have been reported.
For now, the initiative reflects a growing recognition of how overtourism affects not just cultural and environmental assets, but also everyday safety on the roads. With visitor numbers continuing to climb, authorities and communities are grappling with how to balance economic benefits from tourism with the well-being of residents and travelers alike.