National Highways: T.R.I.P. Checks

How do you get drivers to think about road safety before they set off?

Most drivers know they should check their vehicle before a journey, but many don’t. With more than half of UK drivers experiencing a breakdown on major roads, National Highways wanted to encourage motorists to complete simple T.R.I.P. checks before travelling, helping reduce breakdowns and keep people safer on the road.

The Challenge

National Highways wanted to increase awareness of its T.R.I.P. vehicle safety checks and encourage more drivers to make them part of their routine before every journey.

Rather than relying on traditional public information messaging, the campaign needed to cut through on social media, reach drivers in an engaging way and inspire real behaviour change.

What We Did

Purple Goat partnered with three disabled creators to bring the T.R.I.P. campaign to life through authentic, everyday content.

Creators demonstrated how they carry out their own vehicle checks before travelling, showing audiences that preparing for a journey doesn’t need to be complicated. By integrating National Highways’ guidance into relatable storytelling, the campaign made road safety advice feel practical, memorable and easy to adopt.

The campaign ran across Meta and TikTok, with 20 pieces of creator-led content designed to educate, engage and encourage safer driving habits.

Results

• 3 disabled creators activated across Meta and TikTok.
• 20 pieces of creator-led content.
• 12 million+ impressions (117% above target).
• 1 million+ engagements (142% above target).
• Audiences exposed to the campaign were 2x more likely to recommend carrying out T.R.I.P. vehicle safety checks before a journey.

By combining trusted creators with practical, easy-to-follow messaging, National Highways successfully turned essential road safety guidance into engaging content that inspired safer behaviour and helped more drivers prepare for stress-free journeys.

Why It Worked

People are far more likely to engage with advice when it comes from trusted voices rather than traditional public service messaging.

By embedding the T.R.I.P. checks into creators’ everyday routines, the campaign transformed road safety guidance into content that felt authentic and relevant. Instead of telling people what they should do, creators showed them how quick and simple it is to prepare for safer journeys.

The result was a behaviour change campaign that not only reached millions of drivers but also increased confidence in adopting safer driving habits.