Introduction
This report presents the results of the 2023 Trunk Road Users Survey, conducted by Ipsos Scotland on behalf of Transport Scotland. The survey had been carried out annually from 2009 to 2019, with interviews conducted face-to-face in respondents’ homes using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI). However, the survey was suspended in 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 survey is the first since 2019, and was conducted using an online survey methodology. This change in methodology reflects developments in the field since the 2019 survey was undertaken, with high quality online options now being available.
While data from previous years is included in the report to provide context, it is important to note that direct comparisons between this and 2023 data are not possible due to the change in survey methodology.
The survey questionnaire
The questionnaire covered the same topics as the 2019 survey, with minor changes to the wording of some questions to reflect the change in survey methodology. The topics were:
- Road condition and defects
- Road works and maintenance
- Road lighting, markings and signage
- Cycle lanes and footways
- Disruption due to severe weather
- Perceptions of Traffic Scotland information
- Transport related challenges faced in local areas.
A copy of the questionnaire is available on request from info@transport.gov.scot.
Methodology
The survey was administered through the Ipsos UK Knowledge Panel, an online survey panel recruited via a random probability, unclustered address-based sampling method. (Previous waves of the survey were conducted face-to-face in respondents’ homes using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) using a representative quota sampling approach.) This means that every household in Scotland has a known chance of being selected to join the panel. Letters are sent to selected addresses in Scotland (using the Postcode Address File) inviting them to become members of the panel. Invited members can sign up to the panel by completing a short online questionnaire or by returning a paper form. Members of the public who are digitally excluded are able to register to the Knowledge Panel either by post or by telephone, and are given a tablet, an email address, and basic internet access which allows them to complete surveys online.
Fieldwork took place between 27 July and 2 August 2023. A total of 1,259 panellists in Scotland (aged 18+) completed the survey. Respondents who had not driven or travelled as a passenger on Scottish trunk roads in the previous twelve months were excluded from participation. To establish eligibility, respondents were shown a map of trunk roads in Scotland (see Appendix A) and asked how often they had travelled on the network in the past twelve months. Those who answered “never” were screened out of further participation. Note that passengers on public transport were eligible to take part.
Data were weighted to ensure the results were as representative of the Scottish population as possible. As up to two members per household are allowed to register on the Knowledge Panel, a design weight was employed to correct for unequal probabilities of selection of household members. Calibration weights were also applied using population statistics for the local authority region. Two sets of calibration weights were applied:
- Calibration weighting was applied using the following interlocking variables: age, gender and region. All three use Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2019 mid-year population estimates as the weighting target.
- Demographic weights were then applied to correct for imbalances in the achieved sample. The data were weighted by age, gender, education, ethnicity, local authority region and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (quintiles). Estimates from the ONS 2019 mid-year population estimates were used as the weighting target. (In the 2019 survey, data was weighted by age, gender and working status.)
The weighted profile of the 2023 sample is shown in comparison to the 2019 sample below (Tables 1.1 to 1.3). The sample profiles are broadly similar and any change between years (for example, within age and region) are likely due to differences in the sampling and/or weighting approaches between the two years.
| Gender | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 48.2% | 48.4% | -0.2% |
| Female | 51.8% | 51.6% | +0.2% |
| Age | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 10.0% | 11.6% | -1.6% |
| 25-34 | 17.0% | 15.7% | +1.3% |
| 35-54 | 31.9% | 35.4% | -3.5% |
| 55-64 | 17.1% | 14.1% | +2.9% |
| 65+ | 24.0% | 23.2% | +0.8% |
| Region | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| North West | 10.3% | 7.4% | +2.9% |
| North East | 27.2% | 28.9% | -1.7% |
| South West | 33.0% | 40.3% | -7.4% |
| South East | 29.6% | 23.4% | +6.2% |
Presentation and interpretation of the findings
The survey findings represent the views of a sample of Scottish adults, and not the entire population of Scottish trunk road users. As such, they are subject to sampling tolerances, meaning that differences between sub-groups may not always be statistically significant.
Throughout the report, we have commented only upon differences which are statistically significant at the 5% level – i.e. where we can be reasonably certain that they are unlikely to have occurred by chance.
Throughout the report, statistically significant differences are noted only when they exceed the cutoff of the 95% confidence level – i.e., where we can be reasonably certain that they are unlikely to have occurred by chance.
Where percentages do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of ‘don’t know’ categories or multiple answers. Aggregate percentages (e.g., ‘very satisfied/fairly satisfied’) are calculated from the absolute values. Therefore, aggregate percentages may differ from the sum of the individual scores due to rounding of percentage totals.
For questions where the number of respondents is fewer than 30, the number of times a response has been selected (n) rather than the percentage is given.
Impact of survey mode and comparisons to previous years
Mode effects (i.e. those arising from how the survey is conducted) can result in variations in responses between different modes. These were apparent for a number of questions in the survey, with online respondents more likely to choose neither/nor options, in comparison to CAPI responses where respondents were generally more positive/affirmative. This pattern is fairly common in mixed mode surveys (see research from 2010 and 2011).
A few examples of the type and extent of the differences are shown in Tables 1.4 to 1.6).
| Satisfaction | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfied | 52% | 59% | -7% |
| Neither / nor | 22% | 12% | +10% |
| Dissatisfied | 25% | 29% | -4% |
| Satisfaction | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfied | 62% | 73% | -11% |
| Neither / nor | 22% | 13% | +9% |
| Dissatisfied | 12% | 12% | - |
| Satisfaction | 2023 (online) | 2019 (CAPI) | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satisfied | 32% | 54% | -22% |
| Neither / nor | 40% | 26% | +14% |
| Dissatisfied | 18% | 14% | -4% |
There may also be some variation between 2023 and previous years due to differences in the fieldwork period. The CAPI survey was carried out in two waves (one wave between March and May and another between July and September) to minimise the potential impact of seasonal effects – the tendency for respondents to give different answers depending on the time of the year. However, in 2023, only one wave of the survey was carried out, in July / August.
Despite the differences in survey approach, it should be noted that, in general, the overall findings are broadly similar to and in line with the trends seen over previous waves of the survey.