A Western Australian advertising campaign is using a new tactic to influence drivers who knowingly break speed limits and take risks which could cause death or injury on the roads.
Research carried out by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS Australia), conducted on behalf of the Road Safety Commission of WA, identified 11 per cent of the WA population as Risk Takers. The group is predominantly younger males aged between 17 and 39, living in the metropolitan area (76 per cent). In 2013 alone, 62 of these Risk Takers were killed on the state’s roads. Speed was the highest factor in the crashes, followed by other risky behaviour such as drink driving, mobile phone use and not wearing seatbelts.
Instead of talking about the dangers of speeding, the new TV and radio advertisements by Perth agency 303 MullenLowe focus on the lack of freedom experienced by a young man who has lost his driver’s licence.
“The research found that being socially ostracised and disconnected as a result of losing their licence was highly motivating for these drivers,” said WA Road Commissioner, Kim Papalia. “We’ve used a fundamentally different creative approach compared to previous campaigns attempting to change the behaviour of dangerous drivers in WA.”
The humorous advertisements show a series of awkward moments as an increasingly frustrated young man named Nate is forced to rely on his mother to drive him around over his three-month licence suspension period.
Click here to follow Nate’s journey on Facebook.
Click here for information about WA road rules.
