WA Government launches new ‘speed shatters your excuses’ road safety campaign
There are no excuses to speed.
That’s the underlying message of a new State Government advertising campaign aimed at targeting speeding on WA roads.
The “speeding shatters your excuses” campaign delves into the different ways people try to justify speeding, and the potentially tragic consequences of those actions.
Road Safety Minister David Michael said speed was the biggest contributor to road trauma in WA. When mixed with inattention, fatigue and not wearing a seat belt, it created a lethal cocktail.
“(This) is a hard-hitting campaign, which I believe will make people think again before they make the dangerous choice to drive too fast,” he said.
“It’s a simple matter of physics. The faster you are driving, the more likely it is for you to crash and the faster you are travelling when you crash, the more likely it is that you will be seriously injured or killed.”
The campaign will be used on TV, print and radio as well as billboards, cinemas, video on demand and streaming services and social media.
Camera IconThe campaign will be used on TV, print and radio as well as billboards, cinemas, video on demand and streaming services and social media. Credit: Road Safety Commission/Government of Western Australia
It follows a roundtable meeting held earlier this month to address the State’s awful road toll which stands at 131 — the worst year-to-date road toll since 2016.
Mr Michael said the campaign had two targets: young people — who were over-represented in crash statistics — and those who self-identified as road rule-breakers, but who were also open to be influenced to change their attitudes and behaviours.
Earlier this month, the Cook Government announced a $32.5 million boost to road-safety initiatives on regional roads over the next four years.
Camera IconGovernment’s new road safety campaign. Credit: Road Safety Commission/Government of Western Australia
“Sadly, this covers a wide range of people, given 87 per cent of WA drivers admit to speeding and 51 per cent consider speeding to be acceptable driving behaviour,” he said.
Crash survivor Michael Francis, who was left with lifelong spinal injuries after he was involved in a shocking car crash in 1992 at the age of 19, said the campaign reminded people that there were no excuses not to drive safely.
“I know only too well the potential devastation of thinking it’s OK to speed,” he said. “If I had one message for young drivers out there, it would be ‘just slow down’.
“Speeding is not cool. Speeding is not worth it. There are no excuses for speeding.”
Camera IconEarlier this month, the Cook Government announced a $32.5 million boost to road-safety initiatives. Credit: Road Safety Commission/Government of Western Australia
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