Stunt car filming road safety campaign flies into nearby business front during filming on Port Rd

It was supposed to be a staged crash to make a point about road safety. But the shoot suddenly became very real. See the video.

A fake crash being filmed as part of a campaign to increase seat belt usage has ended in disaster after the impacted vehicle smashed through the fence of a nearby business, narrowly avoiding other cars parked on the road.

Police officers, firefighters, production crews and the emergency services minister watched from a car park on Port Rd on Friday afternoon as a car being used to demonstrate a T-bone style crash flew across three lanes of traffic and took out a fence at a nearby furniture store.

The crash was one of two filmed as part of a new government road safety ad campaign to target complacency on SA roads – the other was filmed on Thursday in Sellicks Beach to represent the trauma that occurs on regional roads.

The staged crash on the production of the new road safety education television commercial at the production shoot site. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

The stunt car ended up moving further than anticipated after the crash. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Traffic was stopped along Port Rd in Alberton as the collision occurred however The Advertiser understands that the hand brake in the stationary vehicle, which was hit at “40km/h” was taken off before the impact.

The Advertiser also understands that the car in motion was driving faster than originally planned, hitting the stationary vehicle with more force, leaving it to travel across the road at a higher speed.

Emergency services minister Joe Szakacs said the business whose fence was knocked down by the car would be compensated.

“In a simple answer, yes, they will be compensated,” Mr Szakacs said.

“This is a controlled environment, and this local production company has had about 50 people involved in the production of this.

“It shows that in a highly controlled environment like this, with safety experts in place, that things can still go awry.

“This crash today was, to my understanding, just under 40km/h, and it demonstrates that even in a controlled environment the damage that this can do.

“The local business who was impacted by this will not be out of pocket.”

Mr Szakacs said there would be an investigation into the incident.

Sarah, the retail manager at the affected business, ReStore, said the car could have smashed through her storefront if it hadn’t taken out the fence first.

“They didn’t consider that this could have happened, and our neighbours have their cars parked outside,” Sarah said.

“They should have got in touch with homeowners and told them they’d be doing it.

“There could have been a car parked there, there could have been people there. You don’t know what could have happened. The fence stopped it, but it could have driven into the shop.”

Sarah, the store manager of Restore by Habitat For Humanity on Port Road said it was lucky no one was parked near the fence. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

Minister for Police, Joe Szakacs said the business would be compensated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Morgan Sette

When asked if the surrounding homes and businesses had been made aware about the production and road closures in advance, Mr Szakacs said they had been.

However, a family living in a home directly in front of the crash site, who asked not to be named, said they only learned about it when they saw the cones being set up and asked what was going on.

“No one came around to tell us,” one man told The Advertiser.

“We were standing on the road, with our two kids, right where the car ended up flying over to. We were told we had to go inside but that was just so we wouldn’t be in the back of the footage.”

The impacted car narrowly avoided two parked cars on the street, which the production company said were unable to be moved because the owners couldn’t be contacted.

Mr Szakacs the ads, which will start airing on TVs next month, are designed to “scare people.”

“I don’t care if people are offended by these campaigns,” he said.

“About ten per cent of the lives lost on SA roads last year were not wearing seatbelts. Additionally, nearly 3000 expiation notices were handed out to drivers not wearing them.

“What we are doing today is unashamedly putting together a campaign that will shock, that will probably offend, but will scare people into action.

“If last year’s road toll didn’t scare people and doesn’t shock people, then I know that when this campaign hits the airwaves, people will be shocked, they’ll be confronted and that’s exactly what needs to happen because the idea that in 2024 people aren’t wearing seatbelts is mind-boggling, soul-destroying for our first responders, and it’s got to change.”