Video: SA Police target drivers who think they can safely speed in new road safety campaign
SA Police has unveiled a “confronting” new road safety campaign targeting drivers who believe they can safely speed.
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Drivers who believe they can safely exceed the speed limit are the target of a new SA Police safety campaign that highlights the danger they cause to other road users.
The new advertising campaign – Speeders Come Out Of Nowhere – launched on Friday taps into extensive research on why drivers speed and what might convince them to stop.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said understanding the motivations and psychology behind road users’ behaviour was key to creating campaigns that resonate and spark change.
Mr Stevens said police were trying to understand why motorists broke road rules and wanted them to think about the consequences of their choices.
“We partnered with research companies to conduct rigorous attitudinal research into how road users think and their reasons for engaging in dangerous behaviours,” Mr Stevens said.
“The campaign messaging addresses the finding that some drivers think they have the skills to drive above the speed limit which makes them a hazard to other innocent road users.
“The campaign reminds drivers of the vulnerability of all road users and that a crash can happen to anyone when least expected.
“It highlights the shared responsibility of all road users to stick to the speed limit and reinforces the fact that their choices on the road have consequences for everyone.”
The campaign launch coincides with the start of Operation Safe Hills, which will run from Friday until April 26, 2021, and Operation High Impact F5 throughout October.
Mr Stevens says speed was a critical factor in every serious crash and had been identified as a contributing factor in 30 per cent of lives lost so far in 2020.
“The higher the speed, the harder the impact. If everybody stuck to the speed limit we would see an immediate reduction in casualty crashes,” Mr Stevens said.
“It is clear that there is a need to continue to promote speed compliance and educate the community on the benefits of lower speeds in reducing road trauma.”
Police Minister Vincent Tarzia said he believed the new advertisement would make people re-evaluate their driving habits.
“This new campaign is graphic, confronting and highlights how speeding even just a little bit over the limit can cause irreversible damage or death,” Mr Tarzia said.
“Fatalities and serious injuries can be prevented if we all do our part to make South Australian roads a safer place.
“Heed the message and slow down this long weekend. The choice to do so could save your life or the lives of others.”
The anti-speeding campaign will run in October 2020, March 2021 and June 2021.
