SMART Speed
Speeding is an epidemic and is one of the most frequent examples of anti-social driving behaviour raised by the public with Surrey County Council and Surrey Police. The ‘Ben’ campaign, as part of Drive SMART, will increase awareness of the issues that speeding causes with hard-hitting imagery and the strapline ‘Take your time, not a life’.
The campaign launched in January 2010 and brings home this hard hitting message to the drivers of Surrey. With the 'Ben' advertising, which will be seen on the backs of buses and billboards as well as heard on Surrey radio stations, we want to illustrate the effects that even a small increase in speed can cause and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Surrey roads.
The 'Ben' campaign is striking and memorable and should have an impact on a wide audience, who will empathise with the emotions being felt by a young boy who has lost his mother. The text 'You were speeding when you killed Ben's mum. Take your time, not a life' is direct and powerful and aims to make people think before they speed.
Alongside the campaign there will be a renewed drive to recruit more people into the Community Speedwatch scheme, supported by Surrey Police. This is where volunteers come together to help tackle specific speeding issues on their local roads.
In addition many schools will be getting involved in School Speedwatch, an initiative where children record vehicles speeds outside their schools. If the drivers are found to be speeding they are pulled over and the children speak to the drivers, asking them why they have been speeding and if they realise the full effect of what they are doing.