Drive SMART Campaign Tackles Speeding
14/01/2010 16:21:00
A new campaign aimed at warning motorists about the potentially fatal consequences of speeding is launched today (January 11th).
The hard-hitting Ben campaign is the first single issue campaign of the Drive SMART initiative and has been developed by the Surrey Safety Camera Partnership.
New data shows that one third of collisions on Surrey’s roads between 2006 and 2008 (4,123 out of 13,106) were recorded as being caused by drivers either exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions. Even where speed is not recorded as the main factor, greater speeds increase the chance of collision, and make the consequences far worse.
The Ben campaign uses an image of a distraught small boy sobbing as drivers are informed You were speeding when you killed Ben’s mum: Take your time, not a life - and will feature on bus backs and billboards across Surrey. The voice of Ben will also be heard on radio stations throughout the county.
The eye-catching design will be used on 50 buses operating out of Guildford, Byfleet, Cranleigh and Epsom, with posters also being distributed to businesses, libraries, council offices, police stations, hospitals and doctors’ surgeries across the county. Billboards in Leatherhead, Reigate, Redhill, Whyteleafe and Camberley will also feature the highly emotive image.
Partnership Project Manager, Duncan Knox, said:
“We had a lot of very positive feedback from one of our previous campaigns, which featured a young girl called Amy. The Ben campaign is very much in the same mould in that it features a striking image, tells a brief story and makes drivers think about the dangers of speeding. Our aim is to make drivers aware of the potentially very serious consequences of driving too fast, and we hope Ben brings that home to them in a powerful and thought-provoking way.”
The Drive SMART initiative, launched in September by Surrey County Council and Surrey Police, encourages drivers to be more considerate and change driving behaviours that negatively affect the lives of other road users or local residents.
In addition to speeding, these include tailgating, bad or inconsiderate parking, using a handheld mobile phones at the wheel, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and generally thoughtless or reckless driving.