From the RTA campaign
The Australian Road and Transit Authority (RTA) has launched a new anti-speeding campaign targeted at young drivers.
The campaign is based on the slogan, “Speeding. No one thinks big of you.” According to the BBC,
“The series of TV ads shows women shaking their little finger – a gesture used to symbolise a small penis – as speeding male motorists race past.”
You can watch one of the ads here.
The RTA says previous ads showing graphic images of the death and destruction caused by speeding have been ineffective. More from the campaign website:
“It purposely talks to young guys in their language. Testing of the finished ad has shown this is a very salient thought that will change young drivers’ behaviour. It could very well be the thread that unravels the mindset that speeding is cool.”
This is absolutely brilliant.
America, perhaps more than any other country, is awash in a culture of speed. Car commercials bombard the airwaves with skidding tires and claims of horsepower and big engines.
However, the untold story is that over 42,000 Americans are killed each year in traffic deaths and hundreds of thousands are injured. Also, it is common practice for the police to not give speeding tickets until motorists go 12-15 miles per hour over the speed limit. As the chart below shows, that amount can easily mean the difference between life and death:
We desperately need more aggressive anti-speeding campaigns in this country.