You have all seen the bike awareness advert, well it's not the only one. Running along side it we have the "It's 30 for a reason" road safety campaign.
Taken from the Think! road safety site, don't watch the ad if you are squeemish.
The television execution features an eight year old girl talking directly to the audience and illustrates in a highly visual way the differences between hitting her whilst driving at 40mph versus hitting her at 30mph. The statistic has been taken from a report by Ashton and Mackay and has allowed for the difference between hitting a child at 30 and 40mph versus hitting an adult (more likely to be 90% chance of death when hit at 40mph). The commercial is available to view online
http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campa ... 2005tv.mpg(.mpg - 3,325kb).
Two key strands were identified during creative development research carried out to determine the best ways to gain the attention and support of the general public. One, the emotional effect of hitting a child whilst speeding, and secondly, the use of statistics and science to support the scenario presented. Killing an innocent victim remains among the most potent messages with the public as a whole. The responses from research identified the need to combine the emotional with the rational in order to avoid only a short-term 'tear jerk' effect. The commercial has been designed specifically to marry up the emotional versus the rational aspects to target the 70% of the population that speed.
Television activity is supported by a poster (Adobe Acrobat - 519kb) and a radio ad (.mp3 - 508kb) featuring the child's voice.
Ongoing advertising activity will run as follows:
Television: w/c 3 July, w/c 10 July, w/c 17 July and w/c 31 July 2006.
National Radio: w/c 17 July, w/c 24 July and w/c 31 July 2006.
Cinema: 11 to 17 August 2006.
Rural Radio: Early October (further details to be advised).
Crash scenarios
These scenarios provide a background explanation of what has happened to the little girl prior to the start of the film.
The 40 mph crash
The injuries sustained by the child after the 40mph crash are as follows:
A fractured pelvis (though this is not visible) and radius and ulna bones (lower arm) along with a skull fracture (base).
Prior to the beginning of the film, the girl, 8 years old (120-130 cms, weighing 55 pounds), ran out into the road, the car (a Ford Fiesta) driving at 40mph in a 30mph speed zone, has hit her at 40mph. She has been hit initially on the pelvis. Her pelvis has broken. Having been hit initially in the pelvis she has been thrown approximately 28m from the car, and has fallen to the ground onto her arm initially, with her head hitting the road next, causing her skull to be fractured (hence the trickle of blood from the ear, and the blood in the hair). She has grazes on the side of her face (on her cheeks and temple) from where she has slid along the road. She has then been placed at the side of the road after being pronounced dead which is where the film begins.
The 30 mph crash
As the commercial goes on, the effects of the 40 crash recede and the body moves into the middle of the road to illustrate the difference in effect between being hit at 40mph versus 30mph. What you actually see are the bones going back into place (the arm), the wound on the head heals itself, and the scrapes recede.
In this scenario the girl, 8 years old (120-130 cms, weighing 55 pounds), has run out into the road, the car (a Ford Fiesta) driving at 30mph in a 30mph speed zone, having not seen her jump out has hit her at 30mph. She has been hit initially on the pelvis. Her pelvis is bruised. Having been hit initially in the pelvis she is thrown approximately 16 metres and falls onto her side, fracturing her arm (though it would not look distorted). She then hits her head, but not so hard as to concuss her. In this scenario she survives, taking a deep breath in as the commercial ends.
Electronic simulations of the 40 and 30mph crashes:
- Simulation 1 (.wmv - 72kb)
- Simulation 2 (.wmv - 74kb)
Useful statistics
Attitudes to speeding
84% of people disapprove of speeding yet 69% do it.
Over 70% of drivers in one study admitted to speeding (Stradling) and in other studies (Webster & Wells) the figure was 85%.
TNS Survey results show what we really think of our other half's driving - and many of us are scared and angered when our partners speed.
The study reveals that among passengers over 60% believe that driving too fast increases the chances that their partner will crash. And emotions run high:
24% have felt angered by their significant other's speeding, which they think is 'irresponsible and stupid'.
20% are scared, and concerned that they and the driver could be killed or injured.
14% worried about the safety of other road users.
25% admit to pressing on an imaginary foot brake.
Only 1% wanted their partners to drive faster.
Key statistics
You are more likely to kill a pedestrian driving at 40mph than 30mph.
Specifically, if you hit a pedestrian while driving at 20 mph, the pedestrian has a 95% chance of survival.
If you hit an adult pedestrian while driving at 30mph, the survival chance is 80%. But if you hit a pedestrian while driving at 40mph, the pedestrian's chances of dying rises to 90%. (this lowers to 80% for a child).
General
Every driver can make a difference just by slowing down a few miles per hour and observing speed limits.
Excessive speed is a contributory factor in over 1,000 deaths and over 40,000 injuries every year.
You are not as safe as you thought - in 2004 car users made up 52% of all road traffic fatalities in Great Britain.
On average, nearly nine people die every day on Britain's roads.
Two out of three crashes where people are killed or injured happen on roads where the speed limit is 40mph or less.
Just over half (50%) of drivers break the 30mph speed limit. (Vehicle Speeds Great Britain).
The law of physics dictate that the higher the speed at impact, the more energy must be rapidly absorbed by hard metal, soft flesh and brittle bone.
