Speeding – it’s not impressive
Warwickshire Casualty Reduction Partnership has launched a hard hitting publicity campaign called ‘Speeding – it’s not impressive’.
The campaign has been designed to help reduce the number of casualties and deaths on the region’s roads.
The campaign targets young drivers and passengers aged 17-24 who are more likely then any other age group to be killed or seriously injured on our roads. They are also the drivers most likely to speed. The hard hitting ads use images of crash scenes taken through a car windscreen to graphically demonstrate the potential consequences of driving too fast. ‘Out With Your Mates’ shows four young men lying injured after a crash while ‘First Date’ shows a young couple injured in the car.
The posters will be displayed on billboards and bus backs throughout the Midlands during September, supported by adverts on local radio stations.
Department for Transport figures show that 17-24 year olds accounted for 23% of casualties on UK roads. This high figure can partly be explained by research carried out by the Midlands Safety Camera Partnerships. The research showed that only 29% of 17-24 year olds claim to drive within the speed limit compared with 50% of older drivers. It also showed that more than a third of young drivers say they really enjoy driving fast.
Estyn Williams Partnership Chairman and Road Safety Unit Manager at Warwickshire County Council said: “It is a real concern that so many young people are losing their lives or being seriously injured on our roads. The excitement and thrill that many new drivers experience when they get behind the wheel combined with over-confidence in their ability sees many young drivers going too fast and getting themselves into situations that they have no way out of.
"All too often this results in tragic consequences. I hope this campaign will encourage young drivers to think about the way they drive and question whether the risks are really worth taking.”
Speeding also brings the risk of being detected, fined and given penalty points. Drivers who receive 6 or more penalty points in the first two years after passing their test will have their licences revoked and must retake their driving test. Speeding offences can also result in increased insurance premiums.