Objectives:

• To review existing road safety communications aimed at children and teenagers and investigate possible methods/routes for improving communication.

• To explore the need for a separate marketing approach for 10-11 year olds during the transition from primary to secondary school.

• To ensure the key messages in current and future campaigns appeal and resonate.

• To explore the possibility of linking cycling and pedestrian safety into a single campaign that would be flexible enough to work with both children and teens and within that males and females.

Methodology:

The methodology was based on interviews and immersion studies as detailed below:

• Interviews with a number of road safety experts (Police, Road Safety Officers and Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents).

• 30 group interviews were undertaken amongst a variety of children of different ages across the country.

Key Findings:

• ‘Camera Phone’ is a very successful piece of road safety advertising, a scene filmed on a camera phone depicts the protagonist being run over and consequent harrowing screams. It elicits enormous empathy with its depiction of teenage life and delivers a genuine and visceral shock which stays with respondents, especially under 15s.

• Teens tend to live moment to moment, they are not future focussed ‘Don’t Die Before You’ve Lived’ is too future focussed for teenagers to truly engage; it’s far more resonant among parents.

• Graphic illustration of catastrophe should not be shied away from when depicting the impact and consequences of RTIs. Significant numbers from 8-11 year olds and the vast majority of those over 11 can cope with it.

Themes:

Teen road safety, Education Campaign, Evaluation, Impact

Comments:

Highlights a number of pieces of research.

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