http://www.howwedrive.com/2009/09/10/traffic-safety-film-of-the-week-22/

Humour always wins out over gore, in my opinion.

Maybe if motorists here had that kind of reinforcement every 5 years they’d stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. Or remember that right-turn-on-red isn’t an entitlement and doesn’t give you right-of-way over the other drivers with green lights. Among other things.

Kevin’s comment:
AMEN! I believe that drivers should face a mandatory and comprehensive road test every five years. With at least a 20% failure rate. This would lead to a sudden improvement on the roads.

I work for a company where Safety is a priority, reducing and eliminating accidents is possible, we need to do it on our roadways.

Aaron

Kevin’s comment:
I agree. Which is why the Australian PSA may be the most effective. The government is introducing a new, popular gesture. Good idea.

In my opinion, the most effective cigarette package warnings are not the ones warning of DEATH in graphic words and photos. It is the one warning of impotence, with an appropriate photo of drooping cigarette ash. When I first saw that, I laughed. But it stuck with me.

When Florida first started talking about making DUI illegal (hard to believe it used to be, huh?), there were popular bumperstickers that read: “Don’t Drink & Drive; You Might Hit a Bump and Spill It.” Today such a bumpersticker would be far less acceptable as humor.

I’ve seen it with my own two eyes. I remember as a teenager a relative of mine who would drive drunk. And everyone knew what he was doing. He would say “I drive better drunk than most men do sober.”

He doesn’t do that anymore. What changed? Part of it was PSA’s. Not any PSA that he saw – they didn’t change his attitude. But his family members became convinced that his behaviour had to changed. That was due in part to PSAs.

So things happened. For example, his son once told him after heavy drinking “If you lay a finger on car keys I’m taking an awl and puncturing all four of your car tires to stop you from driving.” That worked for that evening.

Finally, the inevitable happened. The local police saw him driving erratically, and he was jailed for drunk driving. After he got out of jail his driver’s license was suspended. When his driving privileges were eventually reinstated his relatives got really intolerant of him ever driving drunk. “You could hurt someone – or yourself.” Also, a second offense would lead to serious jail time.

As far as I know, he never drove after drinking again.

The PSAs were ineffective in changing his attitude. But very effective in changing everyone else’s attitude in tolerating his behaviour.

Here’s some more info on it:
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/speedandspeedcameras/campaigns/index.html

I learned another thing… young drivers must display special plates on their cars L-plate for learners and P-plate for “provisional drivers” between 18 and 21. Check out the restrictions and penalties for violations for P-plate drivers:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/gettingalicence/200707_p1.html

Then Google “News” for “P-plate” and you’ll come up with a list of crashes caused by the young and rash. What’s interesting is that this “scarlet letter” system raises awareness of the problem: many young adults simply don’t have the judgment and restraint to behave properly with a 4000lb weapon.

We need to start clubbing this traffic culture mercilessly. Because it is our cavalier cultural attitudes that inspire and condone the behavior.

I think changing the culture requires a full-court press. Public awareness, education, strict enforcement, personal commitment…

And a critical mass of citizens who just aren’t going to tolerate it anymore.

OK, I’ll bite…

Wielding and displaying power feels good and natural to a young man. Spinning those wheels and speeding around town is no different than a male gorilla pounding its chest. So perhaps the little finger wave (“he’s compensating…”) might work on some guys, but you’re fighting nature. Rationalization: “Well SHE’S not impressed, but I know the other one is.”

Instead, find other, safer ways for guys to “pound their chests” and try to make those things cool.

Maybe: http://www.myspace.com/orlandobikepolo ?