Can road safety campaigns learn anything from the DfT’s latest reported road casualty figures?

The Department for Transport (DfT) has released its annual report on reported road casualties in Great Britain, but can road safety campaigns learn anything from them?

An initial analysis shows a minimal decline in killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, displaying a mere 1 per cent fall from the previous year.

More alarmingly, there was an 8 per cent increase in reported road fatalities among motorcyclists.

From these results alone, which have negatively impacted Great Britain’s international rankings for road safety, it clearly shows that road safety awareness and education campaigns still have a role to play, reminding road users of their responsibilities, while giving them inspiration to make a change.

Where to focus attention?

While great efforts have been made, the latest results show that motorcycle safety stands out as an area that needs even greater focus and attention.

It goes without saying that motorcyclists are a particularly vulnerable group, so making our roads as safe as possible for them should be a key priority.

Especially when considering they comprise only 1-3 per cent of road users, but account for one-in-five deaths on the roads.

There has, of course, been improvements already achieved via thought provoking campaigns, which have utilised a collaborative approach.

Having strength in depth gives additional weight to road safety campaigns. Indeed, focusing their attention on motorcycle safety saw IAM RoadSmart, with support from Red Marlin, collaborate with a wide range of other parties.

This was evident in a live virtual summit for more than 30 influential motorcycle organisations with the goal of creating a nationwide coalition to support and promote the campaign.

The activity centred around granting air jackets a 0 per cent VAT rating (in line with other personal protective equipment). This would make them more affordable and accessible for motorcycle riders.

Building momentum

Amplifying the message around motorcycle air jackets was also achieved by supplying toolkits and resources to groups across the country.

It resulted in a government petition with more than 11,000 signatures prompting a response from government.

While specific to this campaign, toolkit materials are an ideal approach to assist others while spreading your own message. Assets can include graphics, social media posts, posters and videos.

What else can be done?

The most successful road safety campaigns have a clarity about them. Clear messaging, clear focus and clear call to action – some are so famous they’ve become part of our national identity such as The Green Cross Code or the King of the Road hedgehogs.

Road safety is also an area where car makers are making great strides by building incredibly technically advanced vehicles, packed with the latest safety systems, from lane assist to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), plus much more.

Focusing consumer behaviour on safety, as well as price, in-car entertainment, fuel economy, and pushing EVs, is an area where car manufacturers can build brand loyalty by giving reassurance to buyers that they are as safe as can be behind the wheel, protecting the ones they love and others around them.

Road safety campaigns have already achieved much

Finishing on a positive note, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the UK has some of the safest roads in the world.

It’s not happened overnight, indeed has taken decades, but is a clear example of how achieving a common goal is possible through key organisations engaging with each other and harnessing the power of the media.

Are you planning a road safety campaign?

If you are aiming to drive change through an awareness campaign, then perhaps it can benefit from the support of an experienced PR partner.

To discover more about our campaign work to help make our roads safer, and for a no obligation chat, please get in touch.