The Liberal National Government has launched the first of five new major road safety campaigns in an effort to change the behaviour of those motorists who are putting Western Australia’s lives at risk.
Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said the first two campaigns targeted the very best drivers and the very worst and they were grounded in the most extensive road safety research ever conducted in Australia.
“The Zero Hero campaign recognises the 800,000 WA motorists who haven’t lost a demerit point in the last three years and seeks to normalise good driving that the vast majority of Western Australians do,” Mrs Harvey said.
“Through the Zero Heroes we want to put the spot light on the fact the vast majority of drivers are doing the right thing and use that massive amount of people to influence the driving of those people around them – their children, parents, friends and other loved ones.”
The Minister said the second campaign would target the Risk Takers who speed, drink drive, use their mobile phones and don’t wear seatbelts. In 2013, 62 Risk Takers were killed on WA roads.
“Our research shows that these Risk Takers endorse speeding, don’t see any of these behaviours as a road safety issue and are not motivated by personal injury,” Mrs Harvey said.
“But the research shows they are motivated by the threat of losing their licence, subsequent loss of freedom and negative social consequences, and our campaign reflects that.”
The Risk Taker campaign documents the life of “Nate” who has lost his licence and is forced to rely on his mother to drive him around. The campaign follows Nate over the period he has lost his licence as the stark reality of his new life sets in.
“This campaign aims to have those risk takers in our community cringe and think about how their life would be impacted should they end up in Nate’s position – something they find much more realistic than actually dying as a result of their risky driving,” Mrs Harvey said.
