The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has released a provocative advertisement depicting an horrific crash between a car and young boy to encourage people to rethink their speed.
It features stills of a car crashing into a boy on a bike at seven different speeds, in a car park shaped like a speed dial.
“Speed doesn’t always cause crashes but it always determines the level of injuries sustained,” said TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore.
“The speed you are travelling can be the difference between a fright and a fatality.”
At the slowest speed, the boy avoids the crash. At the fastest speed the car punches into a light post, sending pieces of the bicycle flying.
The ad is part of TAC’s recent Rethink Speed campaign – encourage “safer speeds” in its push Towards Zero.
“This campaign has a message for all of us,” Mr Calafiore said.
“We need to be mindful of our surroundings and the conditions when choosing our travel speeds.
“As drivers and riders we can’t control everything on our roads and we can’t stop the unexpected but we can control the speeds we travel at. That can be enough to prevent serious injury or death.”
Rather than focussing on speeding Rethink Speed encourages Victorians to choose to travel at speeds that are safe, legal and appropriate for the conditions.
“Speed limits don’t determine the speed we should be travelling at,” Mr Calafiore said.
“They set the maximum speed we are allowed to travel at and in reality it won’t be safe at all times and in all conditions.”
The campaign will appear on television screens, roadside billboards, websites, radio and social media in the coming weeks.
“We want everyone to rethink the speeds they travel at and choose a speed that is not only legal, but is safe for the conditions,” Mr Calafiore said.
“In any crash involving a car or motorbike, speed determines the level of injury. Increase your speed and increase the likelihood of severe injury or death in the event of a crash.”
