Campaign urges young drivers to ‘Stay Beautiful’

Road safety officers across Yorkshire and the Humber are launching a new campaign on 6 October to encourage young drivers to look after themselves and other road users when they are behind the wheel.

The campaign features two thought-provoking radio messages, which were chosen as a result of focus group work with 17-25 year-old drivers. The phrase ‘Your Driving – Stay Beautiful’ features in both messages, and will also be featured on over 150 buses throughout the region.

"The research we carried out on last year’s campaign told us that while more drivers saw our bus back messages, our radio work had more influence on the people who heard it," explained Peter Shepherdson, Chair of Yorkshire and Humberside LARSOA. "As a result, this year we are continuing to concentrate our efforts on bus and radio to ensure we get our Stay Beautiful message across to drivers when it’s most effective – when they’re out and about on our region’s roads"

The bus back image features a woman in a car with tyre marks running up her leg, which gradually turn into bleeding stitch marks.

"I’m sure some people will think the new image is upsetting but this is the reality of road crashes – and all drivers would do well to remember this," Peter Shepherdson added. "Ask most people about their driving and they’ll rate themselves as good to excellent – if this is the case then why are our hospitals full of the victims of these good drivers?"

The campaign is being supported by the road safety charity SCARD (Support and Care After Road Death and Injury), which helps families that have been bereaved or have had family members injured in road crashes.

SCARD spokeswoman Carole Whittingham defended the new campaign’s hard-hitting approach saying: "When I first saw the new image it really made an impact – it’s about time we faced the reality of road crashes. They are horrendous experiences that devastate families and friends."

"If this campaign prompts drivers to honestly reassess their own abilities and gets them thinking about their actions then it will definitely be a step in the right direction," she added.

The Stay Beautiful campaign will be running throughout October and will be the subject of further independent research to measure how effective it has been.

Carole Whittingham can be contacted on 01484 384702.