Young driver campaign wins Prince Michael Award

A young driver publicity campaign developed by road safety officers in eastern England has won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

The 'For my girlfriend' (FMG) campaign was developed by the eastern region group of local authority road safety officers (LARSOA). The campaign evolved out of the findings of a research project into attitudes among younger drivers towards driving, speed and road safety.

The study found that young drivers - especially young males - find it almost impossible to imagine killing or injuring themselves in a road crash. It also revealed that the outcome they dread most is killing or maiming someone they are close to - for example a girlfriend or best mate - who is travelling in a car driven by them. They considered this to be worse than killing or injuring a pedestrian (even a child) or an unknown third party.

FMG confronts a young male driver with the awful prospect of killing his girlfriend passenger, as a result of driving too fast. The campaign message is communicated via a postcard and/or Valentine Card carrying the message 'For my girlfriend - I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill you'. The cards are distributed to young people with the help of educational establishments, pubs and nightclubs, leisure centres and major employers. Around 750,000 cards have been distributed in the two years since the campaign was launched.

The campaign website, www.fmg.org.uk, contains information about insurance, vehicle maintenance and reaction times, alongside advice about road safety issues.

The Prince Michael Award was presented at the climax of a competition to promote the campaign website. Contestants were asked to answer five road-safety related questions, and the 15 lucky winners and their guests enjoyed an action-packed day at Silverstone, home to the British Grand Prix, on Saturday 30 October.

Presenting the Award, Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, organisers of the awards scheme said: "Young, newly qualified drivers are especially vulnerable. This ingenious campaign has been outstandingly successful at getting them to think twice and to realize how responsible they really need to be when behind the wheel."

Although the campaign was developed and launched in the eastern region, it has subsequently spread to other parts of the country. By the end of 2004, the campaign will have been deployed in the Thames Valley region, Kent & Medway, Sussex, Lancashire, London and Somerset. It will also launch in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in January 2005.

For further information about FMG visit www.fmg.org.uk or contact the campaign administrator Sally Bartrum, 01379 650112, sbartrum@stennik.com.