Long Weekend 2005-06 - Road Safety

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Campaign Background
During holiday periods and long weekends people's travel and social patterns change in that there can be:

An increase in the amount of private travel within both metropolitan and rural areas.
More vehicles having multiple occupants, such as families going on holidays.
Drivers often travelling longer distances than usual.
Travel occurring in unfamiliar environments.
Different traffic and road conditions for many drivers.
Higher traffic volumes on some roads, leading to delays and even longer travel times.
Different social behaviours.

Across Australia, these periods have been the focus of significant road safety advertising and enhanced police presence. In some States, additional penalties have been introduced during these times. In both cases, road trauma has generally decreased.

In previous years in South Australia, statistics suggest that crash rates at holiday periods and long weekends are similar to all other times of year. For the three major long weekends to May 2005 (Easter, Anzac and Adelaide Cup) there have been on average five serious casualties (one fatality and four serious injuries) per day on each of these long weekends.

For the remainder of the weekends January to May 2005 there has also been on average five serious casualties (Under one fatality and nearly five serious injuries) per day of the weekend (ie Saturday or Sunday).

However, over two long weekends in 2005 - Easter and Adelaide Cup - a startling number of people were killed on South Australia roads. In terms of serious injuries 18 people were injured over Easter 2005 compared to a five-year average of 26 serious injuries.

To continue to achieve a low holiday fatality and injury rate we must enhance the integrated road safety enforcement and education campaigns to remind drivers of the risks associated with poor driving behaviour and particularly the possible dangers and risks associated with driving during long weekends, and the increased risk of being detected through enhanced SAPOL enforcement state-wide.

To support an increased South Australia police presence on key arterial roads and highways at holiday times, it was recommended that preventative campaigns focusing on increased enforcement supported by advertising and public education be implemented through 2005/06 at long weekends and selected holiday periods. The continuation of a focus at these times is vital to ensure that these periods do not become times of increased road trauma.

While road and traffic conditions may change over these periods, the fundamental road safety issues remain. Hence, the campaign ensures all key road safety issues - speed, drink drive, restraint use, inattention and fatigue - are highlighted in the context of the changed conditions during these periods, particularly enhanced police presence.

Advertising Objectives
The objective of this campaign is to remind the South Australian public of their responsibilities as safe road users during all public holiday periods and the consequences of non-compliance in order to reduce the number of serious casualty and fatal crashes during these times.

The campaign will also raise awareness of enhanced SAPOL enforcement during public holiday periods.

Target Audience
Primary audiences for communication activities associated with this project include:

All South Australian road users

Timing
The scheduling of television and radio outreach coincides with specific Long Weekend periods and integrates where practicable with SAPOL enforcement operations. These specific campaign periods include October long weekend, Christmas Season, New Year, Australia Day, Easter, Anzac Day, Adelaide Cup and Queens Birthday. Due to limited allocation of resources, some events will be supported by public relations outreach only along with Mobile Road Signage.

Television
Tuesday 27 September to Sunday 2 October 2005
Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 March 2006
Tuesday 11 to Sunday 16 April 2006

Radio
Tuesday 27 September to Monday 3 October 2005
Sunday 18 December to Monday 2 January 2006
Wednesday 8 to Monday 13 March 2006
Tuesday 11 to Tuesday 17 and Thursday 20 to Tuesday 25 April 2006
Wednesday 7 to Monday 12 June 2006

Mobile Road Signage
Tuesday 27 September to Monday 3 October 2005
Sunday 18 December to Monday 2 January 2006
Sunday 5 to Monday 13 March 2006
Tuesday 11 to Tuesday 25 April 2005
Tuesday 6 to Monday 12 June 2006

Media Strategies
The television commercial and radio commercial for the long weekends campaign highlight the importance of taking care during the long weekend period and the increase presence of police on the roads.

Long Weekend Television Commercial

The television commercial covers the four main road safety priorities for Long Weekend periods being seatbelts, speeding, fatigue and drink driving. The "Better Be Safe Than Sorry" theme song accompanies the vision of the television commercial, of which for each road safety priority a different scenario is depicted. The scenarios tell people to take care and wear a seatbelt, to not be in a hurry and to not speed, to be sensible and rest when needed and to not drink drive above .05. The end tag is Drive Safely, This Long weekend. Stop. Think.

G = General
May be broadcast at any time except during P and C (Children's) programs or adjacent to P or C periods.

Long Weekend Radio Commercial

The radio commercial has the same theme song as the television commercial. It tells people to take care and not be in a hurry, explaining that there is too much death and injury on SA roads over long weekend periods. A young girl's voice is heard and explains that lots of police won't be holidaying at this time of the year because of this reason and she urges people to please drive safely. The radio commercial ends in the same music as the television commercial, "Better Be Safe Than Sorry." Motorists are also reminded to Stop. Think.

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