Road Safety Ads

cson

Maybe this would be better off in Motors but Ah seems like a good place to discuss it.

The latest ad is horrific, but if it stops people speeding and saves even just one life then its worth it.

Im interested to know peoples opinions on it. Can you imagine being a member of the emergency services and having to face those situations god knows how many times a year.... It has to affect you. Thank god i've never been involved in a crash touchwood.

EDIT: Link > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ8oCq8hXps

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

you know what would stop people from speeding? horses.

Rhyme

Mordeth wrote:

you know what would stop people from speeding? horses.

Unless the car was going really fast.

aidan_walsh

Back to the days of the guy out walking in front with the red flag, I say.

Unfortunately, the only thing that really gets most people to stop and think about how they and others behave on the road is the harshish way possible that it can hit home.

The_B_Man

Robots! We need robots!!

faceman

the ads dont work, people always think it would never happen to them.

cson

Some valid suggestions there, some not so valid lads.....

Seriously though, can you imagine being a fireman getting called out to those types of crashes most weekends?

Feral Mutant

Know what might help? If around the time when most road accidents happen (no idea when that'd be) they got various radio stations to play the full songs from the ads. Always creeps me out when I hear them.

Archeron

Yes. They do work. I have to admit that since I seen that ad, it has been playing on my mind, for some reason the image of the crushed guy spewing out of his mouth onto his girlfriend is really horrible.
Not more than two hours ago, I was driving from Navan, but going a little bit below the speed limit, and well back from the two cars in front. On a bend, some dick had overtaken a line of traffic, and as the two cars in front went round the corner, the fecker was on the wrong side of the road. (not a boy racer either, twas a middle aged man in a large expensive saloon).

The two cars in front of me both went off the road to the left and ionto rough ground, and if they hadnt, it would have been a head on collision. Thank God they were paying attention. I had plenty of time to slow down as I was going a safe speed and distance, so managed to brake hard without losing control of the car. That ad actually is the reason I was going below the limit instead of getting ready to overtake the two slower cars in front at the next safe spot.

Its a morbid way to think, but it only takes two seconds for this to happen, and the sh*thead that causes it could be right round the very next bend. I think if that ad sticks in people's heads like it did mine, then yes, lives could actually be saved.

timmywex

cson wrote:

Im Can you imagine being a member of the emergency services and having to face those situations god knows how many times a year.... It has to affect you.

EDIT: Link > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ8oCq8hXps

true, but i think this is particulary horiffic, id imagine the two girls up against the wall would have passed out aswell

Make the cars out of velcro, so that if they crash, they just stick together

nlgbbbblth

Make people watch Hell's Highway on DVD

Bob the Builder

Deleted User wrote:

Make the cars out of velcro, so that if they crash, they just stick together

You'd know you were a bogman alright...

Bob the Builder

Comment under video on Youtube wrote:

I'm a paramedic & get to witness carnage like this on a weekly basis. This is as real as it gets. The screaming in the video is what I hear on the side of the road when I'm trying to perform cpr on a dead 21 year old. If you have family and are under 27 then think long and hard before you act the jinnet in your car this weekend..... You have a good chance of having me perform lifesaving work on your mate !

Now thats what hits home, more than the ads. Everyone is used of the ads, it's comments like this that would make people slow down more than anything...

nlgbbbblth

Media reporting the facts of accidents would help

nevf

nevf wrote:

You'd know you were a bogman alright...

... nuts. How'd you guess?

fii-gii

I have been in a few accidents fortunately no one was hurt , one i was at fault the others i wasn't
people have to make an effort to relax be hind the wheel, I never thought i was driving dangerously by going a little over the speed limit but if you are willing to go over it alittle on a normal day how much will you push it on a day that your late for some thing?
when i recieved my second pair of points I decided to slow down but it was hard it took about 6 months to change my driving habits
I think the adds work
f

timmywex

nevf wrote:

Now thats what hits home, more than the ads. Everyone is used of the ads, it's comments like this that would make people slow down more than anything...

very true, it takes a long time for emergency services to build a "barrior" to this suffering

Love2love

Feral Mutant wrote:

Know what might help? If around the time when most road accidents happen (no idea when that'd be) they got various radio stations to play the full songs from the ads. Always creeps me out when I hear them.

Actually, there is specific psychology to the music in these ads for this purpose. I think they work.
In France they have a metal cut out of a human with a big red X to indicate to people that some one or some people have died on that spot and it really works. Maybe they should do this here as not all radio stations will play this music and they cant keep playing it.

I was having a bit of banter with a recovery truck driver when my cars gearbox decided to blow up.

Their company does accident recovery for the gaurds. I said to him he must have seen terrible smashes.

He said he was called to an accident where the driver was in the front seat but his head was under the seat.

He says you get used to seeing it every week.

The same goes for those adds I think the first few times they they shock you but you get desensitised to them.

Bob the Builder

timmywex wrote:

very true, it takes a long time for emergency services to build a "barrior" to this suffering

yah, I'm in the order of malta, I know the feelin exactly. Very disturbing and I dont even treat the casualties.

Deleted User wrote:

... nuts. How'd you guess?

Oh, it was just a really wild guess ;)

Mossy Monk

Saw the ad for the first time this evening. Although it is shocking I don't see it slowing the majority down. Some load of nutcases out there.

cson

Very true. Just going in to town today I could have been killed a few times. I reckon at least 3 of me 9 lives are gone at this stage. Some of the overtaking manouvres lads perform are fecking outrageous. Talk about being able to quantify risk/reward..... pick up 2 mins of time/spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair or die. Madness.

timmywex

nevf wrote:

yah, I'm in the order of malta, I know the feelin exactly. Very disturbing and I dont even treat the casualties.

QUOTE]

i know where you are coming from, was on scene of a pedestrian v car last year, witnesed it, was my neighbour who later died(didnt know her great,but father was in traffic corps), anyway, was first on scene and had to dleiver life saving care to another friend also knocked down, the image and sounds of the dead girls friends on the footpath screaming and telling me to do something stuck in my head for a while, but i had to prioritise who i could save(very hard decision)

spurious

#Elites wrote:

Does anyone know where i can find the old road adds? more specific, the one where the young boy is playing in the garden, and the car comes through the bushes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX_w23Iogt8

Crucifix

Love2love wrote:

In France they have a metal cut out of a human with a big red X to indicate to people that some one or some people have died on that spot and it really works. Maybe they should do this here as not all radio stations will play this music and they cant keep playing it.

On one of the streets I walk down on my way to college there's a tree with bouqets of flowers tied to it, and beside it a few scattered little pieces of shattered bumper. I don't drive, but it's an unsettling feeling to know someone (probably) died right there.

Deliverance

Sorry to say this but I feel that the general Irish public do not know how to drive. Undertaking and driving slow in the fast lane on the new motorways is rife and it really hacks me off as it is an accident waiting to happen. On some motorways there is no breakdown lane, that is a real danger.

The ads are mostly about country roads and pretty family gardens with shock factors of death of children and teenagers. The main accidents occur on roads that are fast roads motorways and so on. Not in built up areas with 30 mile an hour limits. I think these ads are combining high speed motorway deaths with urban family type bizarre deaths, much like a ridiculous teen movie shock death factor. Who makes this stuff anyway Robert Englund?

Tackle the real problem on the motorways which are new to many drivers show real stuff by interviewing the people who deal with the aftermath like firefighters and guards and victims of said crashes, not actors who have preset lines. The Australian producer type crashes that are being portrayed are just shock value and nothing more. Very tacky I am sorry to say.

I have watched these ads over time and am shocked by their impact but I think the impact is based more on the clever effects and emotional impact over the real problem which is strangely being totally missed.
Get real Mr Gay Burn (who is keeping a low profile) and tackle the reality or resign and give the job over to someone who doesn't commision hollywood type showcase editors a chance to tackle the real problem.
There that's my piece, I am a frustrated experienced driver. So that is my real view.

Vorsprung

Deliverance wrote:

Sorry to say this but I feel that the general Irish public do not know how to drive. Undertaking and driving slow in the fast lane on the new motorways is rife and it really hacks me off as it is an accident waiting to happen. On some motorways there is no breakdown lane, that is a real danger.

The ads are mostly about country roads and pretty family gardens with shock factors of death of children and teenagers. The main accidents occur on roads that are fast roads motorways and so on. Not in built up areas with 30 mile an hour limits. I think these ads are combining high speed motorway deaths with urban family type bizarre deaths, much like a ridiculous teen movie shock death factor. Who makes this stuff anyway Robert Englund?

Tackle the real problem on the motorways which are new to many drivers show real stuff by interviewing the people who deal with the aftermath like firefighters and guards and victims of said crashes, not actors who have preset lines. The Australian producer type crashes that are being portrayed are just shock value and nothing more. Very tacky I am sorry to say.

I have watched these ads over time and am shocked by their impact but I think the impact is based more on the clever effects and emotional impact over the real problem which is strangely being totally missed.
Get real Mr Gay Burn (who is keeping a low profile) and tackle the reality or resign and give the job over to someone who doesn't commision hollywood type showcase editors a chance to tackle the real problem.
There that's my piece, I am a frustrated experienced driver. So that is my real view.

AFAIK motorways are the safest roads around

imp

Er... afaik there is no fast lane on Irish motorways, there is a driving lane and an overtaking lane. And a hard shoulder sometimes. I'm not a driver, I've just heard that tossed around as a fact when motorways are being discussed.

Tak3n

that girl got owned

nobodythere

Bull.

Our current government wants to look like they're doing something.

Right now there's people driving around on second provisionals who have never had to do a driving test to get on the road. Nothing but the theory test and the eye test has qualified them to be on our roads.

If they actually WANTED to tackle the problem they'd

• Put a lot of resources into clearing the waiting list for the full driving list.
• Partially subsidise driving lessons (which are very expensive in Ireland).
• Abolish 2nd provisionals, nobody should be on the road unsupervised who hasn't done a test.
• Enforce the law that 1st provisional drivers should be accompanied by drivers (I know first hand that it's overlooked).

As is stands they're all about making an impression, Gay Byrne fronting the Road Safety Authority, the ads on TV and putting guards out to tackle drink driving. The last two are useful but they're only being done because it visibly looks good for the government.

Abolishing second provisionals wouldn't sit well with the Auld Biddy Electorate who have been on them for a very long time, same with enforcing the 1st provosional law (which wouldn't sit well BECAUSE of the length of the driving test waiting list).

Try as I might I can't find a statistic that says what percentage of accidents are on first/second provisionals, I'm not even sure if it exists.

EDIT: They should make an ad about how long it takes to stop when you're speeding, everyone gets desensitised to those gruesome ads but you can't get desensitised to a fact, it just sticks in your head.

WindSock

faceman wrote:

the ads dont work, people always think it would never happen to them.

It's true, studies have found that nobody reckons they are as bad a driver as the ones on the ads.

afatbollix

they do work i now allways make anyone who gets in the car with me put on there seat belt... i wont move untill they do.... im not going to get killed by someone in the back of my own car.....

spurious

A little bit of subtle brainwashing early on in the primary schools would fix the seatbelt issue.
"Oh daddy/mammy, PLEASE wear your seat belts and put ours on, I don't want to die!!!!"

Mind you, I still see children in the launch position, standing in the rear, head between the two front seats. A Tarantino-esque ad with the child flying by its parents at 30mph with glorious technicolour slow-motion coverage of their child's face and body as it flies into the windscreen might be an effective ad.

Agamemnon

The problem with these ads is that, although they are very effective the first time you see them, most people change channels when they come on again, so the impact is quickly diminished.

Mushy

Sorry to say this but I feel that the general Irish public do not know how to drive.

So very true. My opinion is based on the driving at roundabouts. The standard of driving there is shocking. Roundabout near my school, very busy, just off the N11...I have no idea how somebody hasnt been killed there. The amount of people who drive in the wrong lane coming onto the roundabout is ridiculous. They go into lanes to: 1)continue on, but swing dangerously across towards the motorway, or 2)in the lane to turn off at first exit, then continue on. The other day, cyclist comes onto the roudabout perfectly, woman in car uses number 1 there, and nearly kills him. She bipped him, but I also said quite loudly to my friend that "that stupid b****" was in the wrong. Ive one month left to go in school, I can just sense that I will finally see something happen there, be it pedestrian vs. car, car vs. car etc.

That ad is shocking though, it'd make me think if I drove

fricatus

Deliverance wrote:

The main accidents occur on roads that are fast roads motorways and so on. Not in built up areas with 30 mile an hour limits.

You are right about fast roads, but totally and utterly wrong about motorways. Motorways are the safest roads by far. I'm heading out the door now, so I've no time to dig up statistics. However I recall hearing that the M1 Dublin-Border has about one seventh the number of fatalaties of the old N1 road, despite the extra traffic. Look on the NRA website, I know there's plenty of information there.

If you just think about it anyway, look at how much traffic uses the M50 and M7, as a couple of examples. I think you could count on your fingers the number of fatalities on those over the past two years.

Most fatalities occur on non-motorway rural roads, be they national, regional or local roads. The lower speeds in urban areas mean that there are fewer serious accidents and therefore fewer fatalities.

Of course when motorway accidents occur, they're catastrophic. However, the likelihood of being killed or injured on a motorway is much lower than on other types of road.

WindSock

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

Capt'n Midnight

fricatus wrote:

Of course when motorway accidents occur, they're catastrophic. However, the likelihood of being killed or injured on a motorway is much lower than on other types of road.

I supprised that we haven't had a major accident on our motorways yet. Look at the ones in the recent fog with people travelling at 70mph in whiteout.

There is a 20-30 death disaster waiting to happen out there.



Replacing the drivers airbag with a harpoon would be a low tech way of enforcing the most important and basic rule of road safety.
"drive at such a speed that you are able to stop the car within the distance you can see to be clear "

cson

boreds wrote:

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

Yeah, what is it with most Irish drivers innate need to preserve animal life at all costs? I find running over the dog much more palatable than being in a mangled wreckage. Its not cruelty, its common sense.

afatbollix

boreds wrote:

That ad just tells me to plough into the dog.

if you served while doing your driving test you'd fall.... only kids count during your test god damed :rolleyes:

JackKelly

grasshopa wrote:

Bull.

Our current government wants to look like they're doing something.

Right now there's people driving around on second provisionals who have never had to do a driving test to get on the road. Nothing but the theory test and the eye test has qualified them to be on our roads.

If they actually WANTED to tackle the problem they'd

• Put a lot of resources into clearing the waiting list for the full driving list.
• Partially subsidise driving lessons (which are very expensive in Ireland).
• Abolish 2nd provisionals, nobody should be on the road unsupervised who hasn't done a test.
• Enforce the law that 1st provisional drivers should be accompanied by drivers (I know first hand that it's overlooked).

As is stands they're all about making an impression, Gay Byrne fronting the Road Safety Authority, the ads on TV and putting guards out to tackle drink driving. The last two are useful but they're only being done because it visibly looks good for the government.

Abolishing second provisionals wouldn't sit well with the Auld Biddy Electorate who have been on them for a very long time, same with enforcing the 1st provosional law (which wouldn't sit well BECAUSE of the length of the driving test waiting list).

Try as I might I can't find a statistic that says what percentage of accidents are on first/second provisionals, I'm not even sure if it exists.

EDIT: They should make an ad about how long it takes to stop when you're speeding, everyone gets desensitised to those gruesome ads but you can't get desensitised to a fact, it just sticks in your head.

Provisional drivers are only part of the problem. As people have mentioned, fat-cats in their saloons pose an equal danger on the roads.

That said, It's true that the provisional system needs to be cleaned up, and it is ridiculous that you can be out on the roads having never driven before, but there are other problems that also need to be addressed. It's too easy to point the blame entirely at young drivers.

That ad is horrific, couldn't believe I was watcing it mid-afternoon. It must have some effect though. I would be inclined to switch channel if I saw it coming up though.

Sully

The government really havent done enough in regards to Road Safety. Most of what has been done has been all publicity. The general ads showing policing on our roads and Gay B winging on the radio / TV is just talk. Nothing more.

Those ads which we talk about here, are hard hitting but get only small air time. Its all talk for the first while, but then it disapears from our screens. Plus, that latest add - I dont think it was as affective as others. It only showed one car over take another on a straight(sh) stretch of road but freaked on seeing the dog, causing an accident. Its just not as hard-hitting as other ads, and really is something that will happen either way. It is of course some use, dont get me wrong, but we need harder hitting ads.

In the last few months, we have finaly seen a stricter enforcment of drink driving. However, I dont think there is enough Gardai to police our roads and do regular check points. Yes, there definately has been an increase of their visibility but we need more. Less talk, more action.

Penalty Points is kind of working, but I do believe its not working to its full potential due to loopholes, old equipment etc.

The provisional license;- Who the hell came up with this "great" idea of letting any person jump into a car without any form of test (Well, apart from the Theory which can be said to be a walk through..)? The amount of people I know who started driving really young - just jumped into a car, and started driving without any instructor. Maybe one or two coming up to the test. Surley when this idea came about the backlog of driving tests was not as bad? Even accepting that, if they get to do their test (which may I add, Cullen has done something about. Hes cut back the backlog, and I read today its being cut back again before the election (publicity stunt I know - but still) which is helpfull) and fail - badly - they are allowed drive away. How bloody dangerous and stupid is that? Cut back the waiting time to an acceptable level, add more changes to what the test should do and abolish this idea of a provesional.

Anti-Youth:- Fair enough, a lot of people are young being killed on the road. Dont just blame them - we have plenty of middle/old aged men & women on our roads that shouldnt be.

Speed Cameras:- We need more. Public / Private. We need more. And we need to get a grip on ourselves and agree to removing those "Speed checks ahead" warning signs. Wtf like? Your speeding, you deserve to get caught. Getting a warning is gonna get people slowing down (might cause an accident if they do so suddenly anyway) and speeding up when passing the checks.

Our Roads:- Some of our decent stretch of roads have the lowest speed limits. Our back / old roads which are a mess have the highest speed limits. I live in Tramore, and the road going out to the cove is 80km/h. Its not a straight stretch. Its a road which is packed with walkers, is very windy and has a very poor surface. Going at that speed around those bends - you will crash. It has happened, and nothing has been done. We need to get the speed limits right.

Driving behaviour:- We all need to learn to be patient behind the wheel and take care when driving. Yes the eejit in front might be driving at a snales pace but dont get so hot and bothered and roar past him at the dangerous of spots. No, we cant talk on our mobiles and drive at the same time. Holding your phone in one hand and manovring the roundabout... wtf like? Your distracted, and you cant handle any emgerency or tricky situation.

Anyway, thats my view on things. Many times have I heard the "A Lot Done, More To Do" by Bertie & Co. However, I felt that a lot has not been done by our government, espicaly in this area. I dont trust any promises. We need someone who will take this situation seriously. Lets take in an external audit, who can put forward suggestions to fix the crisis. Lets give the RSA more powers. Lets get someone in politics who will hear our calls, and fix the carnage on our roads.

</rant>

Robbo

Surely the more literal and direct moral to this ad is "Dogs: The noisy killer"?

afatbollix

also the 2 cars that crash if you look none was wearing a seat belt

skywalker_208

certainly not having any affect on the little cnuts in Navan anyway . As we speak I can hear them racing at high speed .... same every single night, 7 nights a week. I have yet to hear a cop car go after them.... (dont like letting their tea go cold i imagine)

delta_bravo

anyone know the name of the song?

looksee

skywalker_208 wrote:

certainly not having any affect on the little cnuts in Navan anyway . As we speak I can hear them racing at high speed .... same every single night, 7 nights a week. I have yet to hear a cop car go after them.... (dont like letting their tea go cold i imagine)

So that we could then have a 'its the cops fault my son/brother/whatever was killed, they were chasing him' thread.

delta_bravo

anto-t wrote:

also the 2 cars that crash if you look none was wearing a seat belt

Im pretty sure they are, its rather hard to tell but the fact that they didnt fly out the windscreen leads me to think they had their seatbelts on

Fighting Irish

The problem with Ireland is not speed, its stupid people driving cars on dangerous roads

Thrill

cson wrote:

Yeah, what is it with most Irish drivers innate need to preserve animal life at all costs? I find running over the dog much more palatable than being in a mangled wreckage. Its not cruelty, its common sense.

I dont think thought, caring or common sense comes into it tbh. At speeds like
that it would be an instinctive reaction beyond your control.