New TAC ad to air tonight
February 20, 2008 by Matt Brogan
New TAC ads featuring the grieving families of fatal road crash victims will air in Victoria tonight.
The emotional ad which pleads for motorists to slow down and attacks speeding drivers is the latest installment of the TAC and State Government’s ‘Speed Kills’ campaign.
TAC Minister Tim Holding said speed was a factor in at least 30 per cent of fatalities (yes, stationary cars are far less likely to kill) and was the biggest killer on Victorian roads.
The three minute ad will premiere at 8.27pm this evening with shorter ads appearing over coming weeks.
The TAC hopes the true stories will get through to speeding motorists though many cynics of the campaign believe the money could have been better spent in educational programs and improvements to our roads.
Print it: 
A poor driver can kill someone (or themselves) at even very moderate speeds in the wrong conditions. People need to be better taught car control, how to drive for the conditions and how to respect other road users.
IMO the Speed Kills campaign glosses over some deeper and rather real issues that are seen as too hard to tackle by the powers at be.
I think it has well and truly been proven that speed is only one factor in causing accidents or magnifying the severity of accidents and that it is given way too much attention.
I was watching a funny old Top Gear episode that parodied a coked up teenager in a stolen car followed by Osama bin Laden in another car, going past a speed camera below the speed limit, followed by a granny doing 4mph over the limit – of course the granny was the only person caught.
They quoted a study (unfortunately I can’t remember the reference) that said that accidents were far more likely to be caused by “agressive high speed driving”, inexperienced / negligent driving, and the elderly, rather than low-range speeding.
But of course, we all knew this.
It is simply more convenient and cost effective for governments to target drivers speeding 5% over the limit, than to actively comb through all drivers to find the inept, invalid, or to train the inexperienced. Not to mention all the unlicensed drivers out there or all the unroadworthy rust-buckets that are being held together only by their external body panels.
Well said Godspeed!
Well said GS. It’s just too hard. Far easier to fund a few speed cameras, spend millions telling everyone how bad speeding is than to actually address other, more prevalent reasons for fatalities.
maybe the money can be spent on putting more police on the roads dont get me wrong the ads may help but if someone is going to speed their going to speed and having a police presence on roads may do more in road safty than ads and speed camers
The government just doesn’t grasp the concept that there is safe speeding above the posted limits and dangerous speeding below the posted limits.
Doing the posted 70kph in 9am fog can be very dangerous for pederstrians and other road users. But as long as we are below the posted limit are we safe??
In contrast, why is the mulit-million-dollar expressway from Melbourne to Geelong limited to 100kph? A dry, sunny day permits safe speeds far higher than 100kph.
The TAC harps that there is no such thing as safe speeding, but in the same breath they admit posted speeds are not appropriate for all conditions. Hypocritical when it is convenient.
More emphasis needs to be placed on having appropriate speed limits and driving appropraite speeds for the conditions, rather than just assuming driving at the number on the sign is safe anything over that number is automatically unsafe.
Gentlemen, prep your mute buttons!
Mark E: “The TAC harps that there is no such thing as safe speeding, but in the same breath they admit posted speeds are not appropriate for all conditions. Hypocritical when it is convenient.”
Exactly – there are two things that especially get my goat and we are way overdue for more transparency on these issues:
A) Instead of speed camera revenue going into ‘consolidated revenue’ which is just a pool of funds that the govt can dip into the buy whatever they want, it must go back into roads – the quality of many major roads is abysmal and it would surely be horrifying to know how many accidents are caused by seams, cats eyes, potholes and off-camber corners, DEEMED “BLACK SPOTS” but because of SPEED, not as a result of poor road conditions
B) What is “excessive speed” exactly? As one who works in market research, I know better than most how figures can be manipulated and “spun” in order to put the desired, biased perspective on the situation. As Mark E. implied, if the speed limit is 60km/h, but it was raining and foggy and a driver loses control and crashes doing 50km/h, the police report might say “excessive speed for the conditions” as the proper speed given the conditions may have been closer to 40km/h instead.
When will the short-sightedness, spin doctoring and propaganda end???
Answer GS – when it ceases to produce revenue. So, no time soon.
You’re all missing the point.
Our taxes are being spent in such a way that Ad Agency profits will find their way to surprising recipients.
The more useless advertising that is done the better, since it enriches some and allows others to claim they are doing something worthwhile to save people.
Remember everyone you are all really poor drivers! Have no confidence in what you do on the roads as we have speed cameras, RBTs and fancy ads. Deep down you are not to be trusted that’s the reason we have to go to these lengths.
Here’s an idea, how about we have an ad that highlights good driving? Something that gives people some positive reenforcement on how to behave on the road. This whole death & destruction concept while true and shocking just makes people feel less confident in their abilities. Or maybe I’m just an assertive driver who wishes everyone was the same?
There is not one problem on our roads, but many problems on our roads.
Vehicles poorly or not maintained at all, lights out, bald tyres, rusted, damaged or illegally modified body work etc.
Drivers who are reckless in their disregard for the safety of other road users. Lane changing on a whim, with, if you are lucky a single flash of the signal. Tail gating at 100 km/hr, a mere few cms from the vehicle in front, when a safe distance is at least 50 metres. etc.
Drivers who seem to think & certainly behave as if driving is a distraction from answering the phone, eating their breakfast or combing their hair.
Roads that are designed to encourage discourtesy toward other drivers, racing & generally behaving as if the only thing that matters is that your vehicle is behind theirs.The left hand suicide lane at road junctions is a classic example.
Road rules that likewise encourages discourtesy toward other drivers etc. Overtaking on the inside is a prime example.
The complete & almost total lack of any enforcement of road law by the police, other than by the snr sergeant at the camera fines collection agency, is the single most important root cause of many of the problems that make driving on our roads a serious health & safety issue.
Our pollies seem only to be interested in those aspects that can be subject to a quick, preferably cheap fix.
A significant, 24/7 active police presence on our roads would go a long way to addressing many of our road problems. Building better roads & updating the road rules would do the rest.
Is Victoria still part of Australia or is it part of the Eastern Block.
How can Victorians put up with such rubbish!.
Dual carriage ways save lives and prevent almost 90% of fatal accidents.
So why aren’t they putting every available dollar into building better roads.
Answer – too hard
The Victorian Government should be ashamed of such gross incompetence.
great add – good song too. suprised at how long it was! tear-jerking stuff, just hope it hits home with the right people.
Seen the 3min. advert.
Yes, i feel very sorry for family that has lost a loved one.
BUT the TAC has no right to claim “its why we take speed photos” what a croc of s/hit.
They should spen money on drived hands-on education, to easy to get a lics. and to easy to get into bad habits.
Cheers
F-0
i was booked for 57 in a 50 zone last week the officer asked why i was ” speeding ” i told him i was wathching the road !!! , not my speedo, and driving safely given the light traffic and clear surroundings.. he did not like that for an answer and was not sure how to respond other than give me a ticked and repeat that i was being recorded
When one is stopped by the police the standard question is, Why were you speeding sir/madam?
Rule one, NEVER admit to speeding, as Boggy pointed out you are being recorded and by admitting you MAY have been speeding blows any chance of a subsequent defence in court. And dont think for a minute that one can not defend the matter in court.
In an ideal world, governments would care about saving lives rather than raising revenue. I reckon the following would help:
- first, get a politician in charge who is actually a driving enthusiast themselves – someone who has an inkling of commonsense and is there to do the best job they can, not just seek recognition and promotion. So, no politicians I’ve ever heard of…
- a standardised curriculum for learner drivers – I’ve heard and seen firsthand some of the crazy things driving instructors teach learners – either the Federal or state governments should address this a set basic curriculum driving teachers must follow…possibly integrating this with a competency based system (like Q-ride for motorbikes in QLD) to ensure kids are getting the skills they need.
- driver training – people poo poo this because “if people have more skills they will test themselves and crash more”. Utter bollocks in my experience – I’d rather ensure that all drivers had these skills in the first place. Undoubtedly a life saver, providing this is a mix of practical (skid control, accident avoidance, effective braking etc.) and theoretical (addressing attitudes, accident stats and so on).
- a fair go for driver training – supposedly driver training is not as effective as other road safety countermeasures (eg. speed cameras or shock-horror advertising)…because the standards of measurement are skewed against training. I researched this subject a bit recently and found that, where training is measured on how many people have accidents, no research is done into how many situations were avoided over the same period through this training. Additionally, things like adverts are measured based on recall rate, not on crashes prevented.
- finally, the scrapping of the majority of speed cameras (as people just brake, then accelerate after passing) and replacing with more police on the street. I have the utmost respect for the highway patrol guys, and you can really see that people drive more carefully when police cars are on the road nearby. Yet most people have a profound disrespect for mobile and fixed speed cameras. Spend the speed camera budget on an extra couple of patrol cars will result in a more positive police presence on the road which will both benefit the police’s reputation and possibly save a life or two.
Speed cameras have never been about lifesaving…and for various governments to claim otherwise is pure unadulterated crap. Perhaps getting serious about the issue, instead of installing more cameras, could save a few more lives (though reducing government revenue).
Well said i agree agm
I knew 2 of the people on this ad and have seen first hand what speeding does
I also know one the victims..
What I am reading here is absolute bullshit..
it’s so disappointing to see that his family dredge up there pain and hurt, just to have people have a go at the government….
This add is to show people that this is real.
Innocent people are dying here all because of speed…
It doesn’t matter what add they come up with next, or how much they spend on driver “hands on education” until these “hero’s” take responsibility for their own actions, until they wake up and see that they are not invincible road trauma is going to keep happening.
Sarah (and others) whilst I sympathise entirely having also known victims of road accidents, what is being said is far from BS.
The point I’m trying to raise the issue is that throwing millions of dollars in to television commercials DOES NOT WORK. We’re immune to scare tactics.
There are, as you’ve pointed out, far larger issues behind these tragic crashes and it is high time these issues were addressed fully instead of producing another TV commercial.
Sarah and Jenno 26 – my condolences. I have only sympathy for you guys and the families involved. What this article and posts are getting at is that the government seems more interested in collecting cheap revenue (through fixed/mobile speed cameras) than dealing with the root of the problem – a lack of skill, knowledge, and yes, as Sarah mentioned, responsibility.
I think I represent everybody who’s posted here in saying that we’re definitely not having a go at you or your friends – really, they’re victims of an apathetic system. While I can’t pass judgement on what actually happened to cause the crash shown in the ad (especially as it’s not broadcast in QLD, so I’ve not seen it), I think most would agree that a) it’s too easy to obtain a licence and b) when learning to drive nobody gets taught the absolute necessities i.e. how to avoid emergency situations or, in the worst case, get out of them. If the government was truly serious about this, they’d be pushing forward positive initiatives. What drivers need is skill, combined with the correct mental attitude – and this isn’t taught by our licencing system.
Let me reiterate that I have the utmost sympathy for the friends and family of crash victims – the reason I’m such a proponent of driver training is because I’m sick and tired of my family and friends being either involved in accidents they could easily have prevented, or on the roads with so many other people who really have no idea.
thanks AGM…. :)
I definitely agree with you… Its pathetic that all that is required to obtain a license is a hazard test that even a child could pass, and a lousy drive. But the question is what do we do about it? How can we be heard…
The answer that they have is to limit P platers to one passenger… well that is not going to help at all.. because I can tell you from firsthand experience, the night my friend was killed he was the only passenger in the car…
As for the TAC adds being a waste of tax payers money…. At the end of the day if one life can be saved be a TAC campaign… then that’s enough for me.
Sarah – it’s a hard call. Really, regardless of what methods are used to promote road safety and prevent road crashes, there are still going to be deaths. Legislation is probably only part of the answer – as you noted, limiting P-plater passengers/speeds won’t change anything…basically, rules are made to be broken, plus you can’t put a value on human life – the driver and single passenger’s lives are worth exactly the same as any passengers in the back seat.
What we need, I think, is to attempt to lobby all tiers of government, especially state governments, to deal with this issue. On another blog on this site somebody proposed pumping the cash raised from speed cameras into subsidising driver training and other road safety pursuits. This is a damned good idea, as at present revenue goes straight into the gov’s budget and is not necessarily spent on making road transport safer. Also, we need to work for a more rigorous licencing system (ideally a set state/federal minimum curriculum which states competencies which must be achieved before progressing) with a mandatory driver training and, in the case of those who’ve been caught in offences, maybe more training in lieu of a fine. The training element MUST address attitudes and motivations as well as the skills involved though, to ensure responsible driving habits and behaviours.
How can we be heard? Not sure – maybe if we as collective driving enthusiasts, families/friends of accident victims, industry reps, car manufacturers and interested parties lobby toward these outcomes we could see a change. A letter to the state transport minister perhaps? What would be great is if a few larger respected entities could also get on board – if we were represented by a couple of car magazines and car blogs as well, perhaps the message could get out there.
Well done TAC… this ad resembles a touching way to slow down drivers. Its not only their lives their risking but its also someone elses, is it really worth speeding? Well done again… What is the song off this ad?
Im pretty sure its pictures of you, covered by Angie Hart…. check out the lyrics… :)
I saw the ad and can say I wasn’t impressed.
We (i.e. the speeding drivers) are the highest contributors?!
What happened to Alcohol, Drugs, Fatigue and Lack of Concentration,
Aren’t they also contributors as well as speed?
I seem to remember a “Wipe off Five” ad where they tried to prove
With two white AU Falcons, driving into the side of a truck, that going 5Km/H over the limit increased your stopping distance. Funny how the 65 Km/H vehicle got the tailgate while the 60Km/h car got a nice even surface to run into.
Also, remember the small controversy over that ad regarding the cars actual speeds?
Back to the ad I see the shot of a family member at a hastily made roadside shrine,
If there’s one thing that gives me the absolute shits when driving its roadside shrines.
What, can’t you find their grave?!
Seriously, if they’re buried at someplace where are they going to be, spirit and all?
Overall the only contribution I can see this ad making is little, apart from more “friends” to join us on the moving roadblock and the improved reflex action on the remote control.
Memo to the Victorian Government;
Try actually improving the public transport system.
I agree with you that alcohol; drugs etc are big contributors… but try putting that into a 30 sec add…
I think you have missed the whole point with this add.
These people are real people. Real families that have been affected. Parents who have lost children.. Your remarks about the road side shrines giving you the shits are just callus.
You have obviously never lost anybody meaningful in your life, until you have don’t judge.
Dont bring other issues such as the government needing to fix the public transport system into this… I think that’s for a different forum all together.
my boyfriend was killed by a drunk driver.
bad driving should be stopped. i dont care how long they go to jail for. they need punishment. its so wrong that most people only get a few years, :(
x
Blatant revenue raising.
VICTORIA 2008:
Decrease in the speed limits for roads.
Increase in Police radar and speed measuring devices.
Increase in pedestrian deaths and injuries.
Increase in frustration and road rage incidents.
Increase in deaths related to cars.
Increase in revenue due to petrol tax.
Increase in revenue due to speeding fines.