According to several news agencies, a new safety driving campaign has been launched in Australia and according to the reports some residents find the campaign somewhat offensive. In some cases, residents believe the campaign is flat out irresponsible.
Constituents have been bringing their complaints to the Road Safety Minister pointing out they feel three signs posted along highways all across Southern Australia are especially offensive. One of these signs suggests that drivers should be careful while driving and instead of using key words the campaign organizers decided to use pictures to establish a link between the image and words that are popular among the country side drivers.
The Motor Accident Commission has responded to the accusations by claiming that the campaign was extensively researched and that the words used did not intend to offend but rather to reach the target audience.
The federal agency and supporters of the campaign believe that the signs are not offensive and that by using humor, residents tend to pay close attention to the campaign and encouraging results may be noticed in a shorter period of time. Since complaints have only been associated with what the images could represent, supporters responded saying that children would never associate the images to offensive language and that since MAC does not categorize the words as obscene, the signs will not be modified.
According to the Road Safety Minister, the area has seen a drop in the number of tickets issued for seatbelt non-compliance and a 15 per cent drop in speeding. Law enforcement agents in the region also believe that the campaign has resulted in a drop of drunk driving in the area where the signs are posted.
Responders have claimed that seeing the sign actually kept them from making bad driving decisions while on the road, which can be considered a victory for the funny but offensive-for-some campaign.
As a personal injury lawyer, I hope that campaigns that aim at educating and making drivers aware of the dangers of driving recklessly are launched all across the world but especially in the United States. I encourage you and your loved ones to never forget that if you’re distracted while driving or engage in a behavior that can be considered erratic while behind the wheel, you are putting the lives of many people at risk.
Stay safe and avoid accidents by staying focused on the road ahead.
For more on this campaign, click here for the full article.
