New Road Safety Billboard Campaign Launched in Queensland

Joan Pease MP • 2023-07-19

The Queensland Government is taking a proactive step in promoting road safety by launching a targeted billboard campaign across the state.

Key Points:

New roadside campaign reminding Queensland motorists to drive safely

Campaign designed to address high-risk behaviours before they happen

Billboards will contain locally relevant reminders for road users.

The campaign aims to remind motorists to drive safely and address dangerous driving behaviors through strategically placed billboards. Developed using crash data from specific high-risk locations, the campaign provides important on-road safety reminders, including the use of seatbelts, checking for motorcyclists, and avoiding distractions from mobile phones. The creative approach of the campaign appeals to various target audiences throughout Queensland, ensuring clear and engaging messaging. The decision to launch this campaign was prompted by a concerning spike in the number of lives lost on Queensland roads in recent years. In 2022 alone, 297 people lost their lives on Queensland roads, marking a 17% increase compared to the previous five-year average. Nearly every region in Queensland has witnessed an increase in road deaths, with speeding, breaking road rules, and drink driving acknowledged as major contributors to road trauma in the state. It is incredibly important that we are reaching people with road safety messaging through various media channels. Recognising that road users are exposed to outdoor messaging like billboards, the campaign aims to deliver impactful messages that prompt behaviour modification "in the moment" of driving. The campaign employs creative approaches, such as on-road reminders and solutions like "Creeping up? Slow down" and "Scrolling? Leave your phone alone." In localised messaging, residents of Toowoomba are encouraged to leave enough room between vehicles by counting "one Toowoomba, two Toowoomba" from the vehicle ahead. Poor local road statistics are also utilised to convey messages in specific areas. The strategically placed outdoor advertising aims to serve as an important reminder to motorists while they are in their vehicles, discouraging dangerous driving behaviors and preventing further avoidable trauma. Minister Bailey's ultimate goal is for all Queenslanders to arrive home safely, regardless of their location. The campaign features a range of messages displayed on billboards, including statistics on the number of people killed by speeding or drink driving in specific locations between 2017 and 2022. Other messages address various behaviours such as tailgating, not wearing seatbelts, using mobile phones while driving, and the importance of being cautious around bicycles and trucks. The campaign also emphasizes the need to rest and revive to prevent fatigue-related accidents. Locations for the billboards include Toowoomba, Indooroopilly, Moggil Ferry, Bremer River, Townsville, Charters Towers, Mount Isa, Mount Surround, Goondiwindi, Nogoa River, Innisfail, and Rockhampton. The Queensland Government's road safety billboard campaign strives to create awareness, promote responsible driving, and save lives on Queensland roads. By delivering impactful messages in strategic locations, the campaign aims to change behaviours and improve road safety throughout the state. Campaign Messages: - [Number] people killed by [speeding/drink driving] in [location] 2017-2022 - Creeping up? Slow down. - One or two? Drinking? Never drive. - Scrolling? Leave your phone alone. - Tailgating? Leave at least a 2-second gap. - Not buckled up? Seatbelts every time. - Near bikes? Look twice, give them space. - Around trucks? Give them loads of room. - Sleepy? Rest. Revive. Survive. - Every K over kills. Slow down. - No belt, no chance. Seatbelts every time. - Leave your phone alone. - One [location], two [location]. Leave at least a 2-second gap. - Locations include: Toowoomba, Indooroopilly, Moggil Ferry, Bremer River, Townsville, Charters Towers, Mount Isa, Mount Surround, Goondiwindi, Nogoa River, Innisfail, and Rockhampton. - Drinking? Never drive. - Look twice for bikes. - Rest. Revive. Survive.