Back to the Future
Lifelong Learning in Road Safety
Sources for the Precept
• As new drivers start learning, their attitudes already seem to
be formed
– Dr Bill Carcary, “New Driver Project” (2000)
• Tracks risky road behaviour from young pedestrians through
to older drivers
– Prof Frank McKenna’s “Cradle Attitudes, Grave Consequences” (2002)
• Young Drivers are made, not born
– IAM (2008)
Policy and Stakeholder Perspective
“Children are greatly influenced by our behaviour on the roads: and so [we
should] keep them safe by showing them how to use roads responsibly….
… as parents, relatives and carers who travel with young people, set a good
example for them in our driving behaviour and habits.”
Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2020
“Early intervention with road safety messages to target future roads users is
essential…attempting to change young road users’ opinions once they have
reached driving age is extremely challenging.”
Police Scotland
Early Years Research
• The Early Years Framework (COSLA/Scottish Government) takes
an early intervention approach
• It is during our very earliest years and even pre-birth that a large
part of the pattern for our future adult life is set
• Investment in a child’s early years pay dividends for that child, and
for wider society
• Clear messages across physical and mental health, education,
justice and economics
• Logically, the same is true in road safety
Future Drivers
• New drivers account for a disproportionately high number of fatal
and serious accidents
• Every week in Scotland an average of 54 accidents involve a driver
aged between 17-25 years
• These accidents result in an average of 1 death and more than 70
injuries every week
• A parent’s driving style is likely to predict a child’s driving style
(Ferguson et al 2001, Bianchi & Summala 2004)
Parental Influence
Behavioural
Psychology
Stakeholders
Policy
Accident
Stats
Early Years
Driver
Studies
A fresh approach…
…not focusing on one specific
risk behaviour…
…but on the role parents have in
modelling their child’s future
driving and road use
RITS
Social Marketing Proposition
“Every time you get behind the wheel with your
children present, you’re giving them a driving
lesson which could save their lives in future”
Insight Gathering
• Family ethnographies and co-creation workshops
– Do parents understand and believe in the concept?
– Will modifying their behaviour be motivating (to the parent) and
beneficial (to their children)?
– How should we support the idea – what scientific evidence is
needed?
– Which parental (risk) driving behaviours are children picking up
on?
Future Drivers
Key Insight 1
• Most drivers think they’re good drivers and most parents
think they’re good parents
• In most situations, parents lead by example: but there
was a disconnect from normal parenting when in the car
“When you think of how often
they are in the car with you,
every day, it seems obvious. But
I would never had thought of it
before you brought it up”
“You think that it’s different in
the car, you say things to other
drivers you’d never say to
someone’s face. It’s awful
really”
Key Insight 2
• Parents recognise that their children pick up their (nondriving) behaviour but haven’t considered the long-term
consequences
• Parents don’t believe their children are aware of their
driving, and feel that teaching them good driving habits
can wait until their teens
Children DO notice…
…and it’s already affecting attitudes
Key findings
• Children do notice their parents’ driving and are
impacted by it
• Parents are already having an impact, and need to
redress any negative behaviour now
• Changing their behaviour could help avoid their child
becoming a statistic
Developing the campaign
• Shake parents out of complacency
– pointing out the link was enough in most cases!
• Show don’t tell: far more powerful and the message is
more ‘sticky’ if people draw their own conclusions
• Backed up with early years stats – ‘the science’
• Children are powerful agents for behaviour change
– primal need to protect children is a powerful human instinct
– appealing to emotions is a powerful way of encouraging
behaviour change
Campaign Launch
• Integrated campaign launched by
Transport Minister Keith Brown
• Blogger event as well as traditional
media
• First ran in July 2013
• PR and social media throughout
• Re-run in June 2014
Campaign Summary
• TV advertising supported with
–
–
–
–
Radio
VOD
Shopping trolley ads
Online advertising
• Partnerships key to extending reach and
credibility of campaign
– eg Asda, Education Scotland, Mumsnet
• Field marketing ‘art gallery’ engaged at a
deeper level across the country
Campaign snapshot
Field Marketing
Topline Results 2013
• Campaign reached 83% of our target
audience
• 75% of parents who undertake risky
driving behaviours with kids in the car
claimed they would change their
behaviour as a result of the campaign
• Significant increase in parental
understanding that how they drive now
will affect children’s future driving
Topline Results 2014
• Campaign continued to perform well
with good levels of awareness, cutthrough and high recognition
• Motivation levels still strong – no
evidence of wear out – and high reach
scores suggest enjoyment continues
• Little evidence of change to actual (as
opposed to claimed) risk behaviours so
this continues to be a long-term goal
Iain Murray, Head of Road Traffic
Policing at Police Scotland, said the
campaign was “amazing” and “one of
the best he’d seen.”
“I have just viewed your Wheels on the
Car- Kids in the Car road safety
campaign via Twitter....I think it is a
brilliant campaign, very engaging…”
Patient Experience Network National
Awards
“Just a note to complement RSS and your
agencies on the new parental influence
adverts.. it is encouraging that RSS have
taken the long term view on influencing driver
behaviour.” John Smith, Road Safety
Manager, BEAR Scotland Ltd
“Suddenly I find you have a brilliant video
“Can you provide a contribution on this
MACCS case please? The correspondent, a
driving instructor and a retired police officer is
pleased with the aims of the ‘Kids in the Car’
campaign and would like to see it continued.”
on this subject - and I have tweeted this to
my contacts”
Former OCU Commander Traffic Division in
the Metropolitan Police in London
Thank You