New Drink Driving Campaign?

[Floobyflobbin]

Driving to work this morning I noticed what appears to be a new tactic to make people aware of the dangers of drink driving. At Barnes Corner there was a car, with another flipped over on top of it, and warnings about driving drunk. Further down the road was another smashed up car with the same warning. I'd seen a similar campaign in New Zealand, and was curious as to it's effectiveness.

[Reality]

I don't know about effectiveness in NZ but there was a campaign in Victoria, Australia a few years back that was removed when it was found that people were rubbernecking and being distracted by the wrecks, causing an increase in traffic accidents.

[bermuda blue]

Hmmmm, the one on East Broadway almost had me in the back of the car in front of me as I turned to look and missed his brake lights coming on.  As much as these campaigns are worthwhile, having roadside "exhibits" can be dangerous.

[Casual Observer]

And try explainin to a two year old why the mangled car on the side of the road 'is in the pole'... 

I think we all know what can potentially happen as a result of drunk driving. Sensationalizing the wrecks does little more than cause accidents as a roadside distraction... as has been pointed out already!

[Bda Bird]

And I bet there's been more than one 911 call this am from someone without the common sense to realise that those smashed up vehicles had been put there....!!

My $10 says they have had at least 6 calls this am "I'm calling to report an accident....the car has a big yellow sign on it's roof and has hit a pole"

[Wookie]

Sorry Folks - I tend to disagree with all of you.  I think it is a GREAT idea.

The impact of seeing a wrecked car...with the signage, I hastily add...will go a long way.  Rubbernecking tends to stem from EITHER morbid fascination OR Bermudians wanting to see if it's anyone they know.

IMHO shock value is about all we have left to try & stem the tide of stupid drivers taking risks.

Good on Ya Road Safety Council.

Wookie

[Captain Canuck]

has anyone noticed if they have any bike exhibits.  Or are they trying to say that only those that drink and drive cars cause accidents.  Seems like a waste of time and money to me, not sure it will have the intended effect they are looking for.  Only time will tell i suppose.

CC

[Mysty]

We've got two threads on essentially the same topic... maybe Mike will combine them.   

[Wyrdsister]

my 9 yo on see the new 'display' and getting an explanation said what they should do is have dummies hanging out of the windows to look like dead bodies.  Then to enforce the dangerous driving theme, less than an hour later we come across an accident involving a bike and a car.

[Mike]

We've got two threads on essentially the same topic... maybe Mike will combine them.   

Actually, while we can split threads, we don't have a tool to combine them.

When you spot a parallel thread going, just add a note with a link to the other thread and we'll see what sort of spaghetti we end up with! 

[DevilDuck]

has anyone noticed if they have any bike exhibits.  Or are they trying to say that only those that drink and drive cars cause accidents. 
CC

CC, I don't think they need to put any extra effort in a bike exhibit. If you look around everyweekend you will see examples of them all over the place. My favourite one's is usually the one on the rock on the island at Barne's Corner. See some beauties there.

[Captain Canuck]

i guess you've got a point there DD, i just find it a bit confusing that they would use all this time and resources to make these displays, when there is whole other aspect of drink driving that they are aren't looking at.

CC

[Wyrdsister]

Have any of you driven past HWP's lot on St. John's Rd?  I drove past there today and looked for the first time in a long time, you know how you see something but it never quite gets your attention, I could not believe the cars in there, all of them mashed in at the front, do we have that many head-on collisions on this island?

[Adjustah]

Have any of you driven past HWP's lot on St. John's Rd?  I drove past there today and looked for the first time in a long time, you know how you see something but it never quite gets your attention, I could not believe the cars in there, all of them mashed in at the front, do we have that many head-on collisions on this island?

You'd be horrified to know how many accidents there really are here. Just because they don't make the papers, doesn't mean they're not happening. 

[DevilDuck]

You'd be horrified to know how many accidents there really are here. Just because they don't make the papers, doesn't mean they're not happening. 

I luv that point, I have to make that one repeatedly with a bermudian I know, who is adamant that Bermudians are the best and safest drivers in the world. He honestly believes that the only accidents that happen on these roads, are the one's that make the headlines. Head + Sand=???

[Moderator note... just fixed the quote marks, no text changed]