DfT Speed

1
DfT Speed Qualitative Research Debrief 17.07.08
2
OVERVIEW OF CONTENTS

• Objectives and Methodology
• Driver Attitudes, Myths and Beliefs
• What is Speeding?
• The Communication Challenge
• Specific Response to Concepts
• Thoughts on the Way Forward

3

• Objectives and Methodology

4
The Research Challenge
KEY RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
To identify the most motivating, engaging and
relevant strategic platform for DfT to encourage
slower, more responsible driving within a given
speed limit To develop a compelling execution of
the platform in order to maximise impact on
behaviour
5
Our Approach
Our approach - an overview
Stage 1a Gathering context and fine-tuning
territories Bulletin board Stage 1b
Understanding driving worlds and exploring
territories. Identifying most motivating
territories Individual and paired destination
depths Mini groups
Stage 1 - Uncovering Territories
Stage 2 Identifying and optimising the most
powerful creative routes Mini-groups preceded by
individual depth interviews with each respondent
Stage 2 - Creative Development
6
Our Approach
in more detail
INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS
GROUP FORUM
To examine the interaction of these different
perspectives A creative and dynamic
environment Allows us to explore how the
public forum influences privately-held views
To develop ideas and take them forwards
To establish individual attitudes and feelings
To allow us to understand each participant
and their spontaneous response to the
script/idea To allow participants to feel
their personal view has been heard, empowering
them to be a candid as possible
Requires 2 moderators to be present for the
individual interviews
7
Sample Methodology
Stage 1a
Bulletin board (8 participants)
We would aim for participants to include a mix of
those predominantly driving on urban roads and
those predominantly driving on rural roads
8
Sample Methodology
Stage 1b
x4 paired depths and x4 individual depths
9
Sample Methodology
Stage 1b
x8 mini groups (6 participants recruited for 4)
10
Sample Methodology
x8 mini groups (6 participants recruited for 4)
Stage 2
11
Sample Methodology
Further Criteria
All respondents to admit driving faster than the
speed limit on occasion DfT Impatience index
will be used as part of recruitment questionnaire
to help identify correct speeding typology A
broad spectrum of car types will be covered A
proportion of sample will drive as part of their
job All screened for confidence / articulacy
12
Sample Methodology
Project team
David Burrows Director Tom Silverman
Associate Director Richard Hall Project
Director Jeannie Foulsham Research
Executive Ashley Mauritzen Research Executive
13

• Driver mindsets, myths and beliefs

14
14
Target groups and their driving lives
Rural and urban drivers are a product of their
majority driving experience
Rural
Urban
Freedom - where driving is personal and
enjoyable Familiarity with roads fuelling
(over)confidence a place to cut loose
Restriction where driving is policed and a
chore Some urban rebellion against
claustrophobic experience
Rural roads offer place for expression that urban
drivers crave and rural drivers regularly indulge
15
Theres a great road round here that I know
really well. If you know the roads really well,
then its easy. You know every bend and passing
point. Then I can really go for it at speed. It
is even better at night because you can see
people coming from miles away. Its really
fast. Female, 40-59, family / empty nesters,
Leeds (urban)
If we all had our own little racecourse that
would be great. It is other people that make
driving not fun. Female, 30-39, family, London
Road rage. There are more cars on the road, more
congestion. I weekly have a row with
someone. Male, 20-29, Midlands (rural)
Ive done 50. if the roads open and theres no
traffic or people. Chester Road is great. Its
dead straight, long and no turn-offs. I can see
straight. Im confident and pick up speed. Male,
22-29, Midlands (rural)
16
16
Target groups and their driving lives
Genders seeming to react against their stereotypes
Female
Male
The stereotype Bad drivers - cautious desire to
be safe The reaction Enjoyment of speed / nippy
driving
The stereotype Over-confident - careless
irresponsible The reaction Thoughtful, about
skill and judgment making the right decision
(esp. older)
Creates overall picture where both genders arrive
at similar place, at times safe at times dangerous
17
17
Target groups and their driving lives
Age a defining differentiator of driving values
and attitudes
Younger
Older
EXPLORERS ( OUTLAWS) of the road Confident in
ability Enjoying freedom / road experience.
Skills demonised by elders, happy to rebel
driving still fun
SAGES of the road Feeling need to be moral
leader - considerate observe good practice
RULERS of the road Perception of perfect balance
of experience and mental agility drive fast but
purposefully - sense of entitlement
Over time, greater sense of responsibilities /
reducing enjoyment but strong sense of alienation
between each end of age spectrum
18
18
Target groups and their driving lives
Young people tend to break the speed limit they
live for today, feel invincible and dont
consider the consequences Female, Bulletin board,
40, Inadvertent, Leeds
I think a lot of it is to do with experience. In
my 20s it was totally different. I thrashed the
nuts of my car. Everywhere at 90. In truth I
dont think I ever got anywhere quicker It is
to do with personal development. It is to do with
growing as a person. Male, 30-39, family, Leeds
(rural)
People that keep to the speed limit are older,
boring, anally retentive lets face it, theres
more to life than checking the speed limit
religiously Female, Bulletin board, 40,
Inadvertent, Leeds
19
19
Target groups and driving self-image
AND across ALL driving groups there is extreme
confidence (delusion?) about my driving ability
I am
Others are
A great driver Confident Capable of stopping if I
need to Able to handle speed Experienced Sure I
know these roads best
Too slow (dangerous) Take risks they cannot
handle Make the wrong decisions Compromise my
safety Women Men The old The young HGV
drivers Salesmen etc.
These factors contribute to a sense of
EGOCENTRISM on the road
20
20
Target groups and driving self-image
Im safe but a bit on the nippy side. I like to
get where Im going. I have quick
reactions. Female, 30-39, family, London
I was brought up with the ethos, dont worry
about your driving it is good worry about all
the other idiots on the road. Female, 30-39,
family, London
I know I am a good driver I am. You make your
own route. I see the gaps and I carve my own
route. Female, 30-39, family, London
21
21
Target groups and driving attitudes
Peoples approach to driving cannot be easily
categorised by mutually-exclusive behavioural
typologies
Inadvertent
Deliberate
Thrill seeker
I never purposely speed, its always
accidental Distraction in the car
conversation etc
I only speed when I have to Late for an
appointment, driving situation requires it
I love the feel of speed Any opportunity to
speed
BUT
22
22
Target groups and driving attitudes
Although drivers may exhibit predominantly one
behaviour, actions are driven more by occasion
Average driver
I didnt purposely speed, it was
accidental Distraction in the car conversation
etc
I only sped because I had to Late for an
appointment, driving situation required it
There was nothing on the road and I just wanted
to feel the speed
Inadvertent
Deliberate
Thrill seeking
23
23
Target groups and driving attitudes
And of these moments, it seems the most
considered / broad-reaching occasion is
Deliberate speeding
Average driver
I only sped because I had to Late for an
appointment, driving situation required it
Inadvertent
Deliberate
Thrill seeking
Deliberate speeding offers greatest opportunity
to approach drivers when in ostensibly most
rational mindset more on this later
24

• What is Speeding?

25
Speeding beliefs are informed by a number of
factors
25
Speed and Speeding
SPEED LIMITS
Arbitrary limits Sense of misaligned logic
road experience not matching authoritys judgment
drivers feel able to challenge this authority
Speed is not absolute Affected
by Conditions Specific road knowledge Personal
competence
Speed cameras what a joke they are. Safety
cameras? Really? Then why is no discretion shown
if you are driving down a dual carriageway at 3am
and youre doing 45mph instead of 40mph then why
do you get a fine and a fixed penalty? Male, 25,
Deliberate, London
Drivers left feeling THEY are in best position to
judge appropriate speed on THEIR roads
26
26
Speed and Speeding
People know when they are speeding and if you are
speeding and dont realise it this is because the
excess you are driving at is hardly worth calling
speeding! 33 in a 30 is not speeding 65 in a
30 is speeding! Male, 19, Deliberate, Bridgend
On motorways I will break the speed limits
because it is a safe place to do soWhats the
harm in speeding on a safe road? Male, 19,
Deliberate, Bridgend
It is hard to stick to the limit on roads which I
have driven many times and know there is no risk
and to honest no need for there to be a 30mph
limit Female, 29, Deliberate, Bridgend
On the way home there is a dual carriageway with
no pedestrians etc and I do speed up there, it
probably doesnt save me any time, but I have
always done it Male, 21, Thrillseeker, Leeds
27
Indeed an ability to handle speed one of key
criteria of being a good driver
27
Speed and Speeding
Im a good driver. I like to go fast but Im not
stupid. I only go faster when I go through a
stretch of road, not around corners. Its
controlled. I speed at times but Im confident
and reliable. Male, 17-21, Thrill Seeker, pre
family, Bridgend
I drive fast. All the time. I think Im quite
good at driving. Quick but confident. Male,
22-29, Midlands (rural)
Aligning notion of good and bad driving with
speed inherently flawed in drivers mind
concepts need to carefully avoid this tone
28
Consequently, people make assessments about risks
involved, putting themselves at the centre of
equation
28
Speed and Speeding
RISK JUDGMENT
CONSEQUENCE PERCEPTION
Its just so unlikely to happen to me Belief
in low probability possible previous experience
of prang that turned out OK
Sense that I am in control therefore any
accident is out of my control
When considered from ego-centric perspective,
assessments of risk can feel dislocated from
broader environment
29
Which is further emphasised by belief in modern
car technology states motives outdated and
questionable
29
Speed and Speeding
Cars are not what they were
So States motives MUST be financial
Designed for impact super safe
Cameras etc. there only to provide money
Cars designed to cocoon Super quiet, Great
diagnostics dislocation from road / environment
Fuelling cynicism - sense of isolation from
society
Myopic driver
30
30
Speed and Speeding
Penalising the motorist is what the government
does best arguably with the exception of
penalising the smokers (and thats coming from a
non-smoker!) Male, 25, Deliberate, London
31

• The Communication Challenge

32
32
An Appraisal of the Challenge for a Speed Campaign
The objective of encouraging safer driving and
making speeding socially unacceptable encounters
some significant challenges
THE HYBRIDITY PHENOMEMON DRIVER CAR A NEW
ENTITY
FAST IS FUN (AND NATURAL)
RATIONAL REJECTION OF RISK
NOT ONLY TACKLING ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS, BUT
EFFECTING A BEHAVIOURAL SHIFT WHICH IS LASTING
AND CONSISTENT
33
33
An Appraisal of the Challenge for a Speed Campaign
THE HYBRIDITY PHENOMEMON DRIVER CAR A NEW
ENTITY
A sense that people behind the wheel are almost
transformed into a new (more instinctively
animal?) being not directly answerable to the
person they are in other contexts
MAGNIFICATION OF ASPECTS OF SELF-IDENTITY AND
EMOTIONS
INSULATED, IN A BUBBLE
Individualism/Ego Dislocation from wider society
and normal rules
Power Control Territorial impulse Excitement,
thrill Anger, resentment Intolerance,
bigotry Desire etc
Accentuated by nature of modern driving
experience highly automated, little unmediated
feedback, low engine and exterior noise, use of
other media
34
34
An Appraisal of the Challenge for a Speed Campaign
FAST IS FUN (AND NATURAL)
FREEDOM FROM PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS
(poor body image, family/work duties, etc)
An (almost legal) high
Rejection of perceived growing straitjacket of
social responsibility
Why have a car which is capable of going fast if
you never get the chance to? Either because not
allowed to or because traffic precludes it in
most cases
All this in the context of a sense of saturation
with be responsible/do the right thing
messaging
35
35
An Appraisal of the Challenge for a Speed Campaign
RATIONAL REJECTION OF RISK
A widespread tendency to distance oneself from
the probability of an incident happening More
likely to happen to other kinds of driver (boy
racers/doddery pensioners/women/men delete as
appropriate) Its never happened to me/anyone I
know It might, but what are the odds?
Set against this, a very rational weighing up
of the trade-off vs. other imperatives impinging
on choice to speed Busy lives Often in a
hurry More than my jobs worth to be latest Etc
etc
An underlying belief in having weighed up the
risks (underpinned by an equally reasonable
sense that Im like most people in this regard)
36
36
An Appraisal of the Challenge for a Speed Campaign
All the above add up to a considerable challenge
both in engaging the LEFT (rational) and RIGHT
(emotional) brain
LEFT BRAIN
RIGHT BRAIN
But too rarely the practice Too many
get-outs Distance selves from full-on emotional
appraisal of whats happening when you get behind
the wheel of a car
People have the theory Facts, objective
recognition that speeding is an issue, etc.
DO!!
THINK!
FEEL!
Ultimately a widespread sense that speed
awareness messaging is thought-provoking at the
time of viewing, but has typically not permeated
sufficiently to effect consistent and lasting
behaviour change
37
37
The Communication Challenge
Lucky has laid strong foundations strong
recall / comprehension of 40 being TOO fast
speed is an issue
Has placed 30/40mph right inside (rational)
psyche BUT Not loaded with sense of emotional
realism (Tim Burton, fairytale-esque) Time to
move beyond children? Some sense of immunity
about this approach
Feeling that time is right to build on good work
Lucky has done
38

• Response to the Concepts

39
39
Overview of how Concepts Working
Inevitably, static concepts and stock photography
will never do justice to the range and complexity
of the issues
Can encourage people into an overly rational
position (but even before introduction of
concepts this is the standard position) women
typically profess to be more influenced by facts
than emotional appeals
Some tendency to want to push the hard-hitting,
visceral, physically graphic as if only this
can puncture the sense of familiarity,
complacency and automatic thinking around the
subject (esp. among men a superficial sense
that the bigger the bang, the greater the shock
We have thought of the concepts as triggers or
springboards into the emotionally and cognitively
complex arena of speeding no single approach
emerges as the answer, but a clear direction
comes out from a fusion of the most resonant and
impactful approaches
40
The concepts tend to fall naturally into a series
of groupings
40
Overview of Response to Concepts
WE
ME
RATIONALLY-LED
ME AND THE (OPEN) ROAD
ME AND MY ABILITY
DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES
ME AND MY POCKET
41
Country road-specific messaging feels new but
more intriguing than impactful
Three times
Real value in targeting messages to specific
types of road - esp. rural roads vs typical focus
on 30mph zones Powerful language here has
initial impact smash, die, crash that
kills Interesting and new statistic about being
three times more likely to die but too broad
needs to home in on specific moment or behaviour
Lack of specificity on behaviour, attitude or
occasion make this unlikely to prompt a behaviour
change
42
I think that is a very strong message for
country drivers but those living in urban
environments will think jolly good not me and
put their foot down. Female, 30-39, family,
London
The only interesting thing about that for me is
that you are three times more likely I didnt
know that. I would imagine it is urban built up
that would have those levels. Male, 30-39,
family, Leeds (rural)
I just dont find this as shocking because I
would be doing it to myself and no one else would
be hurt Female, 40, Inadvertent, Leeds
43
Emotionally powerful and initially shocking idea
but implications are limited to ME (at best)
Die Alone
Horrifying idea especially the
headline Believable, and impactful (especially
via highly graphic image, and horror of dying
alone) BUT Just me and the road, if I speed
then its my own life Im risking Almost epic
graphicness tends to feel manipulative and
overplayed for most
Arguably, greater impact with those largely
driving in urban areas for whom this is about a
specific, less familiar driving moment Rural
drivers more comfortable with the realities or
rural road, and therefore less shockable
44
Id rather kill myself than someone
else. Female, 17-21, pre family, Midlands (urban)
This concept is a bit scaremongeringin any case,
we have air bags etc in cars and you cant really
go that fast on country roads Female, 40,
Inadvertent, Leeds
10/10 for this onethe thought alone is enough to
make people think more carefully about speeding
on a country road Male, 19, Deliberate, Bridgend
45
45
Bend
A discourse on skill rather than speeding
Handling bends a key definition of driver skill /
car capability Bends are fun for many / some can
be dangerous even at under 30mph thus less a
speeding issue Sense that this is old news,
the abc of driving teaching
Aligning a driving pleasure (esp. one perceived
as partly unrelated to speed) to danger creates
willingness to disbelieve
46
I do have a lot of confidence when I drive on
country roads but you never know who youll meet
coming the other way Its scary. Female, 40-59,
family / empty nesters, Leeds (urban)
Driving country roads, its just the best place
to be, its all about the bends really. I want to
get every corner absolutely nailed. I love that
perfection. Male, 40, family, London (urban)
(motorcyclist as well as car driver)
47
47
Skill
Mixed message in narrative (speed only for the
best) offers incentive to drive faster (I am the
best)
Ability to handle speed already perceived as sign
of good driving association of skill and speed
enforces drivers aspirational desire to drive
fast Lewis Hamilton - sexy side of speed More
about skill than speed (leading to calls for
driving qualifications, maybe, but not tackling
speeding attitudes)
Sense of not really knowing what the argument is,
what is relationship between skill / speed are
there times when speeding is appropriate?
Reinforcing rather than challenging
48
I dont agree with the statement fast drivers
are usually out of control Male, 19, Deliberate,
Bridgend
It is cliched and the wording is misleading. I
think it is patronising and doesnt make me think
twice about speeding or slowing down. I just want
to tear the concept to pieces Female, 40,
Inadvertent, Leeds
49
A pragmatic approach with high relevance for many
but raising questions of accuracy and
appropriateness
Wallet
Tapping into current theme of economic hardship
increasing awareness of speed/fuel/cost dynamic
and some drivers already slowing down as a
result BUT Feeling that it relates most
strongly to acceleration and braking Real
fuel-saving driving tactics may not always result
in safe driving practices Optimal speed for many
cars is 50mph
Effective for some but a flawed argument and
questions around appropriateness for DfT are
they trying to trick me into slowing down?
shouldnt they tackle dangerous driving more
directly? Role as separate below the line strand?
50
I spend quite a lot on petrol so Id definitely
slow down to save it. I genuinely thought the
faster you go the more you save. Male, 17-21,
Thrill Seeker, pre family, Bridgend
This is encouraging me to drive at 50 mph on a
70mph roadThats where accidents can happen. If
Im stuck behind someone going 50 on a 70 road,
then I lose my temper and cannot wait to
overtake, 9/10 times I pull out to get past them
and dont look behind me! Male, 19, Deliberate,
Bridgend
It doesnt have the impact. It is good because
it is telling you about the money but it doesnt
hit you. Female, 30-39, family, London
51
Straight and accessible (eg. tangible facts
Length of bus), but rationally questionable for
many
Before you Know it
Too matter-of-fact? Sense that before you know
it means this kind of accident would be
unavoidable - the childs fault Usage of 35mph
feels like it is splitting hairs cf 40/30mph
message weakens rather than strengthens the
idea The get out Everyones different - my
reactions are quicker than most I could stop
There is no emotional hook here to prompt real
consideration, and on a rational level it feels
too easy to abdicate responsibility
52
It should be the effects of what youve done not
the action of doing it. Its not how it has been
done Male, 30-39, family, Leeds (rural)
This feels like I am being spoken to or told off
by an elder. Male, 21, Thrillseeker, Leeds
You can see the hazards coming and react. People
have different reaction times. I have quick
reactions Male, 22-29, Midlands (rural)
53
An familiar experience but low on impact
Without Realising
Using a passive moment to generate concern
creates little sense of impact despite
universal recognition of the automatic
phenomenon Speedometer watching feels equally if
not more dangerous than speeding reductive of
the range of faculties a driver needs to
engage 5mph difference compounds sense of a
concept that nit-picks
Provokes rational response that quickly allows
easy get-outs in the concept. AND Inadvertent
speeding is a difficult behaviour to address
directly
54
I dont want to be checking my speed all the
time. Its almost like what do you want me to
look at the road or the bloody dial?! Female,
30-39, family, London
People know when they are speeding. If you dont
realise it this is because the excess you are
driving at is hardly worth calling speeding! 33
in a 30 is not speeding 65 in a 30 is
speeding! Male, 19, Deliberate, Bridgend
55
Focus of acceleration not addressing main
potential dangers or hot buttons in drivers minds
Acceleration
The element that resonates most here is about
inadvertent speeding. However, the insight tends
to be taken as a get out clause (didnt know
not responsible?) For many, acceleration happens
within the speed limit. Pushback on sense of
overclaim about dangers AND Fails to challenge
driver assumptions about choices and control
Feels like a side issue, not covering major
behavioural problems that need to be addressed
56
This stands out for me because I know when I am
in control, but sometimes I dont know the speed
I am going at. Accelerating is something I enjoy
and sometimes you dont think about the speed it
takes you to. Female, 30-39, family, Leeds
Most times youre accelerating just to get up to
the speed limit or to overtake. Its not
really about speeding Male, 30-39, family, Leeds
57
Simple and thought-provoking, but familiar
message little here to provoke reappraisal
30/40
Extremely high recall of this fact from Lucky
little need for repetition But still successful
as powerful statistic, bringing to life small
margins associated with significant
damage Simplicity of using road sign may be
impactful re-building the significance of speed
limits in drivers minds creating visual link
The 30/40mph fact has already been fairly
effectively communicated greater opportunity
now in building on and evolving this message (eg.
dramatising wider ramifications)
58
This message is about built up areas where
theres more chance of hitting someone. This is
not about other types of roads. This, to me,
isnt speeding. 40 isnt really
speeding. Female, 40-59, family / empty nesters,
Leeds (urban)
Theyve gone too far with this one. Its been
around too long. Female, 17-21, pre family,
Midlands (urban)
59
Undeniably powerful approach on a range of levels
Could Kill Someone Else
Choice/control About puncturing the bubble in
which drivers operate, and provoking thoughts on
wider social impact Image of smiling family can
have greater impact than depiction of the horror
of accident this is what I will destroy
(mine/theirs) consequences beyond moment of
impact Living with guilt For many, worse than
death itself
Strong emotional focus on choice and consequence
takes accident situation beyond collision helps
create bigger picture, begins to puncture ME
bubble But greater impact if located in a more
specific, tangible moment?
60
We dont often think about how it will affect an
innocent family, apart from us/the car/the
insurance. It would make me die, say you knew
them or they went to your childs school
etc Paula, 40, Inadvertent, Leeds
It makes you think of your family. How would you
feel if it was you mate or mum that got killed?
Dont think from the other point of
view Female, 17-21, pre family, Midlands
(urban)
61
Shift away from focus on DRIVING (over which I
have control) towards INNOCENT OTHERS (who had
no choice in the matter) can potentially disrupt
the individual risk management mindset of drivers
Might Kill Someone Else
Image opens up a whole range of imagined
scenarios and imagined victims
My family? Someone elses? Child killed? (on
road?, in back seat? Family loses a father?
Imagine one of the family members erased from the
photo
Devastation of the family unit as an incredibly
powerful emblem for the consequences of speeding
on wider society and relationships
62
Again, focus on effects on others taps into a
powerful emotional seam
Acceleration
Successfully expressing longevity and breadth of
tragedy going far beyond the moment of
impact Impact on others tends to be much more
resonant than injury/death for self powerfully
illustrated here through focus on the multitude
of victims. Repeated word devastate especially
potent Pushback against 35mph not anchored in
existing speeding communications. Weakened by
previous 40/30 messaging
Puncturing the ME bubble without apportioning
blame, a delicate balance well maintained
63
It is taking it out of just you. It is talking
about how other people would feel. It is that
chain reaction. It filters right through your
loved ones. Male, 30-39, family, Leeds (rural)
It is not the fact that you killed someone. It
is the fact that you were speeding. It has gone
from an accident to a blameworthy incident You
put your foot down. Male, 30-39, family, Leeds
(rural)
64
A potentially powerful build on totality of lurid
emotional detail, especially strong for (older)
males but polarising in current form, and
rejected by younger women
Family
WHEN RESONATING Challenging position of authority
within family tackles notions of pride, and
suggests power to infiltrate ME moments As
much about SHAME as GUILT most of all how could
you face your own child if youd killed a child?
A hugely unforgiving emotional rake into the mind
captures the devastating consequences almost more
than merely focusing on the victim but
65
Focus on family can prompt rejection esp. from
(younger) women
Family
WHEN NOT RESONATING Sense that your family would
be the most understanding and supportive Its
wider society (neighbours, kids at school, etc)
who would be the harshest judges
The fundamental notion of how youd be thought of
is still powerful though sense of your
reputation, your name no longer in your. Reduced
to a killer. Needs support from more explicit
behaviour change approaches, but emotionally this
feels part of a resonant story
66
It is that sudden realisation that it could
tarnish you for the rest of your life for one
mistake that you make. It is that split second
other people are mortal You want your kids to
think the best of you as well. They would have a
totally different impression of you before and
after. Male, 30-39, family, Leeds (rural)
The factual ones are better than the heavy
emotional ones. If you read something too
horrible you ignore it. Youre not thinking of
yourself as a potential killer every time you go
for a drive. It is too big a jump from going for
a normal drive to get all the way to killing
someone and telling your family. Female, 40-59,
family / empty nesters, Leeds (urban)
67
A series of interesting facts, but a lack of
emotional messaging to pull them together
Children
Key fact Thousands of children are killed or
injured A shocking number, adds proximity to
headline claim likely to have happened near me,
harder to ignore BUT Most respondents claim to
be driving slowly around schools etc and to be
taking precautions So If a kid runs out in
front of my car, it wont really be my
responsibility
Feels more interesting than emotionally
impactful easy to think of in broad societal
terms rather than connected to own driving
habits AND Children has become almost a cliché
of Speed campaigns
68
That thousands on there I didnt even notice
it until now. It just makes it seem like it is a
fact of life that is accepted. It has to be
fought against! Female, 30-39, family, London
Why children? Its emotional blackmail. Female,
17-21, pre family, Midlands (urban)
I think that this concept is aimed at me it
really makes me look at it and shudder, it could
have been me! Paula, 40, Inadvertent, Leeds
69

• Thoughts on the Way Forward

70
70
The Way Forward
So, a number of big overarching themes emerge,
which can inform the development of powerful
communication
PUNCTURING THE BUBBLE OF ME
CHALLENGING THE DISCOURSE OF CONTROL, CHOICE AND
FREEDOM
CHALLENGING APPRAISAL OF RISK AND PERSONAL
RELEVANCE
DEVELOPING RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL MESSAGING WHICH
IS MUTUALLY COMPLEMENTARY
71
71
The Way Forward
PUNCTURING THE BUBBLE OF ME
An opportunity to relate the act of driving, and
the persona of the driver, to the wider world
Rupturing their splendid isolation Reestablishing
a connection to the social ecosystem to which
they belong Reminding them of the potential
consequences of their actions
The wider discourse of social responsibility is
double-edged here but with the right approach,
it can provide a framework for behaviour change,
rather than antagonise
72
72
The Way Forward
CHALLENGING THE DISCOURSE OF CONTROL, CHOICE AND
FREEDOM
Control is central to the driving discourse and
its mythology of personal freedom
It is important not to completely undermine this
(and imperil peoples necessary sense of
confidence behind the wheel or kill the joy
which the right kind of control can bring)
BUT
There are elements to the speeding mindset an
overestimation of ones own sense of CONTROL a
primacy placed on individual CHOICE which
contribute to myopia about how personally
relevant the issues are
Other people dont have a choice over whether you
speed. You cant control how youll feel and how
others will see you if you do kill someone
73
73
The Way Forward
CHALLENGING APPRAISAL OF RISK AND PERSONAL
RELEVANCE
PERSONAL RELEVANCE
RISK
From SPECIFIC OCCASIONS, PLACES, SITUATIONS, ETC.
From narrow PROBABILISTIC definition
TO
TO
What you stand to lose PROBABILITY magnified by
CONSEQUENCES
More UNIVERSALLY RELEVANT MOTIVATIONS AND
EMOTIONS
Rethinking RISK vs. REWARD
With the right balance, far harder to default to
a mindset of well I always slow down near
schools, well what are the odds? and I dont
tend to drive those kinds of roads, I cant
afford not to speed
74
74
The Way Forward
Example of a scenario challenging
RISK/REWARD/CONSEQUENCES assumptions and PERSONAL
relevance, specifically around DELIBERATE
speeding
Hurrying to destination (slightly late, rushed,
stressed, sole focus on getting there but
feeling its a manageable situation, on familiar
roads)
The unexpected happens, you kill someone (your
fault, speeding but within socially endorsed
norms)
You had a choice could have gone a bit slower,
and arrived a couple of minutes later (tiny
consequence)
You live with the unimaginable (massive)
consequences guilt, shame, sorrow, self-loathing
- life never the same again
75
75
The Way Forward
DEVELOPING RATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL MESSAGING WHICH
IS MUTUALLY COMPLEMENTARY
Emotional power to pierce outer rational defences
Rings true, and is graphic and detailed
(achieving universality via emotional realism
rather than broad generality) About enduring
emotion, as opposed to the spike of shock response
Rational argument (fact) to prevent recourse to
rational defence (to rebuff emotional power)
Eg. 30/40 faster you drive, the bigger the
impact (fuel efficiency, but as a separate
strand of communication)
Also, a coherent intertwining of rational and
emotional can help campaign address the range of
driver mindsets (displaying varying
susceptibility to messaging at the extremes of
Emotional vs. Rational)
76
The most powerful articulation of these thoughts
is found in a fusion of the following
76
The Way Forward
Supported by
With some potential role for
77
The End