6 Most Effective Driving Safety PSAs

 
For almost as long as there have been cars, there have been car accidents. And for almost as long as there have been car accidents, there have been those who’ve been doing all they can to prevent them.

There have been many different techniques to try to achieve this goal – one particularly common technique is through powerful visual campaigns. And with the advent of YouTube, good videos can gain a lot of traction online without the risk of being censored by television watchdogs.

Here are some of the most effective Driving Safety PSAs:
 

“On My Way” (texting)

This video, by the U.S. Department of Transportation, is short but effective. The contrast between the happy music at the beginning of the video, and the sudden silence that comes with the crash pulls in your attention. The following explanation allows the viewer to educate themselves of the reason behind the warning, using a compelling fact.
 

“Slow Down” (speeding)

This video, created by the New Zealand Transport Agency, has a professional look and a powerful message that will have many signing up for defensive driving courses. It involves a conversation between the speeding driver and his victim, which really serves to humanize the person in the other car. This makes it all the more devastating when the man that the audience just got to know, and his son, are rammed by a speeding vehicle.
 

“Everybody Hurts” (drink driving)

This five-minute long video was created by the Australian Transport Accident Commission on their 20th anniversary. Set to the soundtrack of REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” it starts out normal enough, showing people drinking perhaps more than they should before getting into their cars and eventually being pulled over. But eventually, it turns into a montage of all of the horrific results of drunk driving and ends with poignant footage of those who have felt the full impact of a drunk driving accident through the loss of a loved one. While long, it is incredibly powerful and the more than 15 million people who have viewed it on YouTube seem to agree.
 

“Embrace Life” (seat belts)

This time coming from the United Kingdom, this advertisement targets those who do not wear their seatbelts while driving. Intended to pull at the heart-strings, rather than shock into action, this video plays to viewers’ emotional side by showing a driver who is protected in an accident by a seat belt that is made of his family’s embrace. The twist makes it a compelling watch, and this video has received more than 17 million views to date.
 

“The Last Word” (texting)

This video is another one that appeals to emotive techniques, rather than shock and awe. It shows a young boy forced to attend his father’s funeral, ending with the revelation that it was texting while driving that ended his life. The creators of the video used it to kickstart their “Don’t let a Text be Your Last Word” campaign, and have garnered over 2 million views with their video.
 

“Think” (seat belts)

Part of a larger campaign in the United Kingdom, Think released a series of television ads that targeted all forms of distracted driving. This particular video gives a different slant on the problem of not wearing a seat belt when driving, as it highlights the danger that you put others in, rather than yourself. The build-up and eventual result of the short video make it a message that will stick in the mind for years.
 
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