SAFETY WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1939, Page 10

SAFETY WEEK

EFFECT OF CAMPAIGN

VALUE OF "SHOCK TACTICS"

In the opinion of the Commissioner of Transport, Mr. G. L. Laurenson, given to the Road Safety Council yesterday, the. recent Safety Week Campaign had prove' of a real value, for an analysis of traffic returns during various periods when special-publicity efforts were being made showed that there was a definite relation between rate of accident and publicity.

Mr. Laurenson summed up the results of Road Safety Week as follows:—

1. The immediate increasing of public interest in the problem of road safety, and the arousing of the public conscience against recklessness and carelessness. This resulted in a greater degree of care being taken on the roads, the immediate result of which was a substantial reduction in the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents.

2. The educative value of many of the talks, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and slogans tended to raise the general standard of "road sense" and the knowledge of the code of the road. The lesson was given, and its results, although immeasurable over a short period, prepared the ground for road safety educative work over a much longer period. Road Safety Week, stated Mr. Laurenson, had definitely shown the value of "shock tactics" in the propaganda campaign, and suggested that, while there must be continuity in the educative process, this type of publicity must be given an important place in the whole campaign. Owing to limitations in the amount of money available for road safety educational purposes, publicity had to be relaxed during the month of February, said the Commissioner. Fatal and non-fatal accidents showed an immediate and substantial rise and it was necessary early in' March to anticipate a small sum from the 1939-40 grant. Last year £5000 was available for safety publicity in various forms, but in the opinion of the Road Safety Council this was not sufficient for the conduct of the two or three campaigns and the continued publicity planned for the current year. A recommendation is therefore being made to the Minister of Transport that a minimum of £10,000 should be placed on the Estimates.

Mr. M. F. Luckie said that the Safety Week campaign had been signally successful in Wellington, but unfortunately the effect had not been permanent. Wellington's safety flag had flown "all clear" for 69 days, but now had three crosses, representing fatal accidents, upon it.