From inventing the wheel — which made it easier for us to travel — to building spacecraft to go into outer space and explore the Red Planet, humanity has witnessed many inventions that contributed to our evolution. Amongst them, there’s the invention of the car, which influenced the economy and allowed people to travel and relocate. Sadly, this creation also came with a downside: Road accidents that can lead to injury or even death. According to CDC, 1.35 million people die on roadways around the world each year. Approximately 3,700 people are killed each day in crashes involving cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, and pedestrians, with most victims being pedestrians, motorcyclists, or cyclists.
Behind road accidents lies an inappropriate behavior which contributes to transforming a vehicle into a weapon. Drinking and driving can very much be included on the irresponsible actions list, as we’ve recently seen in the Non-Bob campaign. But equally as dangerous are texting, fatigue, and speeding. These are actually the triggers that activate these weapons.
A campaign for Prévention Routière association in partnership with Victimes et Citoyens asks people to help #DisarmTheRoads, an initiative by TBWA\Paris in which the public can see cars reconfigured as weapons. “Using the phone while driving, driving too fast or pushing the limits of fatigue… these are three behaviors that are too often common and that we find at the top of the causes of fatal accidents on our roads. The communication campaign highlights the moment when everything takes a completely different turn, as in the use of firearms. This is why we have chosen to join forces with Victimes et Citoyens to carry this message, hoping that its creative territory will encourage reflection and changes in behavior,” says Anne Lavaud, General Delegate of the Prévention Routière association.
“After a road accident, the victim or the relatives will often tell you that the behavior of the person responsible for the accident was inappropriate, transforming the vehicle into a weapon. Co-signing this campaign, which highlights this observation with the Prévention Routière association seemed obvious to us, to convey a strong message: Together, let’s change: Disarm our roads,” explains Julien Thibault, President of the Victimes et Citoyens association.
The campaign features testimonials of drivers who have been involved in such events, remembering the tragedy that had taken place on the road. Three videos, Truck, Motorbike, and Car focus on these drivers, all of whom realize the terrible consequences of their behavior, both for them and for their victims. To show just how dangerous a car might sometimes be, the car-gun analogy was completed through a series of weapons that were built using car parts.
Credits:
Prévention Routière, Victimes et Citoyens
Agency: TBWA\Paris