Harrowing new road safety video sends powerful message

A “brutal” new road safety advert has been released, sending a powerful message on the dangers of speeding.

The New Zealand TV advert, named ‘In My Shoes’, was released by New Zealand Police and the Transport Agency this week to show the emotional and devastating aftermath of accidents caused by speeding. And the message is certainly clear. 

From the wreck of a car, to a mortuary and even a mother crying on her doorstep, it shows a series of powerful scenes – without featuring any blood or graphic content. In fact, viewers have branded the safety video the “most brutal yet” on Twitter and YouTube.

The video begins by focusing on a police officer who is speaking to a driver he’d caught speeding, as he attempts to make excuses for the crime. After rubbishing the excuses, it flicks to the shocking results of a series of car crashes, presumably as the result of speeding.

https://youtu.be/o61wZimPKK8

From wreckage on the road, and clothes strewn everywhere, to a missing fence and a drop beyond, a post-mortem, and finally a woman crying as she’s told a loved one has died, the advert sends home an emotional message, with startlingly realistic scenes. “I’m doing everything in my power to stop you from seeing the things I’ve seen,” the officer finally says to viewers at home.

It follows a series of horror car crashes over the Christmas period, involving families and people of all ages right across the country. Home and Away star Jessica Falkholt is now fighting for her life in hospital after a crash which killed both her parents and her sister.

Read more: Hero reveals heartbreaking details of deadly Falkholt family crash

New South Wales police issued a warning to drivers about fatigue and complacency on the roads. Chief Inspector Phil Brooks told ABC News that 11 deaths were caused when cars drove off the road.

“More than half of these have involved single vehicle run-offs either into a tree or a telegraph pole — sadly killing that driver and/or their passenger — which is an indicator to us that fatigue is the most likely outcome in these very sad and tragic events this close to Christmas,” he told ABC News.

It’s not the first harrowing advert released, and Australia has had a few of its own in an effort to make an impact on viewers. According to the Transport Accident Commission, Australia’s road death toll stood at six already on January 7, 2018. Meanwhile, according to the NZ Transport Agency, there were an average of 11 road deaths per week in 2017 in New Zealand.

“Police officers see the human cost of speed nearly every day on our roads,” NZ Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Sandra Venables told Yahoo News. “Even when speed doesn’t cause the crash, it is the single biggest determinant in whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed.”

Do you think the TV advert works, and is necessary to get the message across?