Road safety – The media offensive –

The media offensive

Road safety - The media offensive -

One month after the Belgian initiative, French road safety is launching its communication campaign for the general public in favor of the safety of motorized two-wheelers. The government’s new impetus ?

"Two-wheelers, fragile attention !". This is the slogan of France’s campaign in favor of its motorcyclists. And the headline is encouraging:"Everyone’s vigilance, for the safety of motorized two-wheeler drivers". The government thus wishes to integrate all road users into the biker issue..

It is "to avoid the liability debate between motorists and drivers of two-wheelers, that Road Safety wanted to be based on a concept that could appeal to all categories of users. This campaign is not intended to stigmatize one or the other category of users, but rather to showcase the extreme vulnerability of two-wheeled riders. The tone of the campaign, however, is unambiguous about the government’s will to enforce the rules.".

Motorcyclists being "the black point"from the 2004 road safety report (read), the government has made the safety of motorized two-wheeler drivers"a major stake". In order to"raise awareness and make all road users aware of the vulnerability of this mode of travel", road safety has decided to mobilize no less than four media.

First of all, and it is fashionable, the Internet will be provided with advertising banners intended for the general public and young people, which will soon be communicated to the media. They will refer to an information section dedicated to the "two-wheeler" campaign, which will be highlighted on the Road Safety website.

A 30-second commercial will be broadcast on television which "underlines the fragility of motorized two-wheelers". This film features a naked biker, supposed to represent"the very great fragility of motorcyclists who are not protected by a bodywork", in a risky driving situation: speed, distracted glances, passage between lines of vehicles, intersections … At the end of a twenty second journey through the city, a voice-over recalls"to each" than "on a two-wheeler we are more fragile, the danger is to forget it". It will be broadcast on the main terrestrial and cable channels from June 3 to 23, 2005.

On the radio, four spots will target four categories of users, encouraging them to take better account of the fragility of two-wheelers. The first message is addressed to motorists: it reminds "the need to systematically indicate their change of direction by activating their flashing light, to avoid endangering the two-wheelers". The second is aimed at adolescents: it concerns"the importance of properly fastening your helmet in order to be protected in the event of an impact, even if that means not following the effects of fashion". The third educates urban executives on the risk they run on a scooter by trying to save a few minutes. The last targets drivers of large engines, who must not forget"the fact that on a motorbike, the best protection remains compliance with the highway code". These messages will be broadcast from June 13 to July 3, 2005, on the main stations.

Finally, it is in the press that a visual featuring a motorcyclist on the ground whose vehicle has just undergone a crash test will be published, with the mention: "Zero stars in EuroN’Cap crash tests". This striking visual will be repeated as a poster. A second poster will also be displayed which shows a man sitting on the hood of his moving car,"calling out to users about the over-representation of two-wheeler users in accidents". The message is less obvious. Wasn’t the goal rather to put motorists in the place of bikers? ?

In addition, from September 30 to October 9, 2005, Road Safety will be present at the Mondial du deux-Roues through an event stand which will follow on from the campaign launched in June. By then, will the campaign’s effects be felt? Will bikers benefit from better attention on the road? ?

Dominique Perben, the new Minister of Transport, Equipment, Tourism and the Sea, still has work to do…

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