Buckle Up

February 3, 2010 5:25 PM

Embrace Life: A lovely road safety PSA from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership. (SLYT)

Only one minute and 28 seconds long, the beautifully shot ad manages to convey a powerful message without words, gory accident scenes, or even a car.

posted by castlebravo (18 comments total)

+1 for hugs.
posted by Hoenikker at 5:30 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

Outside the box. Clever.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 5:33 PM on February 3, 2010

very, very sweet.

in the end. the first twenty seconds or so were damn creepy.
posted by wreckingball at 5:34 PM on February 3, 2010 [1 favorite]

SEATBELT! ALWAYS!

This was good.
posted by The Whelk at 5:49 PM on February 3, 2010

I like that a lot better than the scare-the-crap-out-of-you safety videos!
posted by Standeck at 6:04 PM on February 3, 2010

So, the love for his daughter got him both in AND out of this "accident" because he took his eyes off the "road" to give her an intensely creepy smile. But then, because he loves her, he chose to wear his "seatbelt" so it's all okay.

I still liked it.
posted by missmary6 at 6:17 PM on February 3, 2010

Something about this makes me want to drive recklessly without a seatbelt just to spite them.

Is this really supposed to get through to whatever type of idiot doesn't wear a seatbelt?
posted by cmoj at 6:20 PM on February 3, 2010

They didn't have a fat kid to use for an airbag?
posted by dr_dank at 6:24 PM on February 3, 2010 [9 favorites]

because he loves her, he chose to wear his "seatbelt" so it's all okay.

No, she turned into an angel and saved him even though he wasn't wearing one.

Message: Don't wear your seatbelt, just buy some fairy wings for your kids.
posted by DU at 6:25 PM on February 3, 2010

Weird. Beautiful, touching, but weird.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:38 PM on February 3, 2010

Wow, that was Amazing.

Technical point: I bet that was shot with one of those new DSLRs that lets you shoot highspeed video cheaply and easily. They've only been available for what, a year or so? And already we're seeing them put to all sorts of interesting uses. The reason the add seems new and fresh, is that in some sense it would not have been possible to film just a few years ago at reasonable cost.

Also, I found this Youtube comment to be, like, the antithesis of youtube comments.

I'm only fifteen years old, and a very new driver (only have my permit), and for those who say that younger teens don't really understand the complex meanings that this advertisement shows, I find what you're saying to be very wrong. This brought tears to my eyes, and it is just such a beautiful and touching advertisement. Job well done, SSR.

posted by delmoi at 6:50 PM on February 3, 2010

They didn't have a fat kid to use for an airbag?

Okay that made me Literally laugh out loud.
posted by delmoi at 6:51 PM on February 3, 2010

To cmoj: Go ahead and drive recklessly. If you do it near me, you'll find that some folks don't find it funny.
posted by TDavis at 7:34 PM on February 3, 2010

Who doesn't wear a seat belt these days?

Is it still that much of a rampant problem that tv-ads need to be made?

(I know it needs to be reenforced still but really?)
posted by schwa at 10:48 PM on February 3, 2010

Who doesn't wear a seat belt these days?

One recent study in the UK [PDF] found 30% of drivers killed on the road were not wearing their seat belts. Quarter of a million people each year are fined or prosecuted for not wearing a seat belt.

Another piece of research [PDF] has found various groups who are more likely not to wear seat belts:

Some of the groups of occupants identified as having low seat-belt wearing rates included:

• young men, and men in general;
• rear-seat passengers; and
• goods vehicle and company car drivers.

Other characteristics associated with low seat-belt use rates were journeys taken late at night or early in the morning, or people driving in urban areas with relatively low speed limits.

So yes, it still is a problem. At national level in the UK the Department for Transport has launched another of its campaigns to get this message across. But local partnerships do the same and I would be surprised if the Sussex campaign is not based on evidence about who in that part of the country is less likely to wear a seat belt.

btw I don't work for the Department for Transport...
posted by greycap at 11:20 PM on February 3, 2010

I prefer the 1963 bicycle safety movie with special soundtrack.
posted by a non e mouse at 4:19 AM on February 4, 2010

I agree with missmary6 about the creepy Dad, but also still enjoyed the tone of this PSA.

Nonetheless, I'm still fascinated by the concept of risk compensation in which "individuals will behave less cautiously in situations where they feel 'safer' or more protected". There has been evidence that seat belts do not decrease overall injuries and fatalities because drivers feel safer and then just drive less safely.

One of the leading proponents of the risk compensation concept, John Adams has suggested that an actual decrease in accidents, injuries, and deaths might be better brought about by having a sharp stake aimed at the driver mounted to the steering wheel or having cars bumpers packed with dynamite.

I'm going to stick with wearing seat belts, but it's certainly food for thought.
posted by fairmettle at 4:37 AM on February 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

So yes, it still is a problem.

Really quite surprised. Although I guess it makes sense for service drivers. My father was a taxi driver and actually fashioned a fake seat belt so it would look like he had his on.

Yes I know.
posted by schwa at 12:33 PM on February 4, 2010