For My Girlfriend (campaign)

They are prone to killing and injuring themselves, their passengers and other road users. They have a tendency to drive too quickly and over estimate their driving ability – and are vulnerable to peer pressure and risk-taking.

In 2000 a group of road safety professionals from local authorities in the eastern region decided to address this issue.

The group commissioned professional market research to find out more about this most challenging of audiences – and the study produced some fascinating results. To download or view a PDF file of the executive summary click here .

In brief, some of the key findings were:-

• Terminology is important. ‘Breaking the speed limit’ and ‘speeding’ are not deemed dangerous – this is ‘something we all do’. ‘Driving too fast’ is altogether different – much riskier.
• Young drivers find it almost impossible to imagine their own mortality. They cannot imagine killing themselves in a road crash.
• When pushed, they can imagine injuring or killing other people while they are driving.
• The worst possible outcome – far worse than killing a child pedestrian or unknown third party – is killing or maiming someone they know.
• This person is likely to be a passenger in a car driven by them – a best mate, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister .

The For my girlfriend (FMG) campaign evolved out of the research findings.

The campaign confronts a young male driver with the awful prospect of killing his girlfriend who is travelling as a passenger in his car while he is driving too fast.

The campaign addresses young male drivers because the risks and dangers – and chances of causing a crash – are greater for them than their female counterparts. And because ore young females die as passengers than as drivers.

FMG was launched in February 2002 in the run up to Valentine’s Day, and has run each year since then.

The key campaign resource is a Valentine Card, which is distributed primarily through educational establishments. The card is supported by a poster, which is ideal for use in pubs and night clubs as well as educational establishments.

The Valentine card has been tested among young people. Respondents admitted that, while they don’t like it, the card is a powerful way to get the message across.

Some road safety teams also organise local publicity events to back up the direct mail and poster activity.

One such event – a crash scene reconstruction staged for and by students at Peterborough Regional College, with the support of the emergency services – was filmed and subsequently turned into a powerful short film. This film now forms the basis of the FMG teaching resource, which is ideal for stimulating discussion among teenagers about this difficult topic.

There are also powerful and effective FMG television and radio commercials, which can be licenced for use locally or regionally.

For further information contact FMG project manager Sally Bartrum.