There’s Nothing Casual About Speeding in BMF and UM's Campaign to Target Low Level Speeding

The NSW Government, working with BMF and UM, has released a new, hard-hitting campaign urging motorists to slow down and think about the risks of going ‘just a bit’ over the speed limit.

In NSW between 2015 and 2019, at least two thirds of speed-related deaths and serious injuries occurred when a driver or rider was travelling no more than 10km/h over the sign posted speed limit.

In Transport for NSW’s latest campaign, 'Casual Speeding. Every K Counts', BMF challenges these casual perceptions of low-level speeding to reset the attitudes and culture on NSW roads. The launch spots are a confronting reminder that there’s nothing casual about any form of speeding and reinforce the serious consequences these attitudes can bring.

Tara McCarthy, deputy secretary for safety, environment and regulation, Transport for NSW said: “Every km counts when it comes to speeding on our roads, a little bit over double your chance of crashing, and this campaign demonstrates how speeding can change your life and others’ lives forever.”

Christina Aventi, chief strategy officer at BMF said: “By labelling a new type of speeding, the ad encourages motorists to take a moment to self-assess, recognise risk and correct their low-level speeding. We hope that the term ‘Casual Speeding’ provides a way for road users to talk about this dangerous behaviour.”

It will be supported by a wide-ranging media strategy developed by UM to spark discussion. The campaign launched in Sunday night’s 6pm News. It will be supported by OOH and include a radio partnership and social media to tap into diverse state-wide communities at grassroots.

Andy Clift, senior client director, UM says: “Our media strategy will shift the cultural perception of ‘speeding’ by defining and showcasing the impact of what a few kilometres over the speed limit can have,” He said “Speeding is endemic across all cultures and communities so we are ensuring we reach all groups.”

The three main objectives of the campaign are to educate drivers and riders on the significant role speeding plays in fatalities and serious injuries on NSW roads; reset drivers’ attitudes to how they view their normalised ‘everyday speeding’ behaviour; and to highlight the unique risks of speed and its contribution to crash likelihood and severity.