September 2006

Latest FMG creative unveiled

The latest phase of the For my girlfriend (FMG) young driver campaign will run in October 2006, when a new creative treatment will be used for the first time.

Under the heading 'Speed dating', the new creative explains that more young women die as passengers than as drivers. The approach is intended to encourage young male drivers to slow down, and to make young female passengers aware of the particular dangers they face.

The poster will be used primarily in male and female washrooms in pubs and clubs frequented by young people.

The importance of getting this message across was highlighted by a 17-year-old girl called Kirsty, from Stone in Staffordshire. She emailed the following message to the FMG project team:-

"I am a 17 year old 'girlfriend' and I think that the FMG campaign is a great idea - I do not think that the drivers in my town are safe.

"There have been three deaths in our small town in the last thee months, two of which were young lads - one of which I went to school with and the other was a best mate's brother. Both of these were passengers in two different crashes.

"After these tragic deaths a lot of the girls around the town believed that many of the young 'boy racers' would slow down but this is not the case. It worries me to see them still driving too fast and they do this with passengers in the cars.

"I often go out in my boyfriend's car and he is very over confident of his driving and the speeds he takes on with me at his side really terrifies me. I tell him to slow down so he drops it by 10mph then moans the whole way home. I hate going out in his car so I often drive but even then we end up arguing because he cant stand my driving due to the fact that I stick directly to the speed limits.

"It is so true that these lads cannot imagine killing themselves in a crash, they are all too confident and think it wont happen to them. But it could and they need to slow down.

"Please provide me with some information/advice on what I can do to make my boyfriend and his friends slow down. I don't want anyone else I know to get hurt or worse."

At least a dozen road safety teams and camera partnerships will participate in this latest phase of the campaign, with many more likely to participate in the 2007 FMG Valentine campaign.

For further information, prices and an order form for the poster contact Jo Lazar , FMG project manager, on 01379 650112, or jolazar@stennik.com