NRSPP is proud to launch ‘Travel Time. Your Time.’, working together with Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC) and Budget Direct. The campaign was born out of a collaborative effort between Jerome Carslake (Manager of NRSPP), Dr. Amanda Stephens (Fellow Researcher at MUARC) and Yacine Khouzami (Digital PR & Outreach Specialist at Budget Direct), featuring research conducted by Dr. Stephens and Budget Direct. Presentation of the content was designed by Gabrielle Fetalvero, Kristin Cooke and Caitlin Xavier, Graphic Designer Interns from Swinburne University. It is designed to be run in workplaces and communities, to encourage safer driving behaviours through organisations.

This second road safety organisational campaign aims to raise awareness of aggressive driving, and encourage mindfulness as a method of mitigating it.

Aggressive driving is more common on our roads than most of us realise, and arguably embedded within our culture and expectations of driving, so much so that it has, to some degree, become accepted. Research findings revealed that 80% of Australian drivers do not consider themselves aggressive; however data regarding experiences of aggressive driving paint a different picture. Anger and frustration are emotions that everyone will undoubtedly express, and have other drivers express to us. While these occurrences may seem minor, they are not constructive manners of reducing anger. Instead, they only escalate the tense situation, increasing the risk of a road incident.

Travel Time is Your Time. The focus of the campaign is to emphasise that aggressive driving is “Not Worth It.” We spend more time travelling than we realise, and shouldn’t waste it being angry. Finding ways to calm ourselves and regain a good headspace will not only make the driving experience more pleasant and safe for us, but for everyone on the road.

Mindfulness, a key focus of this campaign, is a helpful strategy to combat road aggression and discourage hostile thought processes. To be mindful means to be aware of your current state – physically, mentally and emotionally. This means to be open-minded and non-judgmental towards the situation, and recognising emotions in order to choose whether or not to react in accordance with them.

Mindfulness mitigates aggressive driving by encouraging drivers to be aware of their anger and keep an open mind to avoid making negative assumptions about their situation. They are then more able to make fair conclusions and choose not to respond to unfavourable emotions. Reducing the disconnection to other drivers and emphasising the notion of ‘sharing the road’ will also be helpful. The campaign articulates that Travel Time is Your Time, and ‘It’s Not Worth It’ spending it angry.

The graphics have a unique approach in combining photographical imagery with illustrative icons, consolidating an eye-catching depiction of road rage with informative, digestible illustrations. Bold shades of red and black are paired with softer colours such as pinks and blues to include the concepts of both anger and calmness.

‘Travel Time. Your Time’ is now available as one of NRSPP’s Tool Box Talks, and is free for download.

The package includes:

  • Fact Sheets: engaging and informative sheets about aggressive driving, statistics and methods to mitigate it
  • Posters: campaign displays to hand out to colleagues/put up around the workplace, to encourage the message
  • Social Media Posts: to engage with colleagues in and out of the office on accessible platforms
  • Email Banners: graphic displays which can be inserted into email signatures to spread the word
  • Facilitator Guide: a useful guide for managers and leaders to facilitate the campaign in the workplace, including schedules, suggested social media captions and discussion prompts
  • Survey Forms for Evaluation: a pre- and post- evaluation survey to measure the impact of the campaign

Download ‘Travel Time. Your Time’ here.

Don’t miss our upcoming Free Webinar: ‘Road Rage and Aggressive Driving’, on the 5th November, presented by Dr. Amanda Stephens.

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