Appeal to 'mandom' to stay in 'mantrol' on roads

A scene from the campaign taken from the video.

A new road safety campaign is appealing to young male drivers to "slow down and stay in mantrol", in an attempt to reduce New Zealand's road toll.

The new NZTA/NZ Police campaign, which debuts on television from tonight, introduces the concept of "mandom" - a place where a man is in complete control and where he can come to perfect his "man skills" - stressing the need to be in full control of a "manly activity" like driving, by knowing when to pull back and when to slow down.

Click here to view the new advertisement.

The one-minute ad, which follows teaser ads on Sunday, features a young, clean-cut man who welcomes the viewer to "mandom" as he strolls past men taking part in "manly" activities such as cricket, barbecuing and skateboarding.

"The fate of mandom is uncertain. There is something we haven't mastered control of yet - it's our driving. We're good but not great and if we're not in full control of such a manly thing, then what does all of this mean?" he says.

Excessive speed is one of the leading factors in death and injury on New Zealand roads, contributing to 114 deaths and nearly 2,500 injuries last year. Young men, aged between 16 and 29, account for 59 per cent of all speeding drivers in fatal or serious injury crashes.

NZTA advertising manager Rachel Prince said rather than point the finger at young men for driving badly, the campaign used the 'mandom' concept to point out how to drive well.

"A big part of mastering any skill is knowing your own limits," Ms Prince said. "This campaign stresses that part of being a great driver is knowing when to pull back to account for the things you can't control - the road, the weather and other drivers."

Ms Prince said the new campaign was part of a long-term, multi-agency commitment to achieve a safe road system in New Zealand which is increasingly free of death and serious injury.

"This approach refuses to accept that any road death is inevitable. We're working to create a system where skilled, competent, alert and sober drivers travel at safe speeds in safe vehicles on safe roads that are predictable and forgiving of mistakes."