Victims drive home message

By STUART DYE transport reporter

Tanya Hesketh was on her way home from a day at polytechnic when she was hit by a speeding driver and killed.

The 23-year-old from Rotorua was studying to be a nurse.

"She wanted to save lives but ironically her's was cut short," says mum Jacqui.

Mrs Hesketh featured in a new television ad aired last night to tell her story of tragedy and loss.

The ad marks New Zealand's road safety authority dumping its "blood and guts" advertising in favour of a more emotional approach.

Subsequent advertisements will use crash survivors, scientists, trauma surgeons and others to demonstrate the effect of crashes on victims, their families and entire communities.

Mrs Hesketh said she decided to take part to honour her daughter's wish to help save lives.

"If you are prepared to speed, you are prepared to kill," she said.

The departure from gruesome pictures of crash scenes is aimed at prompting the majority of law-abiding drivers to speak out, reject dangerous behaviour on the road and turn up the heat on those who continue to offend.

Until now, road safety advertisements have been aimed squarely at offenders - showing offences being committed and depicting the consequences for the offender.

But while the campaign has been successful, with drink-driving and speeding crashes down and seatbelt wearing up, the people who continue to offend are becoming harder to reach as their numbers get smaller, according to director of land transport safety David Wright.

"Persistent offenders don't always listen to advertisements, but they may listen to their partners, their families, their friends or their workmates.

"We must increase demand from New Zealand society for an end to the type of dangerous driving which puts all of our lives at risk."

The ads will continue to focus on the areas responsible for the greatest number of deaths and injuries: drink-driving, excessive speed and failure to give way at intersections.

But while the subjects are the same, the advertisements have a new manner and style, using facts, figures, physics and real-life stories.

"We want people to say 'I don't want to share the road with someone who is prepared to kill my family and friends', and we want them to say it out loud - to let offenders know that their behaviour is unacceptable to the rest of us," Mr Wright said.

The LTSA/Police road safety advertising and enforcement campaign is one of New Zealand's most effective public education initiatives.

Independent evaluation shows that the campaign has saved 300 lives since it began in 1995.