Presentation
In addition to imagery , we know it matters who is presenting the information ¹. Familiar examples from our work include using a teacher or other familiar adult , using young people themselves , using famous faces from sport or tv , using people who have been involved in or affected by road crashes , and using members of the emergency services .
Young people - Though they are not road safety ‘ experts ’, they are experts in understanding their demographic group , and it can empower them to give them some involvement in designing an approach to
be used with their peers ². Stories that feature young people ’ s experience may appear more relatable than those of older people .
Teachers - Teachers or familiar adults will know the audience better than an outside expert , but they are not necessarily ‘ expert ’ in the area , and must be given the guidance needed to present the right messages and say the right things 3 . They may be seen as the ‘ same old ’, usual information presenters , reducing the impact of the information and the likelihood that the message will be seen as any more important than other information presented by those people .
Keep it contemporary : The MND performance ( see p79 for the full details ) is a live action intervention and therefore the fashions and the language can be kept up to date relatively easily . The 2017 tour saw the actors using contemporary smartphones , referencing popular messaging Apps , and even partaking in some ‘ dabbing ’ during a car journey ( whilst listening to current music ). Because the performance is revisited and refreshed before each tour , these cultural reference points can be ( and indeed must be !) adapted to reflect the kinds of behaviours and trends that will mean something to each cohort .
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¹ Savigar , L ( 2018 ). Preventing mobile phone use while driving : appreciating the equivocal nature of identity , safety and legality in an uncertain world ( Unpublished doctoral thesis ). Keele University , Staffordshire .
² Youth for Road Safety ( 2016 ). Unleashing the Power of Youth : Annual Report 2016 . Available from : http :// www . youthforroadsafety . org / uploads / tekstblok / yours _ annual _ report _ 2016 _ final _ singlepages _ compressed . pdf
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Assailly , J . P . ( 2017 ) ‘ Road Safety Education : What works ?’ Patient Education and Counselling , S24-S29