YouTube to help reduce road deaths

Dumfries and Galloway Safety Camera Partnership are using videos on YouTube as part of the Safer Roads for Cumbria initiative. It is hoped that this joint partnership will reduce the number of road deaths in the counties.

Road deaths in these areas have been particularly high over the last three years with 44 people aged between 16 and 25 being killed during that period. Police acted after a number of videos were posted on the social networking website YouTube that contained dangerous driving. It is hoped that the advertisement that will also run on local television will deter young people from taking risks on the roads.

Project manager for DGSCP, Sgt Eric Dunion, said he hoped the videos would reach their target group. “This new cross-border campaign targeting young drivers – a notoriously difficult group to engage with – delivers our message direct to young people in Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria by utilising new technologies.”

The campaign has appeared on Border TV and already the adverts are being broadcast across the Internet on sites typically used by young people such as YouTube.

“Capable of being downloaded to mobile telephones and mailed to one another, I hope that by using these new technologies the road safety message will get to young people and make a difference on our regions’ roads,” added Sgt Dunion.