Young, fast and dead : ongoing perspectives from the early driving group

Risk taking behaviour is synonymous with adolescence. Moreover, epidemiological statistics associated with early driver deaths in Australia paint a disturbing picture. There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of advertising and marketing as a prophylactic to unsafe driving behaviours. This paper discusses the search for innovative approaches to road safety campaigns by accessing the perceptions of the novice driver group. A case scenario was developed by reviewing current literature on adolescent health behaviour, risk awareness, road safety and marketing communication. Findings from an ongoing study with members of the early driving group, imply that they, as members of the target audience for road safety campaigns, do provide a fresh perspective on tone, content and style for campaign design.