Did anyone see the "Sharing the Road" ad?

[Ganymede]

I saw this in an ad break last night. I assume it's only southern as it's done by TfL?


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ppR5_jJLGs


What think?

 

[Sara_H]

I saw this in an ad break last night. I assume it's only southern as it's done by TfL?


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ppR5_jJLGs


What think?

I'm up north and I saw it at the cinema this week.

Frankly, I think its nonsense. I don't really understand these campaigns that insinuate that there's equality on the roads and that a pedestrian distractedly stepping out into the road is as serious a misdemeanor as a driver distractedly driving at a pedestrian.
One bit that really got my goat was where a driver almost ploughs into a group of school children just as the narration is talking about minor indiscretions. And we'e led to believe that the anti social part of this scenario is that one of the kids chucks some chips at the windscreen!

I'm not sure why w have this view in the UK that we can't take a firm stance against careless and distracted driving in isolation, that we always somehow have to draw in pedestrians and cyclists and throw some mud at them too.

 

[benb]

I'm up north and I saw it at the cinema this week.

Frankly, I think its nonsense. I don't really understand these campaigns that insinuate that there's equality on the roads and that a pedestrian destractedly stepping out into the road is as serious a misdemeanor as a driver distractedly driving at a pedestrian.

I'm not sure why w have this view in the UK that we can't take a firm stance against careless and distracted driving in isolation, that we always somehow have to draw in pedestrians and cyclists and throw some mud at them too.

Because otherwise the poor put-upon motorists will snivel and whine that it's not fair.

 

[Dan B]

Because otherwise the poor put-upon motorists will snivel and whine that it's not fair.

Yes. The Motorists are At War

 

[Ganymede]

I'm up north and I saw it at the cinema this week.

Frankly, I think its nonsense. I don't really understand these campaigns that insinuate that there's equality on the roads and that a pedestrian distractedly stepping out into the road is as serious a misdemeanor as a driver distractedly driving at a pedestrian.
One bit that really got my goat was where a driver almost ploughs into a group of school children just as the narration is talking about minor indiscretions. And we'e led to believe that the anti social part of this scenario is that one of the kids chucks some chips at the windscreen!

I'm not sure why w have this view in the UK that we can't take a firm stance against careless and distracted driving in isolation, that we always somehow have to draw in pedestrians and cyclists and throw some mud at them too.

Agree with all you say. I thought it was patronising and oddly down on non-motorised road users. The Share The Road message is needed and I liked some of the psychological slant, ie why do we all feel we have to punish/judge each other all the time, but that's more what a minority of motorists do to peds and cyclists than peds and cyclists do to anyone else.

 

[albion]

Those speed signs that tell you your speed are now getting a 'thank you' message added.

Fine, but how about one for 'your speeding ticket is in the post' !
It would save billions ceasing need for that next speed control fashion of the day.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

The Road belongs to Mr Toad.

If you (we) want to share it we must share it on his terms.

Portraying the motorist as victim probably has more to do with politics than road safety.

 

[mcshroom]

Yes. The Motorists are At War

... and killing thousnds annually waging it.

 

[summerdays]

We all make mistakes, I usually try to show I'm sorry when I'm at fault, and many motorists do the same and apologise when they make a minor mistake. It takes the anger out of the situation normally when nobody has been hurt. I don't seem to have lots of road rage incidents so presumably it works.

(Not sure I like the video though)

 

[theclaud]

Bland, patronizing sh*te. With duff music.

 

[siadwell]

I liked it.
Made me think.....Is this an ad for Guiness? deodorant? John Lewis?

 

[Ganymede]

I liked it.
Made me think.....Is this an ad for Guiness? deodorant? John Lewis?

Or Specsavers...?

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Agreed, a few more of the bad guys being cars would have been nicer, but they showed a cyclist without a helmet so there's a plus. The guy standing in the road at the end needed to be run over by a taxi as the credits rolled (or at least have one stop tight to his legs and abuse the fark out of him) if they wanted realism. I wonder if going cycles and motorbikes was the thematic decision that's being presumed here, or a directorial decision because you get obvious human beings a lot quicker that way, equally the cars being top down convertibles.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

They forgot to put in the bit when the motorist shouts abuse at the cyclist just because.

 

[Pete Owens]

There is a very good reason why ads such as try to treat all road users as equally - and one which we should all welcome. We are a small minority of road users so in any "us-vs-them" debate we will end up on the losing side.

The aim is to change attitudes - and one of the major problems we face is being seen as an out group (just look at how any organisation antagonistic towards cycling will attampt to portray us as different - lycra wearing, red light jumping ... the list goes on - but particularly relevent to this discussion usually includes "sanctimonious". This othering means people tend to take a tribalistic attitude and defend the faults of their tribe while magnifying the faults of other tribes. It is a mirror image of some of the comments posted above. Now, of course I understand that from a logical and principled perspective, the driver of a dangerous piece of machinery carries a great deal more responsiblity than a pedestrian - but from the other side this is easily dismissed as sanctimoniousnes. A message particularly targeted at motorists on our behalf would go down like a lead balloon.

To understand how this works imagine a campaign to encourage cyclists to check our lights now the days are getting shorter ... presented by the Top Gear team. It would be enough to tempt me to tape over my pedal reflectors.