Good drivers – we salute you

THINK! research has found that many young men who have been driving for a while are overconfident in their driving ability and believe they can safely take risks when at the wheel.

This includes driving too fast, especially when in a hurry or on roads they think they know well, and being more likely to use a handheld mobile at the wheel.

However, research also shows that for this group of young men, the mates they silently prefer to be driven by are those who drive safely.

THINK! is launching the Good Driver campaign to help normalise this silent respect and spark a conversation about good driving by encouraging young men to see that mates respect mates who don’t take risks on the road.

The campaign has been created in collaboration with the County FA and media partners Acast, COPA90, Twitch and Jungle Creations. Content will run throughout June and July across video on demand, social media, online video, podcast and in-game streaming.

Our launch assets, created in partnership with the County FA, can be downloaded at the links below. Follow @THINKgovuk on Twitter to discover and share more content from our campaign partners throughout June and July. Assets supplied are free to use for educational purposes, however if used in a paid-for capacity (particularly outside of the national campaign period) usage fees may apply.

When driving, a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death. The faster someone drives, the less time they have to stop if something unexpected happens.

If you kill someone while speeding, you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences.

Speed limits are there for a reason.

The facts

  • Speed is one of the main factors in fatal road accidents.
  • Fatal accidents are 4 times as likely on rural ‘A’ roads as urban ‘A’ roads.
  • 3,121 people were killed or seriously injured in accidents where ‘exceeding the speed limit’ or ‘travelling too fast for the conditions’ was recorded as a contributory factor by the police.

The law

  • You must not drive faster than the speed limit for the type of road and your type of vehicle.
  • The speed limit is the absolute maximum and it doesn’t mean it’s safe to drive at this speed in all conditions.

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The facts

  • Drivers using a hands-free or handheld mobile phone are slower at recognising and reacting to hazards.
  • Research shows:
    • You are 4 times more likely to be in a crash if you use your phone.
    • Your reaction times are 2 times slower if you text and drive using a hands-free phone than if you drink drive, and this increases to three times if you use a handheld phone.
  • Even careful drivers can be distracted by a call or text – and a split-second lapse in concentration could result in a crash. At 30 mph a car travels 100 feet in 2.3 seconds.

The law

  • It’s illegal to use a handheld mobile phone or similar device for any purpose when driving. This means you cannot hold a phone or similar device in your hand to follow a map, read and send messages, make or take calls, use the Internet, take a photo, or change a music track.
  • It is also illegal to use a handheld phone or similar device when supervising a learner driver.
  • These both apply even if you’re stopped at traffic lights or queuing in traffic.
  • You can use a handheld phone if you
    • need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop
    • are making a contactless payment at, for example, a drive-thru
    • are parking the vehicle remotely using an App on the phone.
  • You should wait until you are safely parked before using a hand-held mobile phone.
  • If you’re caught using a handheld phone while driving, you’ll get 6 penalty points on your licence, a fixed penalty notice of £200 or a fine of up to £1,000 (or £2,500 if you’re a bus or lorry driver).
  • You’ll also be risking a driving ban; if you get just 6 points in the first 2 years after passing your test, you will lose your licence.
  • Using a hands-free device (for example, for navigation) is not a specific offence in the same way as using a hand-held mobile phone. However, if this distracts you and affects your ability to drive safely, you can still be prosecuted by the police.

The consequences

  • You risk a driving ban
  • Points on your licence leads to higher insurance costs
  • Losing a job

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