Cape Town – In March 2016, the Western Cape road safety division launched the controversial safety campaign, called ‘First Kiss’, aimed at showing the potential danger of unbuckled passengers in cars.
‘First Kiss’ was released as part of the Western Cape’s road safety division, Safely Home, theme from March 2016, using the hashtag #BeTheChange.
In May 2016, the department reported its campaign has been a huge success claiming a six-week survey revealed a “161% increase” in rear-seat passenger seat-belt compliance.
The department reports a “27.5% increase in overall seat-belt compliance” while passenger fatalities for May 2016 are down “30% compared to 2014, 2015 numbers”.
At the core of the campaign is a hard-hitting TV commercial showing the consequences of not buckling up. While it won two advertising industry awards, it was also subject to heated public discussion both for and against its effectiveness, with criticism leveled at the graphic portrayal of road deaths on TV.
Remember this shocking ad? You might have seen it on TV, cinema or online:
Have you changed your attitude towards buckling up after seeing the First Kiss commercial?
