ANCAP SAFETY, has launched a national community awareness campaign demonstrating how the presence of two key vehicle safety technologies – autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane support systems (LSS) – can help turn a potentially negative outcome into a positive one.
The campaign draws on real-life dashcam footage captured and submitted to ANCAP by everyday Australians. Dashcam footage of two common crash scenarios – near-misses with pedestrians, and run-off-road crashes – forms the basis of the campaign creative, highlighting the stark reality and negative consequences of crashes that occur daily on our roads.
14% of all road fatalities nationally involve pedestrians. 66% of all fatalities occur on regional and remote roads.
In contrast to the shocking dashcam footage, the campaign reveals how the lives of vehicle occupants and pedestrians can be saved, and injuries avoided, by driving a vehicle fitted with AEB and/or active lane support systems. The campaign tagline 'Let's re-write the ending' conveys to the audience that serious outcomes from road crashes can be prevented.
"The message is simple. Mistakes do happen, but today's collision avoidance technologies can help turn a negative into a positive," said ANCAP director – communications & advocacy, Rhianne Robson.
"The dashcam footage clearly demonstrates that everyday mistakes happen to everyday people, yet a mistake on the road – whether it be yours or someone else's – does not have to be fatal."
While 71% of all new vehicles sold are now fitted with some form of AEB as standard, with the average Australian consumer driving a vehicle 10 years old, it is estimated that just 7% of the 18 million light passenger vehicles registered on Australian roads are currently fitted with it.
"What we want to do through the rollout of this campaign is drive community awareness of the availability, function and benefits of vehicles fitted with these safety systems, and encourage consumer uptake of newer vehicles with these collision avoidance features to help save lives," Robson added.
"We're encouraging all motorists to check whether the car they currently drive, or looking to buy, is fitted with AEB or LSS through a simple search tool now available on the ANCAP website," said Mrs Robson.