Via Lietuva launches speed prevention campaign “Other people make mistakes. Slow down”
Every year, thousands of traffic accidents occur on the roads of Lithuania as a result of speeding leading to fatalities or serious injuries. Experts emphasise that even a slight reduction in speed in such situations can help prevent a collision or mitigate the consequences of an accident. To draw public attention to safe speeds on the roads, Via Lietuva launches a new speed prevention campaign “Other people make mistakes. Slow down”.
The main focus of the campaign will be a social media advertising video clip refilmed in Lithuania, based on the globally recognised campaign “Mistakes” of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi). Released in 2014, the video clip attracted international attention and was awarded at the prestigious Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. This campaign became famous worldwide for choosing an emotionally powerful narrative about human mistakes on the road and their price, rather than moralising.
“Every road accident truly shocks me. What hurts most is not the numbers in statistics, but the lost lives, the pain and the families who never saw their loved ones return home. This video clip makes you reflect – where are we rushing to? Mistakes made through speeding, failing to keep a safe distance or careless attempts to overtake come at too high a price. Let’s watch out for one another on the roads, take our time and stay alert. Such seemingly simple things can save lives,” says Juras Taminskas, Minister of Transport.
“We wanted to speak not about rule-breaking, but about people. Mistakes are also made by other road users, which is why speed often becomes the line between being able to stop and suffering painful consequences. Our aim was not finger-pointing or scaring people – we wanted to tell a story in which people would recognise real situations and reflect on just how much an extra second of reaction time can mean on the road,” says Martynas Gedaminskas, CEO of Via Lietuva.
The video clip tells the story of two drivers who, a moment before an inevitable collision, seem to freeze time. Getting out of their cars, they meet briefly in the middle of the road and admit their mistakes – one misjudged the situation on the road, the other was driving too fast. However, even after realising their mistakes, it is too late to avoid the collision.
The video clip, created in Lithuania, has been adapted with the permission of the New Zealand Transport Agency. The campaign’s creators aimed to retain the original emotional message, whilst adapting the story and the setting for the Lithuanian audience.
“We hope that this version of the clip, adapted for the Lithuanian audience, will not only be a powerful emotional experience but will also encourage greater caution on the roads. If at least some drivers choose to drive slower and more cautiously after this campaign, this will already be a significant step towards safer traffic,” says M. Gedaminskas.
The launch of campaign “Other people make mistakes. Slow down” and the public presentation of the video clip is scheduled for 27 May, 11:00 am, in Cathedral Square, Vilnius.
About AB Via Lietuva
Via Lietuva is a state-owned company responsible for the modernisation, maintenance and operation of roads in Lithuania. The company manages more than 21,000 km of national roads, over 1,500 bridges, viaducts and tunnels, and more than 2,000 km of footpaths and cycle paths.