Launch of new "Runter vom Gas" campaign (kill your speed)
Ramsauer: We want to reduce the number of road fatalities by 40% by 2020.
Federal Minister of Transport Dr Ramsauer and the President of the German Road Safety Council Dr Eichendorff in front of a HGV
(Source: BMVBS)
- date of issue
- 2011.12.13
- serial number
- 258/2011
Federal Minister of Transport Peter Ramsauer and the President of the Road Safety Council Walter Eichendorff, launched the new "Runter vom Gas" road safety campaign in Berlin today. The new campaign is further developed and covers more thematic areas than the previous.
It will immediately focus on additional accident causes and risks. Besides speeding and inappropriate speed, these include mainly diverted attention due to cellular phones, cigarette smoking or navigation devices, dangerous overtaking, particularly on rural roads, ruthless tailgating or driving under the influence of alcohol. The campaign is also promoting the use of seatbelts and the wearing of cycling helmets.
The campaign motifs, which were introduced by Minister Ramsauer today, convey the following messages: "Don’t speed", "Take your time", "Keep your hands off the cell phone" and "Daddy, drive safely". With the help of the German Statutory Accident Insurance Institution (DGUV), the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development will set up around 800 billboard posters along the motorways and on the rest areas in the next weeks, promoting safe driving. One of the motifs will be seen on over 150 trucks, which will be operating all over Germany. Advertisements and radio spots, a cinema spot as well as comprehensive information and more actions along rural roads will follow in 2012.
Ramsauer:
"Our '2011 Road Safety Programme' sets an ambitious target: We want to reduce the number of road fatalities by 40% by 2020. The number of critically injured casualties must also be steadily and significantly reduced. We will only achieve this by fighting all causes of accidents. This new campaign is part of our action. It calls upon road users to drive responsibly and become aware of the dangers inherent in road traffic. Our aim is to prevent inappropriate behaviour. The key concern is to improve road safety on rural roads, because with around 60%, these roads account for the largest proportion of casualties. By putting up billboard posters along these roads, publishing ads and airing radio spots, we want to raise awareness for the risks."
Walter Eichendorf, President of the DVR:
"Our rural roads harbour a particularly high safety risk due to the numerous different road users like pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, cars, buses, tractors and trucks and also due to high speeds, heavy impacts of weather conditions, unclear courses and blind curves and also due to collisions with trees and after visits to discotheques. This is why we have to focus our efforts on reducing the risks on rural roads."
