A short video was released last August highlighting the dangers of young motorists texting whilst driving. The video, directed by Peter Watkins-Hughes (from South Wales), was produced alongside the help of the Gwent Police. Since its release this short 30-minute film has become an Internet hit, with seven million people viewing the 4-minute trailer on YouTube. The film was originally made just for the schools in the Gwent Police area, but this small town film has received massive interest from people all over the world.
On a small budget of £10,000 and the use of local students to play the characters, the film tries to depict the true horror and reality of careless driving. The audience follows the car journey of a young girl who gets distracted while texting on her phone. Her car veers into the opposite lane causing the deaths of both her friends traveling in the car and a couple from another vehicle.
In the planning of this video the producers ensured they asked the local youth what they felt was needed in a video such as this. Mick Giannasi, the chief constable of Gwent police found that when he “ asked young people what was the thing that they thought was now the most dangerous for their age group’ it was mobile phones and texting whilst driving. I am sure we have all been guilty of at some point glancing at our mobile phones, or even making sneaky phone calls on a journey in our car. Figures show that 50% of drivers aged between 18 and 24 texted while driving, and that in doing so it slows a driver’s reaction time by 35%. As well as a slower reaction time drivers were also found to drift out of lanes, and have poor steering control.
It is illegal to drive and talk or text on your mobile phones here in the UK. However this is not the case in other parts of the world. In fact this short film has actually caused a stir in American politics, and been used on Fox News to encourage a news piece related to a bill going through the US senate, concerning a ban on drivers texting and driving. To think that this small budget film has had such an impact on people all over the world is truly amazing.
The New York Time’s has written on the film, debating how effective it is to have ‘blood and gore’ shown in such a film. This I thought was a very interesting article as it argued that ‘the popularity of the video excerpt was most likely due to its graphic nature’. Thus “the shock aspect ultimately may obscure the texting risk message”. However those involved in the making of the film have said, “The reality is, if we want our message, which is a lifesaving message, to cut through, we have to adopt certain strategies…In this one, we’ve gone for grim reality.”
In my opinion the video’s graphic representation of a car crash, and the knock on effect it has on so many peoples lives, truly made me think twice about how careful we need to be on the road. I think it works and that honesty really is the best policy in such issues such as dangerous driving. Although some people may get offended, I do feel it is the case where you need to be cruel to be kind.
The huge interest in this short film has given the producers and Gwent police authorities an amazing opportunity to commission more crime prevention films. With the help of The University of Wales they have decided to set up a ‘not-for-profit’ organization called ‘The Gwent Independent Film Trust’ to encourage more young filmmakers in the South Wales Valleys.
Not only does this film bring up debates surrounding how graphic is too graphic in crime prevention films, but it also shows how powerful the media is. This short film started out as a local police stations way of reaching their community, I bet they never dreamed it would be viewed in countries around the world. However as the chief of the Gwent police said in an interview, “The messages contained in the film are as relevant to the people of Tennessee as they are to the residents of Tredegar”.
Please check out the quick 4-minute video, I have posted the link below. It is well worth your time, and the full version will be screened on BBC Two Wales On Monday 2nd November.
I am a great believer in the use of shock tactics. I think they really work- you only need to talk to people about those road accident ads that were on tv with the girl who has been run over coming back to life. And I also think that the use of mobile phones whilst driving is an issues that is crying out for a campaign. There was been drink and drug driving, level crossings, but I think the young especially need a ad campaign about the dangers of using mobiles while driving. I’ve been in a car with mates before that have used their phones and I’ve screamed at them, some of them not even realising it’s illegal.
I saw the trailer a while back on youtube, and whilst I kind of questioned at the time whether people actually did text and drive the figures show in your post that 50% of young people do which is a staggering amount. I think a campaign was needed to address this, and hopefully it will prevent alot of needless deaths.
As far as the use of gore in the video, I think it is wholly justified, you can’t wrap up a topic like this and make it smell of roses – the fact is that car accidents often kill and horrifically maim people and if it takes a renactment of this to make people improve their driving practise then so be it.