Minister went extra mile for road safety

THANK you for the commentary on our recently commissioned and launched TV commercial campaign featuring the Minister of Transport, Dipuo Peters, and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) road safety ambassadors.

We need to know if we are making inroads in promoting safe roads in South Africa and your comments are encouraging.

During her journey in the commercial, Peters acknowledges the buckle-up, speed limit and rest-area road safety signs with gestures and nods. When the minister arrives at her destination, she stops the car and delivers her final message before exiting the car.

To indicate that she has reached her destination, she removes her safety belt after she has stopped and switched off the car’s engine.

The last frame shows her not wearing the safety belt, with her face turned away from the road and looking into the camera as she delivers her final messages.

We understand and accept your commentary that if the last frame is viewed in isolation, it could be misinterpreted that Peters is not wearing her safety belt in this scene in the commercial.

If we had the luxury of time, we would have shown the minister getting out of the car and delivering the message outside the vehicle as opposed to remaining seated in it.

On a lighter note, I understand you are doubting if Peters did put herself through all the paces and hours of shooting a commercial.

We also did not think she could go on for so many hours, with all the takes and the driving.

She was indeed involved from the start of the shoot in the early hours of the morning, driving herself through the stretch of road, moving to different locations and allowing the directors to get her to do as many takes as they needed in the blistering heat, taking breaks under the trees for shade.

She has taken ownership of this fight against the blatant lawlessness on the roads, road fatalities and total disregard of road signs and regulations. The team thoroughly enjoyed working with her easygoing and approachable nature.

It is RTMC’s responsibility to ensure safe, secure and responsible road usage through education, enforcement and partnerships, among others.

The campaign forms part of the 365-day, 24/7 road safety programme to promote and increase public awareness on road safety.

It is informed by an understanding that almost every road crash is preceded by a violation of road signs and regulations.

An analysis of road crashes show that intentional misbehaviour such as ignoring speed limits, drunk (and drugged) driving, dangerous overtaking, and disregarding traffic signs – such as stop signs, robots, barrier lines, etc – is a major contributor to fatal crashes on the road.