Look Again campaign reaches two million people

Our ‘Look Again’ campaign ran for six weeks with the aim to make our roads safer. The campaign, which launched on 18 March, was developed due to the high number of fatal and serious accidents on Staffordshire’s roads in 2023.

Nearly half of these accidents were attributed to driver error, so we urged people to reassess their driving and decision-making skills, to ensure they only drive within their ability and are constantly alert and ready to react to any potential hazards on the roads.

We wanted to reinforce that every driver has the ability to make our roads safer through simple actions, whether that’s checking another time before pulling out at a junction or giving a cyclist the space they need to use the road safely. We also raised awareness of the fatal four’ offences that contribute to serious collisions. These are speeding, drink and drug driving, using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt.

We launched the campaign by hosting a joint road traffic collision demonstration event with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to show the reality of an incident and how we work together with other emergency services.

We commissioned two videos to highlight the danger of lack of concentration at the wheel, these covered the topics of mobile phone distraction and distraction from other people in the car. These were shared on our channels and we invested in paid advertising to increase the reach of these videos, resulting in a combined viewing figure of more than 24,000.

We shared hints, tips and advice on how to stay focused and safe on the road, as well as releasing hard-hitting dashcam footage and shared two emotional case studies of people whose lives have been irreparably changed by serious and fatal collisions. The content on our social media channels resulted in a reach of over two million and we gained a good level of media coverage throughout the campaign.

In addition, we used bus and fuel pump advertising to reach motorists during the Easter holiday and organised paid advertising on relevant websites. 

Operational activity took place alongside the awareness campaign and 70 arrests were made for vehicle-related offences. This included 18 individuals, who were suspected to be driving under the influence of drugs, and 15 suspected of drink-driving. Three people were also arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.

In addition, our officers issued 316 traffic offence reports, with action taken against drivers for poor driving habits, including not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone whilst driving and driving at excess speeds.

We seized 125 vehicles, recovered 37 stolen vehicles and undertook 117 stop searches. A combined total of 176 breath tests and drug swipes were also carried out.

This operational and campaign activity has effectively highlighted the long-lasting and far reaching impact that dangerous and poor driving habits can have on so many lives.