New video campaign targeting driver fatigue in young women to boost road safety

Promoting road safety and the impact of driving when tired is the aim of a new campaign targeting young people in the South West.

West Australian roads have claimed 140 lives so far this year, with 85 people dying on regional roads.

A 19-year-old Collie man was given a stern wake-up call about driver fatigue just last week when he avoided a serious penalty for falling asleep at the wheel and causing a crash on South Western Highway last year.

South West Women’s Health and Information Centre manager Lesley Jackes said the centre hoped to target this issue and reduce road trauma in the region by launching a four-part video series focusing on fatigue and driving.

“We want to encourage young women, and men too, to be aware of staying alert, awake and alive when driving,” Ms Jackes said.

“We believe fatigue is a health issue that needs to be addressed.”

Engaging young people in the production of the Hey Sleepy Driver, Wake Up campaign was paramount to its success in influencing their demographic, Ms Jackes said.

Busselton teenagers Poppy Treloar and Sarah Aldridge have spent the past year co-ordinating the project, working alongside the Vocal Fusion Youth Choir, which wrote the song accompanying the videos.

The campaign will launch with a screening at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on Saturday.