The realisation that young drivers are the most likely age group to engage in risky driving behaviours inspired a group of students to create a road safety campaign that resonated with their peers.
The winning campaign shows a young man with low-riding jeans accompanied by the clever tagline: “Some belts are not optional”.
The design was selected among ten other groups as part of the 2025 Re:act road safety program’s university category in WA.
Re:act gives young people the opportunity to develop behaviour change campaigns that positively influence their peers and the community they live in.
The annual program challenges design communication students across Australia, including Curtin University and North Metropolitan TAFE, to create campaigns that raise awareness of road safety issues and change behaviour among 17 to 25-year-olds.
This year’s ‘seatbelts’ focus had students delving into the psychological complexities of seatbelt use and ways to reach the most at-risk drivers.
Curtin University team member Sean Cameron said the idea to integrate street fashion into the campaign was inspired by research that pointed to young men as the group most likely to not put on seatbelts.
“Through the Re:act program, I found that I am part of the group most likely to not wear seatbelts – young men,” Sean said.
“I really felt the need to design a campaign with our group that reflected a road safety message we would respond to.”
Bold use of the colour red in the design also aims to make connections in the viewer’s mind with the shade of red on a seatbelt button.
The winning design is currently on display on a landmark billboard along Stirling Highway in Claremont, one of Perth’s arterial roads connecting the coast with the CBD, for maximum reach and impact.
It will also be on digital displays at more than 150 retail locations, including Karrinyup, Joondalup and Midland Gate shopping centres and at office sites throughout the CBD at Central Park, Brookfield Tower, Kings Square and many more during the month of August.
The winners of the North Metropolitan TAFE program will have their selected campaign displayed across sites in September.
Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said the Road Safety Commission’s partnership with Re:act was twofold, it supported the next generation of young designers while delivering targeted messaging to some of the State most at-risk road users.
“Empowering our young people to be leaders amongst their own peers is one of the best tools we have to deliver road safety messaging where it’s needed most,” he said.
“This clever design not only resonates with young people but has the ability to transcend generations through witty use of a shared point of humour.
“Having their design highlighted on a billboard is a great career-boosting opportunity and I congratulate the students on their hard-earned efforts.”
Since launching in 2016, Re:act has engaged almost 1600 students and 70 partners across four continents, with more than 57 million people around the world having seen campaigns created by young people.
Click here for more information about Re:act, and here to see the selected WA University campaign.
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