Face-in-the-hole boards to help with road safety in Dorset

The road safety team at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is using new interactive display boards to engage with local communities.

Taking a lead from the traditional British seaside ‘face-in-the-hole’ boards, the displays use humour and various behaviour change techniques to share important road safety messaging.

The different displays pick up on the biggest dangers to drivers, known as the ‘fatal four’:

• This is my sober face because mates look after mates focuses on drink-driving and the importance of using a taxi or having a designated driver;
• This is my ‘do not disturb’ face reminds people to keep their mobile phones switched off or out of reach while driving;
• Another key message is covered by This is my smug face because I wasn’t speeding; and
• This is my ‘saved by my seatbelt’ face reinforces the need to always use seatbelts, both as a driver and as a passenger.

Although the concept has been designed in-house by DWFRS, it has the support of both Wiltshire & Swindon Road Safety Partnership and Dorset Road Safe.

Road safety manager Christine Sharma said: “We’ll be using the boards at our Safe Drive Stay Alive shows and community events in place of our previous pull-up banners. It’s proven that people are more likely to change their behaviour when something resonates with them, and using humour as our initial approach makes our messages more memorable.

“In addition, anyone who tries out the boards will probably have a photo taken and share it on their social media accounts, which helps to share our advice even further.”