The Mafia Teaches Us How to Follow Road Safety Rules in Comedic TVC

The number of secondary road accidents is rising every year due to the lack of knowledge of the right procedure after a car crash or malfunction. Why? Because the drivers simply haven’t been trained how to react properly in these situations. In order to draw attention to such an important topic - besides putting together a safety card with simple steps to follow (like the ones you’d find in an airplane) - McCann Prague came up with a rather cheeky TVC idea for the Czech Insurer's Bureau. The TVC suggests that some rules - like these road rules - should be followed by absolutely everyone, so they don’t die stupidly. Even the Mafia respects these rules. Try to forget that.

Secondary car accidents describes situations when one accident occurs due to another accident in its immediate vicinity. Typically, it is a collision with a worn or damaged vehicle, but also a massive crash. They are mostly caused by unnecessary mistakes made by drivers not paying attention to driving or not knowing how to deal with their own car problems. In the Czech Republic, more than 1,000 accidents per year follow the definition of secondary accidents occurring on motorways and 1st class roads. In the last 7 years there were 7,400 accidents. 4,300 of these were injury-free, approximately 2,350 had minor injuries, 560 had severe injuries, and nearly 170 resulted in fatal accidents. The total estimated damage caused by SCA exceeds CZK 365 million. There are also secondary car accidents not investigated by the police but paid by insurance companies. This means the actual number of these accidents can triple.

To support this new communication campaign, an extensive survey has also taken place that focuses on secondary car accidents. It determines whether drivers know exactly what to do in a crisis situation. It has shown that 77% of respondents believe that they have sufficient control of the issue. Only 12% of them could then determine the correct procedure, however. More than a third of the drivers did not know they should move away from the vehicle to a safe distance not to risk their health. About half of them did not know how far should they place the warning triangle.

The campaign aims to show the most common mistakes. It will roll out on TV, radio, digital and printed media from the beginning of summer till the end of November. It aims to teach drivers the correct procedure in case of car accident. It should reach up to almost 95% of drivers, 18-65 y.o.