Crush The Speed

Insight

Moscow saw road traffic accidents resulting in 258,618 injuries and 27,991 deaths in 2012 alone. The situation is similar in many big cities around the world, and violation of the speed limit is a major contributor to these statistics.

Idea

How we could stop the car madness? Warning signs, speed bumps and even wreaths by the roadside do not work and the number of accidents continues to grow… But, there is something that always attracts drivers’ attention and forces them to slow down. Smashed cars. Project An online platform where people can stand up to the boy racers. Select the location where you want to place our “warning sign” – a written-off car. Crushed cars will prevent new accidents. By reducing the drivers’ speed we will reduce the number of accidents and emergency situations.The campaign takes cars that have been totalled in previous accidents and places them along the roadside. What makes this effort truly unique is that by logging on to social networks and the ‘Crush The Speed’ website, the public can view Google Maps and vote to determine the location of where the next wreck should be placed. The temptation to look at the aftermath of a car crash on the road is strong and this is a powerful way to promote road safety online and on the roads. How does it work? Options at the top of the page let users select the most popular spots, all spots or place a car, with choices to use Facebook and Twitter to publicise their pin drop. Anyone who might have crashed their own vehicle is encouraged to donate it to the project, rather than sell it for parts. They can do so by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

Result

-100 mentions in global media (during launch week)
-3m people have learned about the project
-Dozens of new cities want to participate (Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Novosibirsk, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg)