A concept created by QUT student Taylah Canning to raise awareness in young people about the dangers posed to motorists and pedestrians by mobile phone distraction will be featured on roadside billboards in Brisbane this month.
The second year, Toowoomba-based, Bachelor of Creative Industries student (visual communication and fashion communication) was this week named one of the metropolitan winners of the annual Australia-wide Re:act Road Safety Behaviour Change Program.
Judges were impressed with how Taylah’s campaign ‘Don’t Peck your Feed Cross without a Scene’ ‘put a twist on a well-known joke to create a message that resonates with her peers'.
Her work will now be seen throughout Queensland throughout August on more than 500 oOh!media digital screens such as Brisbane billboards, street furniture, and in key CBD office spaces, as well as in shopping centres throughout the state, including the Grand Central in her home city.
The national peer-to-peer annual program invites university and TAFE communication and graphic design students from Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia to create a positive road safety campaign aimed at educating and raising awareness among 17-25-year-olds.
Young Australians are over-represented in road trauma, with one of the highest fatality and injury rates among all age groups. In 2022, the fatality rate was 75% above the average according to the Re:act data.
Now in its ninth year, more than 1000 students have completed the program. Its goal is to change behaviour and the brief for 2024 was to prevent distractions caused by mobile phones, whether as pedestrians or drivers.
This year 15 Australian universities and TAFE colleges integrated the Re:act program into their curriculum and 350 students across Australia participated.
Taylah said she had noticed risky mobile behaviour among her peers and the experience of creating the ‘Don’t Peck your Feed Cross without a Scene’ concept has made her more aware.
“My journey with Re:act has been incredibly insightful, especially working with industry professionals,” Taylah said.
“The experience has definitely changed my behaviours and attitudes towards road safety, making me more aware of the dangers of distracted walking and passionate about promoting safer habits among young people.
"It means the world to me to have my concept chosen and displayed on billboards and other places. The idea of seeing my work out there for everyone to see is a real honour.
“Risky mobile phone behaviour is such a relevant issue and observing it firsthand has been a source of inspiration for me. It's made me more aware of how important it is to create content that speaks to real-life experiences and challenges.”
Re:act founder and Executive Director Andrew Hardwick said the Re:act campaigns were unique.
“They are not just about education but also about creating a platform for young voices to be heard and to contribute meaningfully to road safety,” Andrew said.
“This year’s program brings 17-25-year-olds together with government and industry through a campaign and a series of events. The meetings will allow young Australians to share how they prefer to receive information and to actively influence road safety campaigns, even in workplace settings.”
Andrew said distraction caused by mobile phones could be as risky as drink driving and that it increased the risk of crashing by four times, while texting increased the risk tenfold.
“For pedestrians, research has shown almost a third (30 percent) of 18-30-year-olds have texted or accessed the internet on their smartphones while crossing the road at least once a week,” he said.
For further information visit reactforchange.org
Main image: Taylah Canning with her concept for the 2024 Re:act Road Safety Behaviour Change Program.
Media contact:
Amanda Weaver, QUT Media, 07 3138 3151, amanda.weaver@qut.edu.au
After hours: 0407 585 901, media@qut.edu.au
