Maybe these traffic safety signs push the boundaries of appropriateness a bit, but they are clever. These PSAs come from Australia, so I guess it’s more acceptable there. (Insert giant assumption here.) I have yet to see a traffic safety message locally that uses name-calling to try to change behavior.
Are they effective? It’s hard to measure the effectiveness of PSAs, but there are some general guidelines for how to change behavior. Instead of telling people what they shouldn’t do, effective behavior change is most likely to happen by encouraging people to do the right thing. (I’m thinking of you, “Don’t do drugs” campaigns.)
Of course, if these PSAs had encouraged people to do the right thing, we wouldn’t be discussing them right now, so they were at least effective when it comes to being seen and discussed. And a modestly effective message that lots of people see is better than a powerful message that nobody sees.
