OFF the back of the success of its award-winning #BiggerThanYou campaign, Main Roads has recently hit the market again, this time focussing on what road users should do when approaching large, slow moving agricultural machinery.
Feedback from industry and local farmers is, quite simply, that there are too many near misses due to driver inattention, driver frustration or road users just not driving to the conditions.
With harvest season about to commence, and bumper crops due to the record wet winter, the new, agriculturally focussed campaign, which was filmed on a local road in York, provides a timely reminder to slow down, be patient and stay safe.
Launched in January 2021, the #BiggerThanYou education campaign has helped increase awareness of Restricted Access Vehicles (RAVs), including Over Size Over Mass (OSOM) loads, travelling on the road network.
The first run of the campaign highlighted how to safely interact with RAVs that are much wider, longer and slower than your average vehicle, while also explaining the roles of Traffic Escort Wardens and Heavy Vehicle Pilots.
Led by television and radio advertisements which aired on metropolitan, regional and catch-up television, and supported by an extensive social media campaign, #BiggerThanYou was well received by the public, and industry, and was awarded this year's WA Rural Media Award for Best Communications Campaign.
Post-campaign research indicated that the campaign conveyed clear, key messages and that the communications were engaging, memorable and well liked.
More importantly, more than half the post-campaign survey participants said that they took action - by changing their driver behaviour and speaking to family and friends about how to safely pass a road train or OSOM vehicle - as a result of the campaign.
Round two of the campaign is on our television screens and radio stations now, with billboards also in place on some key driving routes out of Perth.
You can support the campaign message by using the #BiggerThanYou campaign sticker you'll find in this copy of Farm Weekly.
To download the campaign materials or find out more, scan the QR code or go to
www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/bigger-than-you.
Quick Links Postcard
Main Roads has taken feedback from industry on board and developed QR codes to help the heavy vehicle and farming industry find the information you need on the website.
You'll find your copy of the new Quick Links card in this edition of Farm Weekly.
