‘Manly’ campaign for NZ’s male drivers

The new NZTA/NZ Police campaign introduces the concept of ‘mandom’ – a place where a man is in complete control and where he can perfect his ‘man skills’, and will appear on our television screens from tonight.

The ad features a young man who wanders past men taking part in ‘manly’ activities such as building, playing cricket, and cooking meat on the barbie. He stresses the need for Kiwi men to master control of their driving – a manly thing.

NZTA Advertising Manager Rachel Prince said rather than point the finger at young men for driving badly, the campaign uses the ‘mandom’ concept to point out how to drive well.

“A big part of mastering any skill is knowing your own limits. This campaign stresses that part of being a great driver is knowing when to pull back to account for the things you can’t control – the road, the weather and other drivers.”

Excessive speed is one of the leading factors in death and injury on New Zealand roads, contributing to 114 deaths and nearly 2,500 injuries last year. Young men, aged between 16 and 29, account for 59 per cent of all speeding drivers in fatal or serious injury crashes.