'The more you look out for something, the more obvious it becomes.'

Well, they've come a long way since the 'ripe peach and hammer' days. But do any of these road safety Public Information Films actually make a difference?

Here's the latest from TFL, and Mayor Boris Johnson, as part of their new Cycle Safety Action Plan.



We're prepared to wager that the only actual 'bike aware' vehicle drivers are those who also cycle. And, with a rough estimate suggesting 80% of London citizens do not ride bikes, giant banknotes, twelve foot policeman and plate-proportioned alarm buttons just aren't going to make a difference. What might reach out more effectively is some gritty realism, as opposed to pastiche surrealism. One example is the Department for Transport spot featuring a man haunted by the corpse of a child he killed in a road accident.



Here, gimmicky visual tricks pale into insignificance when the true effect is highlighted, instead of the cause. So, slick though the TFL spot is, the films apparent style may mask its 'unobvious' content. As one viewer commented "wow great! just remind me of the point of that again?"