Scania backs Fatality Free Friday with playful but powerful road safety campaign
Scania has launched a light-hearted yet impactful road safety campaign – “It’s not you. It’s me. I need space.” – to raise awareness about the importance of safe driving around trucks.
The announcement:
Scania is supporting the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s Fatality Free Friday by launching a light-hearted campaign with a serious message.
The “It’s not you. It’s me. I need space” campaign employs relationship innuendo in a playful way to deliver a serious message – suggesting that when it comes to road safety around trucks, size and space does matter!
The campaign illustrates various road safety scenarios, including but not limited to; trucks turning, wet weather conditions, vehicles merging in front of trucks, and lingering in blind spots.
“It may seem obvious; however, very few drivers truly understand the simple truth that a truck may weigh 40, 60, or even 80 tonnes – and needs more space to slow down and stop. This is why trucks leave a big gap to the car in front in traffic – because their braking distances are far greater than those of other vehicles,” says Zsuzsa Zalatnai, Scania Australia’s marketing director.
“We wanted to deliver an important safety message in a way people would remember – and maybe even smile at,” Zsuzsa continues. “The reality is trucks like ours need room to breathe. That space in front isn’t an empty lane; it’s a safety buffer that can save lives.”
“That’s why this campaign speaks directly to all road users in a relatable and memorable way. We’re proud of our relationship with the ARSF and the campaign developed in collaboration with the8agency. It’s not only engaging – it also effectively raises awareness and, ultimately, improves road safety,” Zsuzsa says.
“We’re encouraging all road users to rethink their relationship with trucks. It’s not personal – it’s physics. If you’re sharing the road with a truck, give it space. This campaign takes a lighter approach to a heavy subject, but the message is serious: let’s look out for each other and aim to make every day a fatality-free day.”
Leanne Krstevski, CEO of the8agency, adds, “The relationship innuendo brings warmth to the campaign and disarms the audience, helping us cut through. At its heart, this campaign is all about safety.”
“Fatality Free Friday calls on every road user to take responsibility for their actions and choose safer behaviours. But it’s not just about one day – it’s about making safety a daily priority. It’s time for change – road safety needs you, every time you’re on or near the road,” says Russell White, founder and chair of the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
“Scania would like every day to be a fatality free day, and even though our trucks are the safest on the market, all road users can make mistakes, and there are collisions as a result. While we are dedicated to protecting truck drivers with our strong steel cabs equipped with multiple airbags, and our Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive radar cruise control, lane departure and blind spot warning, the laws of physics remain in place. A 64-tonne truck takes a lot of space to slow down, can’t change direction suddenly, and has visibility limitations compared with those of light vehicles,” Zsuzsa says.
“Take it easy around trucks and leave us some space.”
Source: The 8 Agency
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