NSW Government: Mobile Phone Safety Campaign A Success

The New South Wales Government has declared its “Get Your Hand Off It” campaign a success, with mobile phone offences down 11 percent across the state since it began.

Released in June, 'Get Your Hand Off It' is a music video aimed at sending a message to young NSW drivers about the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving.

Following its posting on social media and sites such as You Tube, the number of offences recorded has declined in the six weeks since its launch, compared with the two week period before the campaign started.  

French Foundation for Responsible Driving – VINCI Autoroutes – seeking permission from the NSW government to share the video on its website.

Mr Gay said this request was proof that the internet could be a powerful and far-reaching tool for the state government to educate people on the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving.

“We were very happy to share our video with the French authorities and get the message out there for motorists,” Mr Gay said.

"The message is a very clear one; holding your mobile phone while driving threatens your safety, your passengers and other road users like cyclists and pedestrians.”

Since its launch, the 'Get You Hand Off It' video has had about 600,000 hits, not including the coverage generated by other websites carrying the clip; such as TMR.