My Red Thumb back to highlight dangers of mobile phone use

12.00 | 24 April 2017 |

The My Red Thumb campaign, designed to raise awareness of the risks of using a mobile phone while driving, will hold its third annual UK awareness day on 11 May.

Featuring a new film and a host of new resources, #MyRedThumb 2017 will deliver a timely reminder of the recent law change that now sees drivers caught using a handheld mobile phone at the wheel penalised with six points and a £200 fine.

The campaign is also searching for the ‘MyRedThumb Video Star’ – encouraging people to create their own short video to demonstrate how they are supporting the campaign.

The original Red Thumb campaign, which encourages drivers to paint their thumbnail red as a reminder not to use a mobile while driving, was developed in the US.

The UK campaign, organised by Devon County Council’s road safety team, sets out to reach as many road users as possible through the use of social media, and to use behavioural change techniques to encourage people to change their habits.


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Double penalties for mobile phone offences come into force
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Awareness day highlights dangers of mobile phone use
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The campaign will once again be underpinned by a ‘Thunderclap’ to propel its message onto social media. To date, the campaign has 59 backers with a social reach of more than 150,000 users.

At 11am on 11 May, supporters of the Thunderclap campaign, including the Road Safety GB twitter account, will automatically post the message: “Save lives on the roads today by supporting National #MyRedThumb Day. Hands off your mobile phone whilst driving”.

The new film, ’10 Ways to Save a Life’, uses humour to engage with its audience while delivering a clear message that using a handheld mobile phone whilst driving is unacceptable. The film suggests things people can say, and actions they can take, to reduce the risk of mobile phone distraction causing a road traffic collision. The film will be released on the campaign website on 11 May.

A range of resources and activities including school lesson plans, campaign posters and ideas suitable for use in a business setting, are available to access and download via the My Red Thumb website.


Want to know more about mobile phones and road safety? 
Key facts and summaries of research reports – visit the Road Safety Observatory
Online library of research and reports etc – visit the Road Safety Knowledge Centre

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