Texting and driving is still prevalent throughout the world and a major cause of road deaths. That’s why there are still numerous road safety PSA campaigns on the subject. Unfortunately, data shows that these ‘don’t text and drive’-campaigns no longer have the impact needed to change really our behaviour. In order to change that the organization Parents of Road Victims asked us to come with a radical new take in preventing texting and driving.

BlindMeters.com is a first of its kind platform that visualises and gives concrete insight in how many meters you exactly miss when texting and driving. It is geo-located and turns Google Maps into a text editor, allowing you to type on any road. A custom-made font connects to the speed limitation data of the specific road you’re typing on and stretches to the exact number of meters you miss when texting and driving.To do so an algorithm was developed that connects different databases and layers them onto one website, together with a specially designed font made for the purpose of dynamically stretch.

Data shows that people have become immune to ‘don’t text and drive’ road safety campaigns. So, we had to make a very broad impact on all Belgian drivers, but with specific attention to the young crowd, since they not only text but also use WhatsApp, Instagram and all other channels while driving. The strategy was simple: intrigue and incite to go to the platform via broad media – TV and Cinema – and Press coverage. And create direct traffic to the BlindMeters.com via a digital

The launch of BlindMeters.com played out across various channels like TV, Cinema, bannering, Google Adwords, Influencer strategy, etc… The design part of the idea however is at the heart of the platform. To visualise the ‘BlindMeters’ we programmed an algorithm that connects different databases and layers them onto one website. It allows you to type on any Google Maps road. Then we created a custom designed font with a typographer. The purpose of the font was to dynamically stretch to the exact amount of meters you miss when texting and driving. A clear case of design and data-visualisation at the core to create conversation worthy impact.

Data shows that people became immune to the road safety ‘don’t text and drive’-campaigns. This new take on an old problem was able to beak that immunity, from the start. Press immediately picked up on BlindMeters.com. Literally all National and Regional press covered it. Resulting in millions and millions of earned media impressions. But most importantly: people engaged. Massively. In the meantime over 15 million (!) BlindMeters were typed. And BlindMeters is now also officially part of the Belgian National driving school program.