Madam, - As single-vehicle crashes, drink-driving and speeding continue to increase (The Irish Times, December 21st), is it not time to accept that wall-to-wall, hard-hitting TV safety advertising campaigns do not work?
It is possible that spending millions of euro alienating young male drivers is adding to the problem. Watching cowboy films makes young men dream of being cowboys while children exposed to violent TV programmes and video games are known to exhibit increasingly aggressive behaviour rather than becoming peacemakers.
Based on results, if this campaign was selling any other "brand" it would be dropped as expensive, lazy and ineffective. We know advertising works - but it does not always work in the way we expect. - Yours, etc,
ANDREW LONGWILL, Marketing Director, LW Associates Ltd, Newhall, Naas, Co Kildare.
Madam, - I note that deaths and injuries were caused again this year by trailers becoming detached from cars. A cheap and simple solution would be to enforce the use of safety chains to secure the trailer to the car, as required in the US.
Are we interested or will we lose more lives next year? Let us start with some simple remedies and then move on to the more difficult behavioural problems. - Yours, etc,
HUGH FORTUNE, Chartered Engineer, Sion Hill, Blackrock, Co Dublin.