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Steer clear: Applying behavioural science to community safety
For decades, emergency services have urged drivers not to enter floodwater, yet vehicle related incidents remain the leading cause of flood fatalities. Traditional safety messages have not shifted behaviour at the scale required. So how can evidence based research guide messaging that truly reaches — and influences — those most at risk?
This presentation explores the design of Steer Clear, an in house behaviour change campaign developed by the NSW State Emergency Service and launched in late 2025 with support from AAMI. Grounded in behavioural science, the campaign challenges long held assumptions about community safety communication.
Why does simply telling people Do not drive though floodwater not work? What do we say instead? Is emotion taboo in public safety campaigns? We examined the drivers and enablers of undesirable behaviour and how to communicate desirable behaviour in a way that resonates, motivates and reduces risk.
We will unpack the behaviour change tools and methodologies used, including how the COM B model shaped both creative development and media strategy. Research inputs included rescue hotspot data and interviews with dozens of NSW SES flood rescue technicians, ensuring operational insight translated directly into campaign design.
Place based engagement activities ran alongside the media campaign, providing local relevance and deeper community connections. Activities were also tailored for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, with targeted assets and channels enabling focused outreach to key driving risk groups.
This session will share what worked, what surprised us, and how the approach can be scaled and applied to other hazards. By taking the guesswork out of messaging, we can build safer behaviours and safer communities.
This presentation explores the design of Steer Clear, an in house behaviour change campaign developed by the NSW State Emergency Service and launched in late 2025 with support from AAMI. Grounded in behavioural science, the campaign challenges long held assumptions about community safety communication.
Why does simply telling people Do not drive though floodwater not work? What do we say instead? Is emotion taboo in public safety campaigns? We examined the drivers and enablers of undesirable behaviour and how to communicate desirable behaviour in a way that resonates, motivates and reduces risk.
We will unpack the behaviour change tools and methodologies used, including how the COM B model shaped both creative development and media strategy. Research inputs included rescue hotspot data and interviews with dozens of NSW SES flood rescue technicians, ensuring operational insight translated directly into campaign design.
Place based engagement activities ran alongside the media campaign, providing local relevance and deeper community connections. Activities were also tailored for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, with targeted assets and channels enabling focused outreach to key driving risk groups.
This session will share what worked, what surprised us, and how the approach can be scaled and applied to other hazards. By taking the guesswork out of messaging, we can build safer behaviours and safer communities.
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