Transport Accident Commission (TAC): Message Narrator Study  

The Challenge

TAC in Victoria has long used public education campaigns to reduce road trauma. Despite progress, challenges persist – especially among young drivers, vulnerable road users and those in regional/rural areas. With the rise of social media, the diversity of narrators in campaigns has expanded, including lived experience voices, celebrities, experts and authority figures. TAC commissioned Bastion Insights to explore how different priority audiences perceive various narrator types in road safety communications. The goal was to identify the most effective combinations of narrator, message and audience to guide future campaign planning. 

The Solution

The study followed a multi-stage qualitative approach. It began with a scoping workshop and desktop review of literature and past campaigns (both from the TAC and other safety campaigns) to understand the various narrators that have been used in the past and what narrators can be effective. The core of the research involved 15 online focus groups with over 100 Victorian road users, including drivers, cyclists and motorbike riders. After thorough analysis and presentation of initial results, findings were then validated and further developed through a co-design workshop with TAC stakeholders. 

The Impact

The outcome was a set of actionable insights and a visual decision-making framework to guide narrator selection. The co-design process ensured internal alignment and practical application of the findings. The research has equipped TAC with a strategic tool to support more targeted and effective road safety communications across various channels and among diverse audiences.