Distraction remains one of Canada’s deadliest driving behaviours. According to a 2021 Transport Canada estimate, distraction is a contributing factor in 22.5% of fatal collisions and 25.5% of serious injury collisions. And the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that young drivers between 16 and 19 were most likely to have been distracted, with 20.6% of fatally injured distracted drivers being found in that age bracket.

Those insights led to an awareness campaign, “Death Scroll,” which is a joint effort between the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) and the Canada Safety Council, that launched Monday for National Safe Driving Week. The campaign is being promoted nationally through paid digital media and social platforms. It’s also being shared on Canada Safety Council association website, helping extend the message in local markets and through community channels. IBAC worked with Agency59 to develop the videos.

Sonia Sache, senior communications and marketing manager with the IBAC, tells strategy this year’s theme, “Gone in a Flash,” takes on a more contemporary, digital-first tone designed to resonate with drivers the ages 16 to 24 and reinforces the human impact of a single moment of inattention. “This year’s campaign was specifically designed for that audience (young drivers) – using short-form video and scroll-style creative that reflects how they consume content online,” she explains. “The approach uses their language and appears in the platforms and markets where they already spend their time, making the message feel authentic rather than prescriptive.”

Importantly, Sache adds, the tone avoids the traditional threat-based or fear-driven messaging often seen in road safety campaigns. “Instead, it focuses on how distraction impacts the things they value most – their independence, freedom, and ability to drive – making the consequences feel real and personal without being punitive. By speaking to what matters to them, in the environments where they’re most active, the campaign connects both emotionally and behaviourally, showing that one moment of inattention can take away what they care about most.”

The campaign supports IBAC’s broader public-awareness mandate by highlighting the important role brokers play in protecting Canadians and promoting safer communities. The organization regularly partners with the Canada Safety Council for National Safe Driving Week and this year’s creative refresh was designed to keep the message relevant and emotionally impactful.

National Safe Driving Week represents not only the Canada Safety Council’s largest campaign of the year, but also its longest-running, with roots tracing back to the 1950s.

Sache points out that launching ahead of the holidays is intentional; it’s a period when driving activity increases and distractions often multiply. The campaign is designed to cut through seasonal noise with a short, high-impact message that reminds Canadians of the real consequences of distracted driving.

“It’s an integral part to our strategy into year-end as the holiday season traditionally brings with it an increased volume of drivers on the road,” Sache says. “We’re proud to have a long-standing collaboration with the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada in sharing vital safety messaging to keep the issues – including distracted driving, eating behind the wheel and the potential loss of freedoms and independence – front of mind for Canadians in this busy time of year.