RADD (Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Dumb Driving) features well-known personalities from across Australia and the world uniting their voices to deliver a clear message about road safety: let’s keep the dumb stuff away from our roads.
When we say ‘dumb stuff’, we’re talking things like drink driving, texting while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, drugged driving, speeding, not driving to the conditions, and so much more.
We know that road safety is often spoken about in numbers. But behind each number is a person and a desperately sad story that could have been avoided.
We also know that anyone can choose to take risks, but no-one can choose the consequences. One careless mistake, one regrettable decision, can change the course of a life forever.
Don’t be a statistic. Plan ahead, look out for each other, and make responsible choices behind the wheel.
It was 2004 when RADD kicked off in Australia. At the time, RADD stood for Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drink Driving, and boasted the support of international superstars like Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Shaquille O’Neal, Beyoncé, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more.
Over time, we added more and more names to our list of supporters, including hundreds of Australian personalities who have donated their voices to help us encourage safe driving.
Today, more than 2,000 celebrities have lent their voice to RADD. This gives us an ability to combine ‘star power’ with real stories to create highly specialised, and at times very localised content. In the Northern Territory, where RADD has a significant presence, we use local AFL, NRL, basketball, and music talent to amplify some uniquely Territorian road safety messages.
As the number of issues affecting road user behaviours has risen over the years, RADD messaging has expanded to include other things we refer to as ‘dumb driving’. Things like driver distraction, not wearing a seatbelt, drugged driving, speeding, not driving to the conditions, and more. As a result, we’ve changed our name slightly so that RADD now stands for Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Dumb Driving.
As a not-for-profit entity, RADD’s aim has always been to have a presence in areas that complement and support the work of road safety bodies and the police. We’ve worked with a range of Australian road safety bodies, including Road Safety NT, Motor Accident Compensation Commission (NT), Department of Transport (QLD), Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources (TAS), NRMA-ACT Road Safety Trust (ACT), and MAC of SA to promote road safety messages in unique ways that connect with vulnerable audience sectors.
Our aim is to combine the appeal of high-profile personalities and the power of storytelling to encourage a safe driving culture and positive behavioural shifts.
RADD are a great ally for an organisation like MACC. Their ability to collaborate with numerous road safety stakeholders and talent to craft meaningful and relatable messages for both audio and visual formats is a key reason why we keep working with them.
Christine Thiel - Manager, Marketing and Road Safety MACC (NT)
RADD’s work is exceptional. They tap into community service announcements in a way that government can’t.
Pantelitsa Rigas - Manager, Road Safety NT, Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, NT Government
