The Faster the Speed, the Bigger the Mess is a sixty second public service ad campaign by the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland's Road Safety Authority, created by Lyle Bailie International Limited[1] and in whole or in part supported or underwritten by Norwich Union(NI part) and Hibernian Aviva(RoI part), both part of large European insurance concern, Aviva plc.[2] The ads attempt, in a short spot, to dramatize the dangers of reckless or careless driving at too great a speed for conditions. They emphasize the risks of consequences and suffering not only to the driver, but to innocent third parties. Some of the ads can be found and viewed online.
A 2007 Belfast Telegraph article said that in Northern Ireland 24% of road deaths resulted from speeding. The manufacturers of the commercial intended to target 17- to 24-year-old people. Due to the injuries displayed in one commercial, it could not be shown until after the 9 P.M. watershed.[3] A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article stated that 30% of road deaths between 1996 and 2004 were from speeding.[4]