Lisburn scenes in road safety ad

Some of Lisburn's sporting scenes are hitting the television screen as part of a new road safety campaign.
Some of Lisburn GC's members got their few seconds of fame, shooting the new driving awareness advert.Some of Lisburn GC's members got their few seconds of fame, shooting the new driving awareness advert.
Some of Lisburn GC's members got their few seconds of fame, shooting the new driving awareness advert.

The latest high profile Road Safety Advertisement, produced by the DRD, was filmed across the city with three key sporting sites featured.

Lisburn Golf Club and Lagan Valley Leisureplex’s swimming pool and synthetic football pitches were all featured.

Several sporting figures from Lisburn even got their faces on screen.

At the golf club, John Boyd and other local golfers all looked dismayed as, in the scene, a Shandon Park golfer is put off his putt by a noisy onlooker.

That theme follows on through the swimming pool scene, featuring Lisburn girls including Hannah Watson.

On the football pitches, a penalty goes high and wide thanks to the noisy fan.

And that all combines to form the theme ‘Don’t distract your friends when they’re driving.’

Filming started bright and early at Lisburn Golf Club, with the local members on site at their sixth green at 7am.

Frost and fog created their own difficulties. With the sub-zero temperatures from the previous night ice had formed on the pond in front of the green while the green itself was covered in frost.

The cameras were mounted in position and spot lights erected. Grand efforts were made by the film crew, ably assisted by the ground staff, to remove the frost but when the sunshine broke through the green thawed out and the cameras started to roll.

Over the last five years, 116 people have lost their lives due to driver carelessness. This was nearly 40% of the total number of deaths, 298, on our roads from 2010 to 2014.

Northern Ireland’s environment secretary Mark Durkan said: “Young drivers often don’t have the confidence to challenge horseplay and succumb to group peer pressure so that they don’t spoil the fun.

“My message to them is: do have the confidence to say wise up.

“Your car, your rules. Passengers, on the other hand, are often unaware that their behaviour puts their driver, who is their friend, at risk.

“They seem oblivious to their role and responsibilities as road users, mistakenly shifting all responsibility onto the driver. Don’t distract the driver. Distraction kills.”

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