Transport for Greater Manchester marks lives lost to road accidents

The 'Last Steps' installation, delivered by The&Partnership, raises awareness of the 25 pedestrians killed on Greater Manchester roads last year

By creative salon

07 December 2023

Transport for Greater Manchester is calling for drivers to be more vigilant with a moving city centre installation and accompanying film, as part of a wider campaign, raising awareness of the 25 pedestrians killed on Greater Manchester roads last year.

Delivered by The&Partnership in collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester, the installation on Market Street in central Manchester showcases 25 pairs of shoes, each representing a pedestrian and the last steps they took.

The installation is part of the ‘Last Steps’ campaign, delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester on behalf of the Safer Roads Partnership which is running across OOH, radio, digital and social, encouraging drivers to always look out for pedestrians this winter.

The installation has been captured in a 30-second social film, which surfaces heartfelt reactions to the lives lost and once again reminds drivers to be more vigilant as the nights get darker. The film can be seen here.

Adam McGowan and Danny O’Keeffe, Associate Creative Directors, said: “We couldn’t believe the number of deaths caused by dangerous driving in Greater Manchester last year, so we wanted to highlight this issue in a way that would leave a lasting impact with drivers.

“Each pair of shoes represents one of 25 lives taken too soon, but we know the impact of these deaths spreads much further.”

They continued: “As we work with TfGM towards a vision of making everyone feel safe when they take to the roads – whether that be by car, bike or on foot – we hope this film plays a part in encouraging drivers across the region to stay alert.”

The campaign also centres around the case study of Marcus Simmons-Allen, an 18-year boy, killed in Altrincham.

Jo Taylor, head of brand, marketing, design and digital at Transport for Greater Manchester added: “One life taken on Greater Manchester’s roads is one too many, so we knew we needed to create a campaign that really spoke to drivers about the irreversible impact their actions can have and the ripple effect it causes to those families involved.

“Last Steps shows these pedestrians aren’t a statistic, they are lives taken away from friends and family. It’s such a big number of lives to comprehend and we’ve seen people physically moved after looking at the installation and that’s exactly why we came up with the idea – to create that instant emotive reaction.

“We are incredibly grateful to Marcus’ family, and particularly his mum Paula for sharing her story. We hope their bravery and the messages we have tried to convey through the campaign encourage drivers to take extra care when driving at night and prevent these deaths from continuing on our roads.”

The work was created by Angela Onyett and Erin Sadler and produced by Nicki Casey through Feral Films.