GEM’s ‘Blue Light Aware’ hits 10 million views in lifesaving road safety milestone

· Collection of short videos demonstrates how all road users can stay safe and within the law while allowing emergency vehicles to pass.

· Since September 2020, the videos have reached more than 10.2 million people.

· The most popular video - covering what to do around double white lines - has been viewed 4.7 million times across social media platforms.

Road safety and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is celebrating a significant milestone, with its suite of Blue Light Aware videos surpassing 10 million views across social media platforms. Since launching the new generation of short animated videos in September 2020, the Blue Light Aware resource has reached a terrific total of 10,268,924 views across social media platforms.

The 13 videos are promoted extensively not only by emergency service organisations, but also by local authorities, road safety partnerships, and by schools and colleges keen to support safer behaviours on the road.

They cover essential road safety topics including how to make way safely for emergency vehicles on motorways, at traffic lights and on roundabouts, as well as what to do at motorway breakdowns and how to make an effective 999 call. There is also specific guidance for horse riders, produced with the British Horse Society.

James Luckhurst, GEM’s head of road safety and creator of the original Blue Light Aware video in 2011, commented: "This milestone demonstrates a genuine interest in learning how to be safer when helping emergency service crews responding to incidents," he said.

"Our videos are designed to be shared easily on social media, making their safety messages accessible to millions of road users across the UK.”

The most popular video, showing why an emergency vehicle won’t generally overtake you in a double white line system, has achieved 4.7 million views, while the video on what to do at traffic lights reached more than one million.

Kevin Dell, National Fire Chiefs Council’s emergency response instructor partnership manager, said: "These videos play a vital role in educating drivers about how to respond when emergency vehicles approach. Every second counts when our crews are responding to incidents.

“We want everyone to know what they can do to assist an emergency vehicle responding to an incident. The better informed all road users are, the more lives we can save.

“Reaching 10 million views shows the appetite for clear, practical guidance that helps us all play our part to make journeys safer."

Alan Hiscox, director of safety at the British Horse Society, said: “We know that encounters between horses and emergency vehicles can be challenging for everyone involved, especially on narrow or winding rural roads. These Blue Light Aware videos give riders, drivers and emergency crews clear, confidence‑building guidance so they can anticipate each other’s needs and reduce risk.

“By helping people understand how horses may react, the films are making a real contribution to keeping riders, animals and other road users safe.”

The Blue Light Aware videos were created in partnership with police forces, fire and rescue services, and the British Horse Society. The resource was originally established in 2011, with the new video series launched in 2020 to maximise engagement on social media platforms.

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GEM Motoring Assist is a members’ motoring and road safety organisation in the UK. Our aim is to keep our members on the move… whether that’s through our breakdown recovery service or our motoring and road safety expertise.

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