February 21, 2024
Powerful awareness campaign by VRT warns about mobile phone use in traffic
"Don't let your future get stolen by your mobile phone." That is the slogan of 'Het beste moet nog komen' (the best is yet to come), a striking awareness campaign by VRT and Belgian artist Pommelien Thijs. The aim of the campaign, initiated together with the Flemish government, is to make everyone aware of the danger of distracted driving.
For the campaign, singer and actress Pommelien Thijs wrote the poignant music song "The best is yet to come" and plays the lead in a haunting music video. In a special on VRT's online platform VRT MAX, she also talks to young people about road safety.
"Don't let your future get stolen by your mobile phone"
The music video for 'The best is yet to come' shows the tragic story of a girl who is hit on her bike because she is distracted by her mobile phone. She sees moments she could have had passing her by. And in that moment, she realises she will never experience them. In the end, the girl ends her life on the cold asphalt.
The awareness campaign was inspired by a similarly successful campaign by Interpolis in the Netherlands. Singer and actress Pommelien Thijs is the face of the Flemish campaign. The song is by her, and for the music video, Pommelien also literally crawled into the skin of the cycling girl.
Together with Flemish government
"The best is yet to come" is a collaboration between VRT and the Department of Mobility and Public Works to alert young people (and by extension all road users) about the dangers of using a mobile phone in traffic. Because 1 in 3 young people get distracted by mobile phone use in traffic, research shows.
