• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content

Home> News> UK News

Published 15:25 7 Aug 2023 GMT+1

Resurfaced road safety ad is unlocking childhood memories of even more traumatising advert

A resurfaced Think! children's road safety advert is triggering people's memories of another much darker video.

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A resurfaced Think! children's road safety advert is triggering people's memories of another much darker video.

There's no doubt about it, Think! certainly produced some absolutely eye-catching adverts.

And they clearly worked as even years and years later, I remember those hedgehogs like it was yesterday.

Advert

However, it's the story of the boy who 'didn't stop, look and listen' which people are now being reminded of, which continues to haunt them to this day.

Your face as you realise which advert we're talking about after the 'King of the Road' campaign.
Think!

Instagram account The Archbishop of Banterbury has reposted one of Think!'s road safety awareness hedgehog adverts.

The advert is one from a series which first began in 1997 featuring 'the Hedgehog Family'.

Titled the King of the Road campaign (1998), the video may have a serious message of avoiding being hit by a vehicle and ending up severely injured or worse, but it maintains a pretty jovial tone throughout.

Advert

After all, what's scary about singing hedgehogs?

As they amble along the street, the pair of animals sing: "Take care out on the street. Use you head and then your feet.

"Don't run out like a fool. Take your time and play it cool. If you don't stay alert, you could end up getting hurt. You better stop and think and you'll be king of the road."

Quite cute right? However, the hedgehog adverts were nothing on the Tales of the Road which followed.

Advert

And one Instagram user couldn't help but remind us of it, commenting: "This is the nice version, who remembers the kids that would end up with broken arms and legs?"

New repressed childhood memory unlocked.
Think!

In 2008, the government road safety campaign group brought out a cautionary talk called The Boy Who Didn't Stop, Look and Listen.

Giving off a similar vibe to The Corpse Bride, the advert appears gothic in style and was reportedly inspired by Edwardian poet Hilaire Belloc.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told the Mail Online at the time: "We are taking a new approach to warning children about the dangers they can face on our roads, following new research that shows today’s six-to-11-year-olds need bolder and more direct communication about road safety."

Advert

And 'bolder' the advert certainly is.

The advert definitely hit home the message to children a lot harder than the singing hedgehogs did.
Think!

The Boy Who Didn't Stop, Look and Listen centres around a boy on crutches.

The eerie narrator reads: "Before his leg was bent backwards, he loved to play football all day.

"But the boy didn't cross in a safe place, where he could see cars come his way. He then didn't stop, look and listen. A car hit him at quite a pace.

Advert

"And now he can't play football, because his leg broke in more than one place."

If that isn't enough to make sure you always look twice and check before you cross the road then I don't know what is.

As one YouTube user commented: "These were the reason I had nightmares as a kid."

Featured Image Credit: Think!

Topics: UK News, Cars, Health, Parenting, Social Media, Instagram, YouTube

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • an hour ago

    How man declared 'legally dead' walked into a courtroom to apply for a driving license

    And the astonishing part is, the judge said he was still legally dead

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Doctor issues warning about major mistake millions make while driving that is ‘slowing your brain down’

    Most cars have this button on the dashboard - but be mindful of how long you're using it for

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Expert reveals disturbing reason why you should never tell your dark secrets to ChatGPT

    Perhaps a set of code using data it's mined from the internet archive isn't your BFF?

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    The dark happenings behind the scenes of ChatGPT that many people don't know about

    In 2023, OpenAI was subjected to controversy following a TIME magazine investigation into ChatGPT

    News
  • Katie Piper issues 'end of the road' health update after 'years of battling with eye'
  • 'Tone deaf' YouTuber accused of 'begging' for donations after streaming channel ban over McLaren car crash
  • Influencer sues plastic surgeon for £1.7 million after 'overly large breast implants ruined her career'
  • Parents of 19-year-old girl who died after trying viral 'dusting' trend warn others about its deadly risks