Wide awake in Every Day Life, Chapter 5, Part 1

+ Show full styles

Chapter 5, Part 1
Emotional Prevention for Professional Drivers
There are truths that can be explained.
And there are truths that must be felt.
Road safety work often relies on figures, facts, rules, accident analyses and technology. All of this is important. We cannot do without these things.
But over time, it became increasingly clear to me:
Not everyone changes their behaviour simply because they have understood something.
Many only change it once they have felt something.
This is precisely where the concept of emotional prevention comes in.
Anyone who speaks to professional drivers knows the pressure many are under whilst on the road.
Time constraints.
Traffic jams.
Cramped conditions.
Lack of sleep.
Monotony.
Economic pressure.
A lack of appreciation.
And the constant focus on a job that can become fatal at the wrong moment.
In such a daily routine, appeals are often not enough.
Another leaflet.
Another regulation.
Another lecture.
That often goes over people’s heads.
That is why a way had to be found that reaches not only the head – but also the heart.
Added to this is something that is often underestimated:
the psychological consequences of serious and fatal accidents.
The focus is usually on the dead and the seriously injured.
And rightly so.
But there are many others who are deeply affected by such an accident:
Relatives.
Survivors.
First aiders.
Emergency services.
Witnesses.
Those responsible for the accident.
And other people involved.
If we help to prevent even a single fatal accident, we are not only saving lives in the immediate sense.
At the same time, we are protecting many more people from being broken by the psychological consequences of that one event.
That is precisely why it is not enough to talk only about technology, speed and traffic law.
We must also talk about the impact accidents have on people.
And about ways of reaching people emotionally so that dangerous behaviour might be changed before it happens.
This line of thought gave rise to the idea of using music as a means of prevention.
That might sound unusual at first.
Road safety and music – for many, these are two different worlds.
But it became increasingly clear to me:
Music can do something that traditional education often fails to achieve.
It can accompany us.
It can comfort.
It can shake people awake.
It can return.
And it can take root.
A sentence from a training slide is quickly forgotten.
A chorus can stick in your head.
And sometimes that is exactly what makes the difference.
The starting point for this form of prevention was not a theory.
It was, once again, fate.
Helena is also at the heart of this chapter.
Her survival.
Her loss.
Her memories.
And her long journey back to life.
All of this has had a profound impact on my work.
The lyrics to the song ‘A Message to Everyone – Be Careful!’ emerged from this personal experience.
It is not about the abstract causes of accidents.
It is about a girl who loses everything because a single moment of distraction was enough to destroy a family.
This alone reveals the core of emotional prevention:
The focus is not on the statistics.
But on the shattered lives behind them.
Not the abstract question of blame.
But the lasting wound.
Not the moral indictment.
But the shattering realisation that a single moment of inattention can turn everyday life into devastation.
That is precisely why this form of work is more than just a music project.
It is an attempt to bring together psychological, cultural and preventative aspects.
At its heart lies the realisation that professional lorry drivers must not be addressed merely as a high-risk group.
But as human beings.
As people with emotions.
With listening habits.
With an identity.
With dignity.
And with a daily life that is often harder than many outsiders realise.
When I speak of emotional prevention for professional lorry drivers, this is exactly what I mean:
an approach that touches people on an emotional level,
without resorting to cheap dramatisation.
The idea behind it is simple.
Those who are emotionally moved process messages differently.
They listen differently.
They are less likely to push things to the back of their minds.
Particularly with a target audience that spends a lot of time alone in the cab, songs, choruses and recurring messages can foster a special sense of connection.
That is why we didn’t stop at a single German version.
Step by step, versions in several languages were created.
This meant that the same message could also reach international drivers – not just linguistically, but as emotionally relevant as possible.
Because one thing became very clear along the way:
Not every nation listens in the same way.
Not every culture reacts to the same triggers.
Not every language conveys the same mood in the same way.
Some versions had to be more direct.
Others more melodic.
Others calmer.
Others more rhythmic.
This is precisely where an important point lies:

4933/7500

Chapter 5, Part 1 Emotional Prevention for Professional Drivers There are truths that can be explained. And there are truths that must be felt. Road safety work often relies on figures, facts, rules, accident analyses and technology. All of this is important. We cannot do without these things. But over time, it became increasingly clear to me: Not everyone changes their behaviour simply because they have understood something. Many only change it once they have felt something. This is precisely where the concept of emotional prevention comes in. Anyone who speaks to professional drivers knows the pressure many are under whilst on the road. Time constraints. Traffic jams. Cramped conditions. Lack of sleep. Monotony. Economic pressure. A lack of appreciation. And the constant focus on a job that can become fatal at the wrong moment. In such a daily routine, appeals are often not enough. Another leaflet. Another regulation. Another lecture. That often goes over people’s heads. That is why a way had to be found that reaches not only the head – but also the heart. Added to this is something that is often underestimated: the psychological consequences of serious and fatal accidents. The focus is usually on the dead and the seriously injured. And rightly so. But there are many others who are deeply affected by such an accident: Relatives. Survivors. First aiders. Emergency services. Witnesses. Those responsible for the accident. And other people involved. If we help to prevent even a single fatal accident, we are not only saving lives in the immediate sense. At the same time, we are protecting many more people from being broken by the psychological consequences of that one event. That is precisely why it is not enough to talk only about technology, speed and traffic law. We must also talk about the impact accidents have on people. And about ways of reaching people emotionally so that dangerous behaviour might be changed before it happens. This line of thought gave rise to the idea of using music as a means of prevention. That might sound unusual at first. Road safety and music – for many, these are two different worlds. But it became increasingly clear to me: Music can do something that traditional education often fails to achieve. It can accompany us. It can comfort. It can shake people awake. It can return. And it can take root. A sentence from a training slide is quickly forgotten. A chorus can stick in your head. And sometimes that is exactly what makes the difference. The starting point for this form of prevention was not a theory. It was, once again, fate. Helena is also at the heart of this chapter. Her survival. Her loss. Her memories. And her long journey back to life. All of this has had a profound impact on my work. The lyrics to the song ‘A Message to Everyone – Be Careful!’ emerged from this personal experience. It is not about the abstract causes of accidents. It is about a girl who loses everything because a single moment of distraction was enough to destroy a family. This alone reveals the core of emotional prevention: The focus is not on the statistics. But on the shattered lives behind them. Not the abstract question of blame. But the lasting wound. Not the moral indictment. But the shattering realisation that a single moment of inattention can turn everyday life into devastation. That is precisely why this form of work is more than just a music project. It is an attempt to bring together psychological, cultural and preventative aspects. At its heart lies the realisation that professional lorry drivers must not be addressed merely as a high-risk group. But as human beings. As people with emotions. With listening habits. With an identity. With dignity. And with a daily life that is often harder than many outsiders realise. When I speak of emotional prevention for professional lorry drivers, this is exactly what I mean: an approach that touches people on an emotional level, without resorting to cheap dramatisation. The idea behind it is simple. Those who are emotionally moved process messages differently. They listen differently. They are less likely to push things to the back of their minds. Particularly with a target audience that spends a lot of time alone in the cab, songs, choruses and recurring messages can foster a special sense of connection. That is why we didn’t stop at a single German version. Step by step, versions in several languages were created. This meant that the same message could also reach international drivers – not just linguistically, but as emotionally relevant as possible. Because one thing became very clear along the way: Not every nation listens in the same way. Not every culture reacts to the same triggers. Not every language conveys the same mood in the same way. Some versions had to be more direct. Others more melodic. Others calmer. Others more rhythmic. This is precisely where an important point lies:

0/500