Brighton & Hove Buses/Metrobus sought to address the challenge of avoidable collisions and their associated costs by fostering a culture of safety among drivers. Recognising the need for an innovative approach, they partnered with Nice Media to create engaging, memorable training content. By leveraging dramatized storytelling, the project aimed to not only reduce collision rates but also spark meaningful discussions and empower drivers to make safer decisions in their day-to-day roles.
Brighton & Hove Buses/Metrobus aimed to reduce avoidable collisions by 10% and decrease related costs year-on-year. The objective was to engage drivers with meaningful training content that raised awareness of risky driving behaviours, such as impatience, frustration, complacency, overconfidence, and distraction. The training needed to stimulate discussion, encourage reflection, and inspire long-term behavioural change.
Nice Media leveraged its Drama for Change methodology to create “Drive Like Dom,” a series of five humorous yet thought-provoking short videos. The videos featured Dom, an overconfident yet relatable bus driver, who gave misguided advice, leading to comical yet cautionary outcomes. By presenting relatable dilemmas, the series prompted drivers to reflect on their own behaviours in a safe and engaging way. To extend engagement and embed the learning, Nice Media also developed “Gogglebus,” a series of reaction videos in which groups of seasoned and new drivers discussed Dom’s antics. This format, inspired by the popular Gogglebox TV show, allowed for candid, authentic discussions, reinforcing key messages through peer insights. The videos were deployed as part of the Driving Up Standards CPC course, mandatory for all drivers over a five-year cycle. Supplementary assets, including a teaser video, posters, and internal communications, were used to promote the content across the organisation’s internal social platform, Blink.
The Drive Like Dom and Gogglebus content was exceptionally well received, achieving engagement rates of 74-81% on Blink. Drivers actively referenced the videos in conversations, both on the platform and during depot meetings, sparking productive discussions about safety and best practices. Blink Engagement Stats: Trailer: 11,142 impressions, 82% reach. Coping with frustration: 5,649 impressions, 76% reach. Driving under pressure: 9,319 impressions, 81% reach. The videos also became a key component of onboarding, with new drivers accessing the content as part of a spaced learning programme. Beyond the course, the Insurance & Claims Manager used the materials during roadshows, keeping the conversations alive. The UK Bus Gold Award for Culture Change recognised this innovative approach, highlighting “training through dramatized storytelling” as a transformative method to inspire lasting behavioural change.
The strength of Drive Like Dom really lies in its humour, which encourages our drivers to watch and then discuss the videos. It’s bringing attitudes and behaviours into the open, getting the conversation going about how these can increase the risk of incidents.
© 2025 Nice Media - All Rights Reserved.
