You are probably all aware of the RTA "No One Thinks Big of You"campaign aimed at getting young hoons to slow down on the road by giving them the "pinky".

I, for one, am a big fan of the campaign and have even taken to giving hoons the pinky myself.  However, while cruising the net, I stumbled across a news article that may curb my new pinky-wiggling ways.

In November last year, Simon Jardak blamed the "Pinky" campaign for his road rage attack on a woman while driving on the Anzac Bridge.  He claimed he was not phased when she flashed her lights and gave him the middle finger gesture after a lane change incident, but took extreme offence when she wiggled her pinky at him. He then threw a plastic bottle out the window which caused damage to her car and was fined $400.

It goes to show, the "pinky" advertising has hit the nerve of it's target.  But has it made a real impact on stopping their stupid and dangerous behaviour on the road?

According to a survey commissioned by the RTA’s NSW Centre for Road Safety:

• 53 per cent of the general population and 53 per cent of young males (17-25 years) said that they would be more likely to comment on someone’s driving as a result of seeing the ‘Pinkie’ campaign.
• 64 per cent of the general population, and 63 per cent of young male drivers, believed the campaign to have some effect in encouraging young male drivers to obey the speed limit.
• 74 per cent of the general population and 75 per cent of young males revealed strong recognition of the anti-speeding message, aimed at making speeding socially unacceptable and at undermining the perceived pay off for speeding.
• 60 per cent of the general population and 59 per cent of young males recognised the meaning behind the message, that speeding is not cool, does not impress, or is stupid.

So what are your thoughts on the "Pinky" ad?  Have you ever flipped the Pinky in traffic?