Met Studio drives home ‘shock factor’ in road safety exhibition

The consultancy has been commissioned by Kent Fire and Rescue Service to design the exhibition in Rochester, which will open next year.

The 800m2 two-floor exhibition will be housed in a new-build block, designed by architect Pick Everard, and is aimed at school and youth groups.

The consultancy says it is aiming to open the exhibition with a ‘high-impact shock factor’. Two real-life crash vehicles will be displayed, containing personal items such as asthma inhalers and baby chairs.

Screens inside the cars will run interviews with people involved in crashes, including drivers, passengers and emergency staff.

This display will be followed by an interactive film, shown in a 100-seat theatre, which will feature a group of young people talking and chatting ‘so that both the viewers and the characters almost forget they are driving – until they are involved in a crash’.

Each viewer has a voting panel, and the way they vote will guide the remainder of the film.

The first floor will be arranged around three major themes: awareness, responsibility and distraction. Each area will have a graphic surround and each will also feature a collaborative interactive display.

Peter Karn, design director at Met Studio, says, ‘We wanted to avoid unreal scenarios such as driving simulators. We are not competing with video games in an attempt to create a virtual driving reality, instead we are seeking to create deliberate unfamiliarity at all times.’

The exhibition design was developed following a series of workshops held by Met Studio and featuring a range of participants, from GCSE and A-Level students to youngsters in college and in work.