Don't be a Space Invader - Stay Safe, Stay Back is a public safety campaign launched by Highways England in 2018 to combat drivers following too close to the vehicle ahead, a dangerous practice known as tailgating, the campaign takes cues from the 1978 video game Space Invaders and is also a play on the term "Space Invader", referring to the space that should be left behind a vehicle to ensure a safe braking distance.[1]
The campaign is a series of advertisements broadcast on TV and radio starting 2018, the TV advert depicts a driver on a motorway being followed by an alien character out of the 1978 Space Invaders arcade game, representing a driver behind following too closely, dramatic music is played in the background as the space invader character is shown to be getting closer to the vehicle, the screen suddenly cuts to black and the game over sound effect from Space Invaders plays, signifying a potentially fatal collision, the screen fades into the logo and a voice over explains that "Driving is a not a game" and that following too closely is dangerous, the words "Don't be a space invader - Stay Safe, stay Back" are also displayed on the screen.