SAFETY campaigners have launched a hi-tech campaign aimed at young drivers in a bid to save lives.

The cutting-edge approach will see a shocking video streamed to online gaming and social networking websites, and mobile phones in an effort to engage with 17 to 25-year-olds - the group most likely to be killed in an accident.

Figures show 17 young drivers lost their lives in Glasgow last year despite the overall number of casualties falling to its lowest level since 1950.

Road Safety Scotland now plans to use websites such as MySpace and Facebook and the Xbox Live gaming service, as well as Bluetooth technology, to promote its latest campaign.

Reader Poll A new hi-tech campaign aims to persuade young drivers to be safe on the roads. Do road safety campaigns work? Yes 40.0% No 50.0% Don't know 10.0%

The safety group has produced a dramatic new cinema advert which shows a car accident in real time, from a first person point of view.

It features a group of friends who are travelling along a country road at night when the driver is suddenly distracted.

The advert ends with the campaign's slogan: "One distraction is all it takes."

The full ad will be shown in some Glasgow cinemas with a version for websites and one which will be automatically sent to cinema-goers' mobile phones when they enter a venue.

Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, said: "Despite having just passed their test, many young men are extremely confident in their driving abilities.

"The campaign aims to encourage young drivers to become more aware of how a simple distraction can lead to serious damage to their cars, bank balance and possibly even their lives."

The full cinema version of the advert will be screened at the Grosvenor cinema in the West End of Glasgow and the Imax at Glasgow Science Centre.

Recent figures from the Department for Transport showed that 282 people died on Scotland's roads in 2007, a 10% decrease from 2006.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "It is clear that we can all do more to get our road safety messages across to people of all ages and all driving abilities.

"Road fatalities may be at their lowest level for more than 50 years, but 282 people dying on our roads is still 282 too many."