Fatal
car accidents are a persistent problem across the country with thousands of motorists
losing their lives each year and many, many more suffering severe or permanent
injuries. One of the greatest challenges of promoting safe driving behaviors
that safety organizations have faced in their efforts to prevent fatal
collisions is just getting people to pay attention. Enter the idea of
the public service announcement (PSA) popping up as a commercial during
the nation’s most popular television programs.
The number of lives that have been spared due to the information and messages
commercial PSAs relay are indeed countless. Statistics gathered by the
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) show a gradual decline in fatalities, starting in the 80s, carrying into
the 90s, and still showing progress to this day. As a way to say “thank
you” to everyone who puts in the time and energy to make safe driving
PSAs, our Springfield & Joplin car accident lawyers at Johnson, Vorhees
& Martucci would like to take a moment to talk about three of our
favorites throughout the years.
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Crash Test Dummies: First appearing in 1985, the Ad Council introduced the Crash Test Dummies
Vince and Larry to the American public, and the face of PSAs and safe
driving was changed forever. Due to their comedic approach to warning
drivers about the dangers of unsafe driving, particularly not buckling
up, the Crash Test Dummies gained massive popularity and were circulated
throughout the entertainment world, including getting a line of action
figures and a video game. The Ad Council states that seatbelt usage, on
average, in America was just 14% in 1984 but it soon rose to 83% after
their rise to fame. -
Budweiser Dog: Jumping decades ahead, in 2015, beer company Budweiser released a commercial
to promote safe driving by showing a dog waiting patiently by the door
for his owner to come home. Striking a chord in everyone’s hearts,
the imagery of a depressed, lonely dog showed through simplicity that
if you drink and drive, you hurt more than just yourself. Although it
is a bit of mixed messaging for such a PSA to come from a company that
sells alcohol, the effectiveness of the commercial cannot be denied. -
All Calls Kill: For Distracted Driving Awareness Month in 2016, the National Safety Council
(NSC) released a PSA that attacked the false belief that hands-free cellular
devices were safe to use while driving. Pulling no punches, the NSC stated
plainly that all calls kill after showing a mother, who was using Bluetooth
technology to talk hands-free in her car, get into a devastating collision
with her young child in the backseat. The PSA has been so effective, the
NSC has left it and the information regarding dangerous driver distraction
up on their website:
https://www.nsc.org/learn/NSC-Initiatives/Pages/distracted-driving-awareness-month.aspx.
At
Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci, we always want to do our best to help our clients in need. If you have
been hit by another driver, whether they were distracted, intoxicated,
or otherwise, we can help you file an injury claim that considers all
your related expenses.
Contact us today and we can talk about setting up a
free initial consultation with our Springfield personal injury attorneys.
