Open Thread : Caltrans’ “Look Both Ways” Campaign
Responding to a series of deaths on regional roadways, Caltrans is launching a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) safety campaign simply called “look both ways.” The campaign is using PG-level graphics and commercials to remind road users to be aware of their surroundings when traveling.
According to a Caltrans press release, “The campaign is targeting all users of the highway system. Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists are being encouraged to “Look Both Ways” and watch out for each other and themselves. Pedestrian-involved accidents have increased over the last few years due to several factors, such as increased traffic, increased population and distracting cell phone usage by motorists and pedestrians.”
At this point, the campaign is aimed mostly at Southern California counties including San Bernadino, the Inland Empire and the City of Palm Springs. An image of one of their five billboards is above, and the one minute video for the campaign is below. Let us know what you think of the campaign in the comments section.
Have you all seen the ones in SF?”Kill with Kindness, not collisions.”
How about don’t kill at all?!
The very serious reality of people killing others with a vehicle has been reduced to a cute little clever turn of phrase.
These advertisements are everywhere in SF on bus stop structures. It’s yet another slap at pedestrians. as bad or worse than “be nice, look twice.”
If you aren’t safely ensconced in a motor vehicle, You Do Not matter.
Reminded of that everyday. In multiple ways.
…and that phrase only applies to pedestrians. Drivers need to look everywhere–front, back, both sides, all mirrors, repeat, and repeat. “Look Both Ways” doesn’t get there. And it’s too bad the image doesn’t show what I am seeing more and more often: a driver glancing down at a phone in their lap. New catch phrase: “Don’t look down”? But who cares about clever slogans? Who will even notice this billboard?
“who you’ll run into”, as though it is pedestrians running into cars? Live people with tread marks, as though there weren’t dead people with tread marks, killed by car drivers? This is just more victim blaming. And “look both ways” is the outmoded less safe phrase, the correct phrase is “look left, look right, look left again.”