The Capital Region Transportation Safety Coalition, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and local TV stations are making a push to remind drivers and bicyclists of the rules of the road by airing two TV spots.
“Following the tragic loss of Councilman Buddy Amoroso, we asked the local TV stations to consider donating time to air two bicycle safety TV spots that helped us reduce bike-auto crashes by 32% in East Baton Rouge Parish and 24% throughout the Capital Region when they originally aired,” says Jamie Setze, executive director of the Capital Region Planning Commission. “We are extremely grateful for their response and generosity.”
Broome says that the city administration has spent the last week mourning the loss of Amoroso, adding that she knows he would have wanted the city and parish to continue promoting bike safety.
“Buddy was a tireless advocate for bike safety and we want to remind both drivers and bicyclists that we must share the road safely,” Broome says in a prepared statement.
The TV spots will air on WAFB-TV and its affiliate stations and at WBRZ-TV, WBTR-TV, WVLA-TV, WGMB-TV, WBRL-TV, KZUP and Cox Communications for the next two months. They will also be available for sharing on social media at brla.gov and crpcla.org and the organization’s Facebook page.
The spots were created with funding provided by a grant from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development as part of a bike safety campaign developed by CRPC in 2011 and 2014.
The two 30-second TV spots, produced by Marmillion/Gray Media, are titled “Give Me 3,” which reminds viewers of the Louisiana law that requires drivers to allow three-feet when passing bicyclists; and “Can You See Me Now?” a spot targeting younger drivers and bicyclists by calling attention to visibility at night.
