Lights, Camera, Action
Blue and red lights flashed in the evening hours while police cruisers, ambulances and fire trucks moved into place as the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) teamed up with the Department of Criminal Justice Training to film a new public service-announcement video Monday, Sept. 30.
As part of an upcoming “Click It or Ticket” campaign, promoting seat belt use, KOHS utilized the DOCJT McKinney Drive Track to safely simulate a crash at night for the latest installation of videos raising safe-driving awareness.
“We needed a secure location to film where the road wouldn’t have to be shut down,” explained Erin Eggin, KOHS grants administrator and media coordinator, noting that’s when DOCJT stepped in with track.
Shown from a law enforcement perspective, the commercial shows Kentucky State Troopers and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement working a simulated crash and voicing that this part of their job is never easy, no matter how often they see fatalities or have to tell families their loved one didn’t survive—often, in small communities, it’s someone they know. It’s not about writing tickets but, rather, it’s about saving lives, the trooper in the video states.
“We wanted to show that officers care about their community; they really do,” said Eggin.
The video dialogue goes on to state that it takes less than two seconds to buckle up and give one their best chance at surviving and roadway incident, especially at night when the risk of death triples.
Other videos have been filmed across the state utilizing local law enforcement to bring a more personal connection to the viewers across the commonwealth.
The commercial is set to air in spring 2020.
