Message Monday - Oct. 26, 2015 - Halloween is near - don't be a crash dummy
How many of you remember Vince and Larry? These two hardworking crash test dummies first appeared in a series of public service announcement in 1985. In the commercials, Vince and Larry actively demonstrated what could happen when a person did not wear a seat belt. Reportedly, by 1994, seat belt usage had increased from 21 percent to 73 percent, saving an estimated 75,000 lives and preventing more than 1.5 million moderate to critical injuries. Last year, Iowa’s seat belt usage was at 93 percent.
Over the years, Vince and Larry costumes have been popular with adults at Halloween. But no matter how you’re dressed, if you’re going out haunting this weekend, make sure you’re buckled up so you don’t become a crash test dummy.
Here’s a little more background on Vince and Larry. In 1999, Vince and Larry along with their campaign tagline, "You Could Learn A Lot From a Dummy" retired after creating more than 20 different commercials. On July 15, 2010, the original Vince and Larry costumes were placed in the Smithsonian because of the impact they made on history.
Check out the NBC news story that day normally reserved for people making a difference, but this time it went to a couple of dummies. http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/38270160
The fatality count of 260 is an increase of three from last Monday. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/stats/daily.pdf.