Safety Campaign to Focus on Work Zones

Using the horse-racing industry’s slogan of “Go Baby Go” as a basis, the state Transportation Cabinet is leading a new safety campaign with the slogan “Whoa Baby Whoa … Leave Racin’ to Horses.” The cabinet is hoping the new slogan will increase awareness of the importance of slowing down and taking extra precautions in work zones, especially during the upcoming construction season. “Research shows that people start to ignore signage after seeing it for 30 days, so we wanted a new and fresh way to grab people’s attention,” said Terry Giltner, the cabinet’s public affairs director and the brains behind the slogan. “It’s almost a tourism kind of message.” The cabinet also hopes the slogan will get the attention of younger drivers, who have been shown to cause a disproportionate number of highway accidents. It’s also implementing the Selective Highway Enforcement Program to deter speeding, especially in work zones. Besides using marked police cars, Kentucky Vehicle Enforcement officers also will use pick-up trucks and Ford Tauruses marked with the state seal to enforce speed limits on the state’s interstates and in high-crash areas. The pilot program started in March and will continue throughout the year.