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Cartoon Tuesday

Cartoon Tuesday: Tales From the Dark Side (of the Road)

3:10 PM EDT on March 17, 2009

The UK Department for Transport's no-holds-barred THINK! road safety campaign isn't just for adults. This creepy toon, one in a series designed to influence how kids interact with auto traffic (here's another), encourages bright colored clothing in favor of "trendy" darker tones when walking at night.

These spots bring to mind a number of questions. Is it possible to preach pedestrian safety to pedestrians without, even by implication, downplaying the responsibility of drivers? And when it comes to kids, is it possible -- or responsible -- to teach anything other than "Fear the car"? 

Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York'’s dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

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