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RideOn Ads Urge Pedestrian Safety For Holidays

By: Matt Bush // November 20, 2012
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The ads feature contest winners Hillary Yeboah and John Parsley, urging pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers before crossing a street.
Matt Bush
The ads feature contest winners Hillary Yeboah and John Parsley, urging pedestrians to make eye contact with drivers before crossing a street.

RideOn buses in Montgomery County will be "looking" at shoppers this holiday season. Like the billboard in the novel The Great Gatsby, certain buses in Montgomery County will feature a pair of eyes watching.  

The exteriors of several buses will be outfitted with the new advertisements, which also warn "Hey You, I'm Looking At You."  The ads ask both pedestrians and drivers to be more aware of each other during the holiday season, a time when pedestrian collisions with cars increase because of crowded shopping areas and parking lots with less daylight.

"Pedestrians assume drivers are distracted," said Richard Bowers, Montgomery County fire chief. "Conversely, drivers assume pedestrians are distracted."

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett echoed the ads' message when the buses were unveiled Tuesday. 

"Pedestrians are urged to establish eye contact with drivers during daylight hours, and be visible to drivers at night by wearing reflective items," he said. "Pedestrians need to make sure they look for vehicles before crossing the street.  Drivers are asked to look out for pedestrians and obey all traffic laws."

The eyes in the ads belong to two Montgomery Blair High School students.  The school helped county officials come up with the ad campaign.

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