‘Mom Kills Santa Claus’: Texas Department of Transportation Safe Driving PSA Gets Mixed Response | WGN Radio 720

Austin (Kanzan) — The Austin, Texas Department of Transportation is warning residents not to get distracted by drinking or driving this holiday season — but for some residents, the method is “a little dark.” is.

In a recent public service announcement posted on Twitter, the department said mumbled parody lyrics It’s set to the tune of the Christmas classic “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” which aims to highlight the dangers of drunk driving and distracted driving.

“I saw my mom killing Santa Claus.
He disappeared under a truck last night,
She didn’t see him cross the street now his body is striped red
She was reading the latest tweets on her phone.

“Then I saw the EMS put Santa Claus
Under a snow-white sheet.
oh what a sad day
distracted again,
And last night my mom killed Santa Claus. ”

Reaction to the tweet was mixed. Some defended the tactic, saying there were too many car crashes on the road and this was a necessary method. “A little dark After a grueling year of street deaths,” another called it “embarrassing.” “PR Catastrophe”

The tweet also caught the attention of two city councilors, Vanessa Fuentes and Mackenzie Kelly.

Fuentes Tweeted the post quoted Just say “Wow”.Meanwhile, Kelly I have written“We have heard concerns regarding messages from this account.

In an email to Nexstar’s KXAN, an ATD spokesperson cited the National Security Council’s estimates. This means he expects 346 more deaths on U.S. roads this holiday weekend due to impaired driving.

A spokesperson said, “Social media posts are encouraging communities to make good choices on the road by planning a safe ride home this holiday season and avoiding distractions. I hope you will,” he said.

ATD officials added that they conducted a series of focus groups earlier this year to evaluate effective messages and determine what might change people’s driving behavior. The focus group was centered around the agency’s target audience, males aged 18 to 35 who were most affected by the traffic accident.

“In these focus groups, we repeatedly heard that messages with a more graphic and ‘shock’ element were most likely to influence driving behavior,” the spokesperson added. “In this series of posts, we continue to focus on the main behaviors that cause serious conflicts, such as speed, distraction, drunkenness, and not giving way. I hope it will raise awareness in the community.”

The spokesperson added that the department has already run two PSAs this week and will run two more PSAs on Thursday and Friday.

In a previous PSA, the department shared lyrics parodying a snowman story named “Frosty the Snowman.” “foaming” The one who drank too much and veered off the highway, “with all my brothers.”

“Bubbly snowman
he was dead as possible,
And all his brothers say they miss him
Happy hour at 3pm

In that email, ATD officials added that safety awareness and educational resources are part of the focus of the city’s Vision Zero program, which aims to reduce traffic-related deaths on Austin’s roads.

Austin Police will also be patrolling drivers with disabilities this season through the No Refusal Initiative, effective through January 1st.