New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelley announced new initiatives in the City’s unprecedented safety campaign for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists.
As a part of the initiative, READY366 developed a television and print campaign to heighten awareness of the 30 mph citywide speed limit, which is little known to the majority of New Yorkers. The campaign, "New Yorkers Know It All", takes a humorous approach to the one thing New Yorkers know very little about, the NYC speed limit.
The series of television spots open on "typical" New Yorkers - a hotdog vendor, 2 ladies having lunch, construction workers – who are expounding on topics such as Giants play calling, art culture and Broadway shows. Then, when asked by the announcer what the speed limit in NYC is, they appear dumbstruck.
"We wanted to build a buzz around something that might otherwise be considered a pretty dull topic, the speed limit, and used humor in a way that would let people sort of laugh at themselves for not knowing what it is," says Susan Palombo, Managing Director of READY366.
As the spots continue, the 30 mph speed limit is revealed and then explained why it’s 30. "The most important aspect of the spots is to educate people on the serious repercussions of going over 30 mph", continues Palombo. The print portion of the campaign explains the stunning statistics in the difference between going 30 mph vs 40 mph.
"The speed limit in New York City is 30 miles per hour, and it's 30 for a reason," said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. "Even 10 miles per hour too fast can mean the difference between life and death. As we make our safe streets even safer for everyone uses them, every New Yorker needs to follow all the rules of the road whether in a car, on foot or on a bike."
To view TV spots, click on links below:
ABC News cover the launch of New Yorkers Know It All: