We all know that it is important to make sure that you are driving safely. The problem is that many of the “public service announcements” that emphasize the importance of safe driving are not incredibly interesting to watch. In New York City, they are using “Curbside Haiku” to promote safe driving.
No one wants to get into a car accident. Not only could that accident cause physical harm to you, your loved ones, or the people in the other driver’s car, it could also make your car insurance premiums more expensive.
Even if the accident was just a little “fender bender”, it still can be very unpleasant to deal with. Trying to get in touch with your insurance agent so you can file a claim is not likely to be anyone’s idea of a fun way to spend the afternoon. Many people find it upsetting when their car has a new dent, or even a little scratch, marring its surface.
Given that, one would think that people would be extremely interested in paying attention to advice about how to avoid car accidents, and how to drive safely. The problem is that usually, these types of public service announcements are uninteresting. It doesn’t help that public service announcements tend to be played on the radio and television really late at night, or incredibly early in the morning. Not too many people are going to catch them at those times.
The New York City Department of Transportation is about to start a brand new traffic safety campaign. This one is quite unique! It is called “Curbside Haiku”. There will be a total of 216 signs installed near cultural institutions and school throughout the city. The signs will display colorful artwork and haiku poems.
Personally, I am a huge fan the style of poetry called haiku. I write them often, and frequently post them on my Twitter page. A haiku is a poem that has three lines. The first line must have exactly five syllables. The second line must have seven syllables. The third line must have five syllables, (just like the first one does).
They are traditionally written about the beauty of nature, but, you can write a haiku about any subject you like. They look like simple things, but, they are deceptively difficult to write. It is impressive that New York City is going to post public service announcements in the form of haiku. The signs will deliver safety messages for motorists, and also for pedestrians and people who are riding bicycles.
Here are just a couple of the “Curbside Haiku” that will soon be in New York City:
“Too averse to risk / To chance the lottery, yet / Steps into traffic”
“A sudden car door / Cyclist’s story rewritten / Fractured narrative”
Image by Peter Dutton on Flickr