Road safety display causes offence
2012-12-12 11:31
Port Elizabeth - A gruesome road safety campaign with
mock-accident scenes which include blood-spattered fake limbs protruding from
mangled cars has upset residents of Jeffrey's Bay, it was reported on
Wednesday.
The display, which was set up by the police, a towing
service and a taxi business, also showed an arm protruding from a grave, Beeld
reported.
It featured car wrecks with the limbs of mannequins
splattered with red paint to represent blood protruding from car windows, and a
white cross and a grave topped by rocks, from which the "arm"
protrudes.
Warrant Officer Petra Els, of the Jeffrey's Bay police, said
the campaign was a community-driven effort to raise awareness of the dangers of
alcohol abuse.
"The project is not trying to upset people or fuel
emotions, we want to drive home the reality of making a wrong decision,"
she said.
The Kouga Municipality, under which the town of Jeffrey's
Bay falls, said it would investigate the displays.
Municipal spokesperson Laura-Lee Randal said she knew
nothing about the campaign, and that no permission had been granted to display
the car wrecks on municipal land.
"Although we agree with the message, the head of the
traffic department will meet with the police to find a better way of conveying
it to the public."
- SAPA
