BATON ROUGE, La. –The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) tomorrow will launch new public service announcements (PSAs) that urge drivers to stop tailgating on Louisiana highways. The PSAs, which are aimed at raising driver awareness of the dangers of following too closely, are the fifth installment of DOTD’s “Wreck Less, Louisiana” PSA campaign.

The goal of the “Wreck Less, Louisiana” PSA campaign is to promote driver safety and awareness on Louisiana’s roadways to prevent the nearly 1,000 motor-vehicle fatalities that occur each year. The campaign is tackling six highway safety issues that are major contributors to crashes. DOTD officials believe the PSAs will help reduce crashes by influencing driver behavior. Each month of the campaign, which began in April, features a new highway safety issue with a separate PSA for print, radio and television. 

Drivers who follow too closely to other vehicles caused 20,000 crashes last year statewide. The new PSAs, which will run throughout August, refer to drivers who tailgate other vehicles as “impatient, self-important and dangerous.” The message for drivers is to “back off, slow down and live a little.”

The “Wreck Less, Louisiana” monthly campaign topics are scheduled as follows: Work-Zone Safety (April), Pedestrian Safety (May), Move It Law (June), Speeding (July), Tailgating (August) and Driver Distraction (September).

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www.dotd.la.gov