The Illinois Department of Transportation has launched a new road safety campaign called “It’s Not a Game.”
IDOT officials built the campaign around a video game theme, which they hope will break through to more drivers. Through May 31, 2022, IDOT officials estimated that over 400 people have died on Illinois roads.
Paul Wappel of the Illinois Department of Transportation said unlike video games, drivers don't get a second chance if something goes wrong behind the wheel.
“There are no extra lives [and] no second chances to get it right when you’re behind the wheel,” Wappel said. “The ‘It’s Not a Game’ safety campaign will educate drivers that safety isn’t a game; the stakes come with real consequences.”
“It’s Not a Game” addresses various road safety issues, including distracted and impaired driving, seatbelt use, and watching out for pedestrians, bike riders, motorcyclists and workers in road construction zones.
The campaign will be featured on TV, radio, social media and digital signs at bars, restaurants and gas stations.
Residents and drivers can take online quizzes at an IDOT website dedicated to the campaign. The site’s appearance is pixelated and designed to resemble old-school video games.
“A little bit of a different concept trying to get, obviously, attention or create awareness about this important issue,” Wappel said.
In a press release, IDOT officials wrote tha 1,341 people died on Illinois roads in 2021, the sixth consecutive year of more than 1,000 traffic fatalities in the state.
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