Driving is always something you should do with full attention, but wintertime driving requires particular focus and care. According to NOAA statistics, more than 800 Americans die every single year in car crashes caused by snow, sleet, and freezing rain. Alan Black, a researcher from the University of Georgia, noted, “The intensity of snowfall is a big predictor of crash rates— one of the best predictors, actually.” That’s why when giant, fluffy snowflakes started falling over Cincinnati, Ohio, one local traffic reporter took it upon himself to warn residents about winter driving risks in a hilarious and unexpected way.
Bob Herzog, a traffic reporter for Local 12 News in Cincinnati has become pretty well-known for his on-air antics. Lovingly dubbed the “Traffic Man”, he creates hilarious parodies of popular songs.
You may have seen a few of Herzog’s parodies in the past- most end up topping 50k views. Like this one, called “Pumpkin Y’all”— a parody of Miley Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball” which has garnered nearly 1 million views.
Or “Loyals”, a parody of “Royals” by the artist Lorde, which Herzog performed with some help from the Local 12 News Good Morning Crew. It is also approaching 1 million views.
Out of all the songs Herzog has performed, however, this one is his most popular. Uploaded to YouTube in February of 2014, this video shows Herzog performing his very own version of every little girl’s favorite song, “Let it Go” from the movie Frozen. Instead of the regular lyrics, however, Herzog takes the opportunity to inform his viewers of the hazards and dangers of winter driving— all in a hilariously engaging way.
“The snow blows right on the roads overnight, not a lane strike to be seen.
A town with no transportation— and the info, comes from me.
Highways are crawling like some slow ants in a line.
They won’t all stay in, Heaven knows I tried…”
The video alternates between Herzog’s singing and video clips of people pushing cars in the snow, vehicles spinning out, and people slipping on the ice.
“They can’t stay in, so they must see.
Be the traffic man you have to be.
The wheels, they squeal spinning the snow.
And now they know… Just don’t go.”
I think this is a brilliant way to engage people with information that usually wouldn’t grab their attention or be absorbed.
Watch the hilarious parody for yourself!
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