I am surprised that you (i.e., many posters in this thread) don't understand a couple of underlying truths about Americans (especially the avid tv watching/SUV owning kind)...
1. Americans have a SERIOUS love affair with the concept of individualism. Any grisly PSA-illustrated scenario will "not happen to me", "is the other guy's fault", "a bunch of liberal crap", etc. This individualism extends to being the "only one on the road"- being the exception to the rule because you're you, the fact that no matter what "I" do, its not my fault (i.e. no accountability or acceptance of responsibility).
2. Americans generally don't want truth of any kind unless it relates to celebrities or scandals. The truth of just about everything in American (societal, not individual) life is obscured by the fact that we do not think about consequences.Why should we? we are Americans- we have the best...everything. why should we do it any different than we already do? (for precursors to this idea of individual = RIGHT see the French Revolution, American Revolution, Manifest Destiny, etc.)- manifest destiny was especially helpful in cementing the idea that we as americans are right... god told us so, right? (fyi- that was sarcasm just then)
3. Americans LOVE cars. Always have. We have created an intense mythos around vehicular travel that has come to be largely invisible (to most) and extends to all kinds of identity markers... watch any Nissan Exterra commercial- the "outdoorsy" types; healthy, young, good looking; with their gear, about to "conquer" nature. All of these images and ideologies about nature, vehicles, our identities are deeply embedded in the American psyche and are IMHO impossible to change through something as simple as PSAs.
Phew... that's my 2 cents... my very incompletely argued, not all that articulate 2 cents...
(just a touch of background- i wrote my sociology undergrad thesis on SUV ads and ideologies of nature. i have LOTS to say about this subject, so lemme know if you want more of my cents.
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