New York, April 10. The singer Chubby Checker, who fueled the global fever of the rhythm known as “twist”, is featured in a safety campaign by the New York Department of Transportation (DOT), which seeks to protect cyclists.
The commissioner of the agency, Ydanis Rodríguez, announced today the collaboration with the interpreter for an advertisement that seeks to make drivers aware that when they open the door of their vehicle they check if a cyclist is approaching.
According to DOT data, nine cyclists died between 2017 and 2021 from impacts with car doors, a period marked by the increase in cyclists in the city, and especially those who use this means of transportation to go to work.
The video for the ad features the 1961 hit song “Let’s Twist Again” featuring Checker’s vocals, as it shows several people getting into a car and turning to confirm that a cyclist is not approaching before getting out.
It is accompanied by a text and a voice that exhorts the audience to open the vehicle door with their farthest hand and thus turn and look outside previously, making a play on the word “twist” from the song.
“Come on everyone, clap your hands, let’s spin again like we did last summer. New York spin will save a life. Now spin again to save someone else,” the text reads.
“New York, let’s spin on four wheels again!” The 81-year-old artist, who popularized this rhythm created by Hank Ballard (1927-2003) in the 1960s, said in a note.
For his part, Commissioner Rodríguez affirmed that “reaching the handle with the farthest hand can save a life” and stressed that as the use of bicycles increases “it is increasingly important that drivers and passengers” turn when They get out of their vehicles.”
According to Rodríguez, the number of people who cycle to work increased from 26,000 to 54,000 between 2011 and 2021, an increase of 104 percent.
He added that on a typical day, more than 550,000 bicycle trips are made in the city, with cyclists covering more than 200 million miles a year.
Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do stressed that a simple twist can mean the difference between injuring or even killing a cyclist.
“Our hope is that Checker’s unforgettable song will help instill this movement as a reflex every time you get out of a car,” he said.
He stressed that this practice of turning around before opening doors has existed in the Netherlands for at least 50 years and is taught to children from an early age.EFE
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