School Safety Ads – 1954 & 1964

School's been back in session in Lorain County, for a week or two. For those of us that drive to work each day, that means remembering to think about the school kids and driving safely.

I don't think too many kids actually walk to school these days, compared to when we were growing up in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The days of neighborhood schools seems to have ended a long time ago, in favor of large school campuses. 

But there's still buses to contend with. It's always shocking watching footage on Cleveland news stations of thoughtless (and reckless) drivers simply going around stopped school buses illegally, sometimes driving right on the sidewalk! I haven't seen that, that goodness, during my rural commute to Oberlin. 

One thing that's kind of interesting for me is that last year, I used to catch up with the bus on Quarry Road at the same time each morning, stopped in front of the same house. I would notice the mother (accompanied by the family cat) sitting on the front porch, swilling coffee in her robe, making sure that her child got safely on the bus. It was all kind of nice, a reassuring vision of small-town America.

Once in a while the mother (or the cat) wasn't there, and I almost felt a little anxious.

Anyway, it's a good time for me to post two full-page school-themed 'drive safely' ads. The first is from August 18, 1954.

It's a pretty effective ad, with great type too. The slogans are pretty good too: "Give the Kids a Brake" and "Safety is No Accident."

The next ad is from August 12, 1964. It's a two-page spread this time.

It's kind of an odd ad. Are the kids hollering in terror, or just insanely happy?

I'm not sure about the clip art of the motorcycle cop either. With those dark glasses, he reminds me too much of the intimidating Highway Patrol officer in the movie Psycho.

(By the way, the officer was played by the great Mort Mills, who shows up in a lot of Western TV shows and movies on GRIT and OUTLAW TV networks.