Andy the Australian Shepherd (above) is the four-legged star of the latest Montana Department of Transportation safety campaign; joining an NFL lineman as part of the agency’s “Engage Montana” initiative to encourage motorists statewide to adopt safer driving habits.
[Above photo by Montana DOT]
The Montana DOT said in a recent newsletter that Andy will help keep roads safer by using his “loveable and loyal personality” to convey important reminders about seat belt use, only driving sober, putting aside distractions, and not speeding.
“I’m a working dog from a ranch out east, but I have friends and relatives all over Montana,” Andy noted in an “interview” as part of the agency’s latest motor vehicle safety push. “You’ll find me herding people who have been drinking away from their cars and reminding teens life isn’t a race and their neighborhood isn’t a racetrack. I remind my humans to buckle up every trip, and to slow the roll and stay cool behind the wheel.”
Andy is viewed by Montana DOT as a way to “personify a recognizable brand” so as to stimulate engaged conversations on safety and share human characteristics that relate to Montana’s traffic safety audience.
NFL Linebacker Troy Anderson, a Montana native, is taking on a similar role in the agency’s effort to encourage safer driving practices among state residents.
Anderson, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, spent four seasons at Montana State University, where he played running back, linebacker, and quarterback.