It was a sunny day in Indianapolis, and Sgt. John Perrine’s calendar was wide open. So the Indiana State trooper did what any other person with a smartphone does when they’ve got a bit of downtime. He filmed a video … and it was hilarious.
“It was totally on the fly. The video was done on the second take. It would have been done on the first try, but my microphone was off,” he told the Courier-Journal, with a chuckle, in a phone interview.
The viral hit, which has racked up over 10 million views in three days, didn't start off as a comedy. Sgt. Perrine’s one-minute film is about a simple, yet serious, message — the importance of using a turn signal. As his official Facebook page post details, the almighty turn signal is an “often forgotten safety feature that is standard on all vehicles.”
The video kicks off with his sarcasm on level 10. “The auto industry has made incredible advancements in technology and safety on vehicles,” he says confidently. “But what if I told you that there’s a feature on every car that will not only help prevent crashes but also help prevent road rage?”
The trooper says that those who know his humor will get it. But others may have a hard time reading it. Regardless, he wants to put a human face on police work.
So what sparked his playful spoof?
Sgt. Perrine says simply using a turn signal will reduce crashes and incidences of road rage, and lead to him pulling over fewer drivers. “When I pull someone over who has not used their turn signal, they look at me like I have three heads. They see it as such a minor offense. There’s actually a specific law about using your turn signals in Indiana,” he adds.
Indianapolis isn’t the only place where people seem to have forgotten about using turn signals. Perrine has received encouraging messages from drivers in places like Australia, China, New Zealand and South Africa who have seen his post. National news outlets have also shown him love.
The District 52 trooper says he wasn't looking for celebrity status, but that his simple message resonates. He wants people to “put down their coffee, put down their cell phones and focus on what needs to be done — driving safely.”
Initially, the trooper didn’t plan on producing more videos. But with the amount of positive feedback that he’s received, he’ll be bringing more snarky PSAs to Facebook.
