Coach with lead foot talks traffic safety in ad

[November 17, 2010]  FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- The Fargo police chief says North Dakota State football coach Craig Bohl wouldn't have been tapped as a traffic safety pitchman had officials known about his driving record.

The Forum newspaper reported Bohl has been ticketed for at least 18 traffic offenses since he was hired in 2003.

Bohl's voice is featured in a 30-second traffic safety spot describing a string of crashes in Fargo that killed five people this fall.

It's aimed at repeat offenders, and Fargo Police Chief Keith Ternes says it makes the ad less effective when "the messenger might be somebody we're trying to reach."

Still, Ternes isn't pulling the ad. And Bohl says his driving history is one reason he agreed to do it.

"I looked myself in the mirror and said, 'I need to slow down,'" he said.

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Information from: The Forum,
http://www.in-forum.com/

[Associated Press]

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