The Philadelphia Office of Transportation aims to get the city 's pedestrians off their phones by sending a man in bubble wrap out to spread their safety message to the people . A video from the office features characters in 'safety suits ' including Bubbleman , a 'Fashionista ' wrapped in the poppable material and a young man in flashing lights . The campaigners are seen talking to residents about the dangers of not looking up from one 's phone , including the fact that 37 people died from being hit by cars last year . While other safety programs are directed at keeping motorists from hitting and killing pedestrians , the City of Brotherly Love 's is focused on those walking around the city . Scroll down for video . A video from the Philadelphia Office of Transportation shows characters such as Bubbleman talking to residents about the dangers of phone usage while walking around the city . A character called the Fashionista ( center , in bubble wrap ) said 'jaywalking is the new catwalking ' as part of a snarky reminder to pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings . It is aimed at 18 to 25-year-olds who the campaign says are most likely to be hit by cars while on their phones . More than 40 per cent of drivers who hit pedestrians and 30 per cent of the 1,800 pedestrians that are hit are 18 to 34 , Mayor 's office planner Ema Yamamoto said , according to Plan Philly . The snarky video 's Safety Suiter characters say they 'ca n't think of any other way to not get hit by a car ' besides wearing their ridiculous costumes . Another character , the Fashionista , says that 'jaywalking is the new catwalking ' . A 'Tech guy ' in a helmet with flashing lights on his body also gave information to residents , including that 37 pedestrians died last year . The SafetySuiters ( played by different actors ) are part of a campaign to drive down pedestrian deaths among young people , based around a series of slogans including 'It 's road safety , not rocket science ' Large signs in Philadelphia that say 'Pick Your Head Up ' are also part of the bid to end phone use , which is thought to contribute to five people being hit per day . The campaign , which has more slogans such as 'It 's road safety , not rocket science ' and 'jaywalking can lead to not walking ' , also includes signs meant for drivers on its website . One says 'Cars have bumpers , people do n't ' . Some have criticized the Philadelphia campaign for focuses too much on pedestrians and blaming them for getting hit by cars . Twitter user JonasMcivitas called the ads 'tone deaf ' . 'Certainly everybody is responsible for paying attention to their surroundings . But a car can kill people . Drivers should be a million times more the focus of this campaign because a driver bears the responsibility for not killing people , ' local planner Victoria Harris said . Some have found Philadelphia 's safety slogans such as 'jaywalking can lead to notwalking ' to be 'tone deaf ' Some pedestrian advocates and urban planners have criticized certain safety education efforts for placing blame on those who are hit by cars . Above , a campaign in Montgomery County , Maryland . The pedestrian safety coordinator for Montgomery County said that the graphic campaign was to help humanize pedestrian victims of accidents . Yamamoto said that the new campaign was simply explaining good behavior for smartphone users , who 'need to be aware of their surroundings ' . Backlash against the campaign follows a similarly controversial public education effort in Montgomery County , Maryland , outside of Washington DC . Posters with tire marks over young people 's faces were seen as blaming them for their own deaths , though the pedestrian safety coordinator told WTOP that the Street Smart campaign was an attempt to humanize victims . New York City 's Vision Zero campaign against accidents , which has included speed limit reductions , focuses on drivers . The metropolis saw 132 pedestrians die last year , the lowest number on record , according to the New York Times .
Road safety video stars walk streets in bizarre 'safety suit ' costumes . Campaign says that 37 people pedestrians killed last year in Philadelphia . Some have criticized program for blaming those hit rather than motorists .