Driven to Extremes
© 2002 NBC 13 Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A pro-life campaign began Tuesday on Alabama roadways. Abortion rights groups call the campaign a "horror show" and some drivers call it a distraction, but pro-life advocates say the messages bring clarity to the abortion issue.

The latest pro-life campaign can be seen on panel trucks driving through downtown Birmingham. The trucks display images of aborted fetuses and drivers in Birmingham will see the billboard-sized rolling ads next week.

It is a project of the Tennessee-based Center for Bio-Ethical Reform.

"The pictures are horrifying, because abortion is horrifying," said Fletcher Armstrong, of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform. "It's a terrible evil and we want people to see that."

The group is targeting young people. The trucks drove through the University of Tennessee campus last week and headed for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Tuesday.

"Most Americans have a very naive view of the unborn child -- a very sanitized understanding of what abortions are," said Armstrong. "So we're here with these pictures to show people who the unborn child is and what abortion does to the child."

But pro-choice advocates in Alabama do not approve of the images.

"At best, it is disingenuous. At worst, it's a lie. It's a complete misrepresentation," said Michael Wilson, director of the Alabama Women's Health Initiative.

Janet King, director of the Summit Medical Center, says the anti-abortion campaign is a scare tactic.

"It's designed as a horror show," King said. "The sizes of these things appear to be blown out of proportion."

More criticism comes from UAB area drivers who may soon share the road with the rolling billboards. NBC13's Scott Mauldin showed UAB students photos of the trucks.

"If I just looked up and saw this, hopefully I wouldn't hit anything," said Emily Kahumoku.

"OK, you're driving, trying to concentrate on the road then you see this. You're going to want to look and that could cause accidents," said Tadarius Hooper.

The pro-life trucks are expected on local roads between Tuesday and Friday. Organizers say they do not plan to drive near women's clinics.