Safety Communications

RELATED TOPICS: Vision Zero

The goal of most traffic safety campaigns is to motivate roadway users to adopt safer behaviors (e.g., driving at a safer speed, yielding to pedestrians, wearing safety equipment, etc.). Analysis of crash data and other safety assessments, observational studies, or community feedback help identify community traffic safety problems. This information helps inform the design of campaign messages and methods of communication. Most safety problems cannot be addressed by campaigns alone. Ideally, safety campaigns should accompany and bolster infrastructure improvements, policy changes, or enforcement efforts to address safety problems. Research suggests that one of the most promising ways to reach and engage intended audiences is to work with people who exert social influence in the community to relay simple, practical, health protective information.

Campaign messages should be framed to motivate road users to take self protection action for a specific reason (e.g., to safely return to one's family), repeated often, and distributed to audiences in culturally appropriate ways (e.g., translating campaign materials into communities' primary languages, speaking to communities' values of concern for themselves, their family, and friends). Local partnerships provide expertise and knowledge in framing campaign messages. Traffic safety communication and outreach could take a variety of forms depending on the message and intended audience, including direct contact with community influencers (as mentioned above), traditional mass media, social media, or presentations to community groups, public events, and others.

Resources

A Nationwide Review of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Education in Driver Education
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Examines U.S. driver education and training courses to assess their focus on pedestrian, bicyclist, and micromobility road users.

"Understanding Crashes and Safe Behaviors to Help Prevent Them" Video Series
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Portrays situations that lead to a crash between a driver and a pedestrian or bicyclist. The videos show the crash from each road user visual perspective, and offers behavioral tips for avoiding the crash.

National Bicycling and Walking Study - Ten Year Report
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT)
The US Department of Transportation released this 10-year Status Report to track its progress and activities towards implementing the National Walking and Bicycling Study.

Bikeability Checklist
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
How bikeable is your community? The Bikeability Checklist can help you find the answer.

Benefit-Cost Analysis of Bicycle Facilities
University of Minnesota
If your community is considering building a new bicycle facility, you can use this tool to estimate costs, the demand in terms of new cyclists, and measured economic benefits (e.g., time savings, increased livability, decreased health costs, a more enjoyable ride).

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Examples

Case Studies in Delivering Safe, Comfortable, and Connected Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks (Volume I)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA, UNC Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC)
This report provides an overview of pedestrian and bicycle network principles and highlights examples from communities across the country.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 2023 Annual Report
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Provides an overview of advancements in pedestrian and bicyclist safety through 2023 and PBIC's contributions to these efforts.

"Shifting Streets" COVID-19 Mobility Dataset

The Shifting Streets Dataset tracks immediate responses to changing demands on public space during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also used as a reference for communities looking for examples from other cities on ways to create safe spaces for social distancing.

Walk Safe Program
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
A comprehensive study of pedestrian crash data is used to develop an injury prevention program at Miami-Dade County schools.

Missoula Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Missoula combines radio and television announcements with targeted enforcement to increase yielding rates of drivers for pedestrians in crosswalks.

More Examples >