Background and Purpose
Pedestrian safety and injury prevention is a critical issue to address when building active, healthy communities. in North Carolina, more than 1,800 pedestrians are hit by cars each year, with a large majority of these people sustaining injuries. in the “Triangle” area of the state, which includes the municipalities of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro, among others, an average of more than 400 pedestrians are reportedly struck by motor vehicles each year. This figure represents only police-reported crashes that make it through the Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) system. From 2004-2008, Raleigh and Durham were two of the four cities in the state with the highest rates of pedestrian crashes (HSRC, 2010). While Complete Streets policies and infrastructure improvements were being implemented, it was acknowledged in a survey of 16,000 active residents and professionals statewide that education and enforcement of laws to protect pedestrian safety were a complementary and critical priority.
Description
in August 2012, after a two-year-long effort by partners to plan and coordinate efforts, a pedestrian safety campaign entitled “Watch for Me NC” launched in the Triangle. The goals of the campaign were to raise awareness of pedestrian safety concerns, bring attention to relevant laws and enforcement operations, encourage safer roadway behaviors by drivers and pedestrians, and ultimately reduce pedestrian crashes and injuries. The campaign was shaped based on three key principles: 1) community-led, 2) data-driven, and 3) evidence-based. Community partners included NCDOT, local planning and public works departments, enforcement agencies, university staff, and others. Crash data, stakeholder input, field reviews, and observations of driver yielding rates were used to identify target audiences and priority locations for traffic enforcement operations (targeting speeding, motorist yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, and other behaviors). The data was also used to guide the content and distribution of safety messages in a comprehensive public outreach effort. Public outreach included radio public service announcements, ads on buses and at gas stations in high crash corridors, outreach through universities and community centers, TV and print coverage, and social media efforts. Additional training and capacity-building efforts were aimed at enforcement and traffic safety professionals.
Lessons Learned
The process of developing an effective education and enforcement campaign aimed at pedestrian safety takes considerable resources, including time and funding from many partners. High-quality data is critical for informing the campaign approach and in securing campaign buy-in from key stakeholders such as decision-makers, law enforcement officials, and the media. Partner collaboration is essential to ensure broad and comprehensive program delivery and long-term sustainability. Examples of other pedestrian education and enforcement campaigns abound but evidence is limited in regards to what measures are most effective. Literature on theory and best practice from the fields of education, communication, and health behavior can support more effective messaging and delivery.
Conclusions and Implications
A carefully-designed and implemented education and enforcement campaign has the potential to complement policy and infrastructure improvements aimed at improving pedestrian safety. Many communities include “education” and “enforcement” pieces as part of their pedestrian safety master plans but few understand the process and inputs needed to build evidence-based campaigns. Results and lessons learned from this effort can provide a model for others seeking to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities through comprehensive education and enforcement efforts.
Next Steps
The campaign is currently being evaluated using both process and outcome measures by UNC-HSRC staff. Media impact, changes in organizational capacity, observable behavioral measures, and other outcomes will be included in the evaluation, which will conclude in October 2013. The program is also slated to receive additional funding by NCDOT to continue the effort in 2012-2013 and expand safety messaging to bicyclists.
Support / Funding Source
Funding for program development and evaluation was provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Supplemental funding for PSAs, media, and print materials was provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
