10. Street Smart 2004 Campaign, Washington, DC
| Agency: | Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Draft summary by DesignHouse, August 17, 2004) |
|---|---|
| Contact: | Michael Farrell, mfarrell@mwcog.org |
| Date of Report: | August 17, 2004 |
10.1 Introduction/Summary
Street Smart is a pedestrian and bicycle safety and public awareness program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The goal is to educate the public on pedestrian and bicycle safety issues and laws. Street Smart started in 2002, and the most recent implementation took place in April 2004.
10.2 Questions answered
In what pedestrian and bicycle safety-related areas is communication with Hispanic audiences most needed?
The 2004 campaign was evaluated in terms of
- Increasing public awareness of pedestrian safety in general and regarding pedestrian laws in crosswalks in particular
- Increasing public awareness of police enforcement of drivers yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks
- Improving driver and pedestrian behavior.
The survey was administered in English only, so many Hispanics did not have an opportunity to provide input.
What types of messages are most likely to have the most impact? What tone should the messages have? Should humor be used, or would messages with "shock value" have more impact?
Campaign materials urged drivers to "Imagine the Impact" of a crash on the lives and families of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. This suggests that "shock value" is appropriate in pedestrian- and bicyclist-oriented messages.
What are the best "media" for getting the messages across? Might the messages be communicated by posters at bus shelters or as "safety tips" on transit timetables, where the messages would actually be in context? Should the messages ultimately be delivered in newspaper or magazine ads, and if so, what newspapers and magazines are most often read by Hispanics? Would television ads be effective, and if so, on which channels should they be broadcast?
Street Smart utilized multiple resources and media: TV and radio spots, print ads, outdoor media including transit shelters and bus backs, posters, handouts, and more. Enforcement activities (pedestrian stings) were also conducted. Spanish media included Telemundo (TV), El Tiempo Latino (newspaper) and some transit shelter signs. There were no magazine ads.
Which age groups of Hispanics should be targeted and why?
Males ages 18 to 34 (of all ethnic and racial groups) were targeted because they are the primary offenders in pedestrian safety issues.
Should materials be presented just in Spanish, or in English and Portuguese as well?
Street Smart conveyed information in both English and Spanish. It did not include Portuguese.
10.3 Outstanding questions
Which Hispanic groups should be targeted and why?
This campaign did not target specific Hispanic groups such as migrant workers or recent immigrants. Drivers (of all ethnic and racial groups) were the primary target.
Should different cultural groups be targeted and why?
This campaign did not target different cultural groups.
