How
to Implement a Community-Based Designated Driver Program
Program Planning
Operations
Partnerships
Program Marketing
Evaluation
Tips
for Specific Groups
Community
Organizations
Employers
Educators/College
Groups
Criminal Justice
Medical
and Health Care Community
Hospitality
Industry and Retailers
Armed Forces
Publicity
and Promotion
Working with
the Media
Calendar of
Year Round Ideas
Media Q&A
Resources
Partners and
Resources
Publications
PROGRAM MARKETING
Publicity and promotion
can make or break your program. Regardless of the activities you use to
build awareness of your program, there are some basic steps you should
take first, such as:
- Appoint someone
to lead the publicity and promotion effort. This person should have
proven experience in marketing, public relations or communications.
- Identify the programs
target audiences. This could be by age, location, gender, etc.
- Set achievable,
measurable goals for the program.
- Develop a written
plan that outlines the publicity and promotion efforts. This should
include timelines and budgets.
For more ideas, check out the Publicity and Promotion section of this guide.
EVALUATION
Basic research can benefit your program so keep statistics on your activities. Without reliable information about how programs work, it is difficult to compare them or to replicate those that succeed. You should maintain records that detail how your program was implemented. For example, you can:
- Survey members
of the community to learn their attitudes about impaired driving and
Designated Drivers.
- Keep statistics
on how many people make use of your Designated Driver program.
- Track the enforcement
of DWI arrests and prosecutions in your community.
- Track costs associated
with operating a Designated Driver program.
- NHTSA published
The "Art of Appropriate Evaluation: A Guide for Highway Safety
Program Managers" (DOT HS 808 894) to help you design your evaluation
plan. To obtain a copy, see the Publications page.
TIPS FOR SPECIFIC GROUPS
As soon as basic program steps are in place, you can reach out to the types of organizations that might be effective partners in stopping impaired driving in your community. This guide features tips and success stories for:
- Community Organizations,
- Employers,
- Educators/College
Groups,
- Criminal Justice (i.e.,
law enforcement, prosecutors and judges),
- The Medical and Health
Care Community,
- Hospitality Industry
and Retailers, and
- Armed Force
SAFE COMMUNITIES
Coalition members can include citizens, law enforcement, public health, medical, injury prevention, education, business, civic and service groups, faith-based organizations, public works offices, and traffic safety advocates. Members help to identify their community's top safety problems and put together a plan to address these issues.
You should also consider partnering with a Safe Communities coalition. A Safe Communities coalition promotes activities to address local highway, traffic safety and other injury prevention issues. It uses a grassroots approach to identify the community's problems and put together a plan to address these issues. You can find out if there is a Safe Communities program in your area by contacting your regional NHTSA office, or visit NHTSA's Safe Communities site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/safecommunities
