Nearly all Washingtonians walk, whether as a regular means of transportation, for recreation or getting to and from school.  And while walking safely may seem simple, pedestrian traffic deaths are on the rise.

As daylight hours grow shorter, dark rainy days return and our children once again head off to school, now is a good time to focus on the steps we can all take to improve pedestrian safety, whether we are on our feet or behind the wheel.


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Please use the sample materials linked on this page to incorporate into your own communications throughout the month.  The fact sheet has statistics and talking points you can use; and we’ve provided a series of social media graphics and posts.  There’s a sample proclamation you can work with your local city or county government to enact, and a series of pedestrian safety videos as well.

For more information on pedestrian safety programs, check the WTSC website.

Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet

Pedestrian Safety Sample Social Media Graphics

 

 

Sample Proclamation on Pedestrian Safety

 


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Summer Days are getting shorter but the risk of encountering a driver under the influence will increase as Labor Day weekend draws nearer.  The end-of-summer holiday is traditionally one of the most dangerous times on Washington’s roadways as  DUI-related crashes spike. 

To improve road safety, WTSC is conducting a DUI enforcement campaign from August 17 through September 3.  We expect more than 160 agencies to add patrols during this time.

At the same time, we are promoting our message of  “plan before you party.”  You can help us spread that message by using our fact sheet, talking points and suggested social media and graphics as you communicate during this period. There are actions everyone can take to make our roads safer and we need your help to encourage these safe behaviors.  We hope you will help get the word out, by using  the links on this page to download our campaign materials and work them into your own communications.  

 

DUI Campaign Q&A and Talking Points

Fact Sheet

WTSC News Release

Summer DUI Social Media

 

Download English PSA

Download Spanish PSA

 

Campaign videos:  Click on the “V” in the corner of the videos to download.

 

Introduction

Memorial Day to Labor Day marks the deadliest 100 days for teen drivers.  Teen crash deaths increase by 15 percent between Memorial Day and Labor Day, compared with other times of the year.

The good news is that there are positive actions parents can take to help educate and encourage safer behavior from their teen drivers.  We’ve put together this campaign — which you can use throughout the summer — to help parents become aware of the resources they can use to help make their teens safer on the roads this summer.

Please use the links at left to download these materials and use them in your own communications to your audiences.

 

 

 

 

 

Downloadable Content

Fact Sheet

Teen Driving Video:  To download, click on the “V” in the video control bar to access Vimeo and look for the “Download” button below the video once on the Vimeo site. 

 

AAA Washington 100 Deadliest Days News Release

 

Download Deadliest Days Graphics


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Introduction

Extra patrols are running May 14 through June 3 to enforce seat belt usage.  The period includes Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest travel and holiday weekends of the year.

More than 150 law enforcement agencies statewide will be participating in the 17th annual Click It of Ticket campaign.

WTSC will be running an ad campaign to remind Washingtonians to buckle up, using a promotion called “slasher” which uses humor — spoofing a horror movie – to get the point across that not wearing a seat belt is scary!

We also have been talking to Washington residents across the state about why they wear their seat belts, and have recorded their responses in a series of videos.  You can access these videos on this page (See Grassroots “Why I Wear My Seat Belt” videos) and we encourage you to download any from your region and share them with your audiences, and promote on social media.  These are great grassroots spots and do a great job getting the point across.

Downloadable Content

Fact Sheet

Talking Points

Sample Why I Wear By Seat Belt Video

See all Grassroots Why I Wear My Seat Belt Videos

 

Campaign Videos:  To download, click on the “V” in the video control bar to access Vimeo and look for the “Download” button below the video once on the Vimeo site. 

 

Download Social Media and GIFs

 

Governors Highway Safety Administration Graphics

The GHSA is conducting a “Make it Click:  Every Seat.  Every Ride” campaign and has developed infographics you can download and use.  Click here to download the graphics.

Radio

 

   

Download “Cowboy”

Download “Spanish Radio Ad”

  

Communications Campaign Concepts

This campaign will build on the new law campaign we rolled out in July 2017. We will continue to use “On the road, off the phone” with our behavior objective—“Don’t use your phone while driving!” We will be highlighting all of the extra enforcement taking place across the state to help motivate people to put their phones away while they drive.

Additionally, we have developed new creative materials with a focus on Washington moms of kids in K-12. 

Why Moms?

FARS data revealed that distraction is an area that effects higher percentage of women drivers than men drivers. 23% of all female drivers involved in fatal crashes show a factor of distraction compared to 19% of all male drivers. 

Given this data, we conducted a survey last April of moms of school aged kids. We discovered that these moms know what they should do, but many haven’t altered their behavior. Sixty-five percent of the moms think “everyone uses their phone while they drive.” This is a good example of a misperception of a social norm since only 44% reported looking at text messages while they drive and only 31% report sending text messages while driving. So, in reality, most moms are not looking at or sending text messages.

Moms make a good audience for our message for several reasons. First of all, there are a lot of moms in Washington—500,000 women with children in K-12th. Also they are already concerned about phone use while driving. Most (55%) are concerned that they may cause a crash using their cell phone while driving. Nearly all (95%) are concerned about their safety and the safety of their passengers if the driver is using a cell phone. Additionally, the survey revealed things that might motivate them to change their behavior. Nearly all of them (95%) are motivated to change when they think about modeling correct behavior for their children. Most (84%) would stop is a passenger or child asked them to stop. Eight in ten thought hearing stories about cell phone related crashes would make them change.

The Protection Campaign

Using this data we added new creative to our store of distracted driving educational materials. We wanted the new materials to make our audience think, “It’s dangerous to use a phone while I drive.” We wanted them to feel that it is their job to protect their children and by using the phone while driving, they are violating that trust. Finally, we want they to put the phone away while driving.

We settled on using the idea of protecting their children as the base of the new creative materials, which you can download using the links at the top right.

We are also excited to announce the new video and radio PSAs in both English and Spanish, which are also available to download.  Our child passenger safety program coordinator, Cesi Velez and child safety car seat technician Alan Albe were on hand during the filming to ensure each child was properly restrained in the best seat for their height and weight. 

We hope you can share these campaign materials with your task force members and the officers who work the overtime. We ask that you use whatever means are available to you to push the campaign out and ask others to do the same.

Please contact me if you have any questions.
Shelly Baldwin, WTSC, Legislative and Media Relations
sbaldwin@wtsc.wa.gov

(360) 725-9889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Campaign Materials

Distracted Driving Key Messages

Distracted Driving Facts

Social Media Images

Web Banners

Campaign Videos:  To download, click on the “V” in the video control bar to access Vimeo and look for the “Download” button below the video once on the Vimeo site. 

Download Distracted Driving – English Radio

Download Distracted Driving Radio – Spanish