OREGON Motorcycle Safety Public Information Program |
(Outstanding Innovative Project) |
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
The information program for 1991 and 1992 included the following themes: drinking and riding, the "unrider," sharing the road and course promotion. Public information materials were developed to address these problems and how they contribute to or can prevent motorcycle crashes. A combination of radio public service announcements (PSAs), print advertisements, transit advertisements, brochures and posters were used. The specific materials and themes used in 1991 and 1992 were as follows: Drinking rider. The radio PSA "Think Fast" sought to convey the message that even with small amounts of alcohol, reaction times are slowed. "After a Few Beers, They Go Down Easy" was the theme used on posters and transit billboards to communicate the dangers of drinking and operating a motorcycle. Ten thousand posters were distributed to schools, Motor Vehicle Division offices, motorcycle dealerships, insurance agencies, health care facilities and police departments. The "Unrider." This campaign targeted unlicensed motorcyclists. The print ad for it included statistics on the high percentage of riders involved in fatal crashes that are nonendorsed. The message was also included in motor vehicle registration mailings from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Sharing the road. Billboards and transit advertisements with the theme "Equal RightsShare the Road" were posted statewide. A radio PSA, "Jungle," illustrating the need to share the road with all vehicles was distributed to Oregon radio stations. Course promotion. Materials with the theme, "Young Riders Have Something to Prove," were released to individuals to inform them that all persons under the age of 19 applying for a motorcycle endorsement must pass a TEAM OREGON rider education course. |
RESULTS Data show that fatal accidents involving motorcycles were at a 20-year low in 1989; fatal and injury crashes involving motorcycles comprised 2.71 percent of all vehicle crashes, down from an average 5.41 percent for the previous 5 years. A survey conducted in 1993 revealed that 92 percent of those surveyed "strongly agree" that automobile drivers should treat motorcycle riders with the same rights as other vehicles on the road. |
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NATIONAL HIGHWAY
TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION |
FALL 1998 |
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