PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Many college students tend to think that they're
young and invincible. Traffic
fatality rates show they are literally dead wrong. In Texas, the college-age student is the highest of all risk
groups in traffic collisions. According
to figures from the Texas Department of Public Safety, there were 739
deaths reported in the 18-22 age group during 1997. With more than 50,000 students, faculty and staff, and a campus
area of more than 5,200 acres, Texas A&M University provides a
city-within-a city to study and affect traffic safety. Texas A&M
University's Department of Health and Kinesiology was awarded a grant
from the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) to form a College
Traffic Safety Program and study what factors could lead to reducing
crashes and deaths and to implement programs to address these factors.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goals of the program were to:
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Develop a traffic safety needs assessment for
the Texas A&M campus;
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Plan and conduct campus traffic safety and
enforcement activities;
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Gather and analyze traffic crash, citation, and
loss data in areas of DWI, motorcycle, pedacycle, speed, pedestrian,
and occupant protection;
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Conduct a baseline survey of driver and front
seat passenger seat belt compliance; and
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Prepare and implement public awareness efforts based
on analysis of crash, citation, participation, and support from
service organizations, businesses, university police, and others
interested in traffic safety.
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
The College Traffic Safety Program staff employed
these primary strategies and implemented a series of activities designed
to meet the goals and objectives of the program.
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Updated the college traffic safety needs
assessment and formed a campus coalition to address program needs.
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The staff and campus Safe Communities coalition
developed and implemented a public information and education program
for each of the problem traffic areas identified.
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Conducted campus enforcement activities
through Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEPs), reporting
traffic crash and citation data, and collecting adjudication
information.
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Obtained resources and support for traffic
safety programs from university administration, service
organizations, local businesses, and student advisory boards.
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The University Health Services program
administrators sponsored and participated in a variety of
activities, including campus events, seasonal traffic safety
programs, speeding surveillances, a bicycle helmet drawing during
registration, liaisons with local off-campus traffic safety
personnel, and using community resources to build and improve a
comprehensive prevention program.
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