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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
More
than 50 percent of the motor vehicle crashes investigated by the Colorado
State Patrol in 1998 were the result of motorists exceeding safe speeds,
improper passing or following too closely. In a survey conducted by
the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) in 1998, six out of
ten Colorado motorists admitted that they had engaged in aggressive
driving in the past 30 days. Among the behaviors reported were tailgating
(19 percent), running a red light (22 percent) and gesturing and yelling
at another driver (22 percent).
As a result
of this type of behavior, workers and drivers in highway work zones
also face an increased risk of injury or death. In 1998, 677 traffic
crashes occurred in marked work zones, resulting in five driver fatalities.
Seat belt use in Colorado remains well below the national average, especially
among children 4 to 15 years old (46 percent). Although Colorado has
a primary seat belt law, during the past five years, 137 children ages
4 to 15 were killed in traffic crashes; 75 percent of the victims were
not buckled up.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
During the summer of 1999,
the Governor of Colorado and the CDOT made a strong commitment to reduce
aggressive driving—especially in highway work zones—and increase seat
belt use among children. A record number of highway construction projects
were scheduled to get underway at this time, assuring increased congestion
and highway worker vulnerability. To address these serious concerns,
the Chill: Changing the Way We Drive campaign was developed.
Specific objectives of the program are to:
- Increase enforcement
of aggressive driving behaviors, especially in work zones
- Increase seat belt use
among children ages 4 to 15
- Reduce the number of traffic
crashes involving aggressive driving behaviors
- Reduce the number of
crash fatalities among child passengers ages 4 to 15
STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Program
planners sought to develop a program that combined increased enforcement
of existing traffic laws with increased public awareness of the problems
caused by aggressive drivers and the potential risks of not properly
restraining children riding in motor vehicles. Campaign activities include:
- Convene
regularly scheduled campaign meetings with law enforcement representatives
and public information staff for campaign planning, implementation
and evaluation
- Contact
local businesses for possible corporate sponsorships
- Develop
radio campaign, distribute news releases and plan and implement media
events, including a kick-off and mid- campaign event
- Develop
campaign promotional items including stickers for use on hard hats
- Contact
construction project engineers to identify enforcement needs
- Collect
data from law enforcement agencies on enforcement activities
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