Traffic Tech #106: NHTSA Cities Safety Programs In 10 States For Excellence

Number 106                                                             October 1995

NHTSA CITES SAFETY PROGRAMS IN 10 STATES FOR EXCELLENCE

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) honored exemplary highway safety program efforts of 10 states with its 1995 NHTSA Administrator's Highway Safety Program of Excellence Award. Receiving recognition were programs in Alabama, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. The awards honored achievements in emergency care, child restraint, bicycle and motorcycle helmet use, safety belt campaigns, youth programs, and efforts against drunk driving.

The awards were established in 1992 to recognize outstanding Section 402 funded activities that contribute to the decline in motor vehicle deaths and serious injuries. The programs were selected based on their problem identification process, targeted strategies, effective use of Section 402 seed money, collaborative efforts, innovative approaches, and project results. The winning projects represent significant Federal, State, and local partnerships in highway safety and are outstanding examples of innovative ways states have used their 402 funding to best advantage. Dr. Ricardo Martinez, NHTSA'S Administrator, presented the awards to representatives from each of the winning states' highway safety offices.

1995 AWARD RECIPIENTS

Alcohol and Other Drugs

Traffic Enforcement Program San Jose, California
A comprehensive education and awareness program to serve more than 800,000 ethnically diverse residents of San Jose. The program used a traffic safety public information officer named "El Guardian" for the multi lingual and cultural effort.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Santa Cruz County Bicycle-Pedestrian Program Santa Cruz, California
A community based, self sustaining coalition to direct a public education campaign focusing on educating youngsters as safe bicyclists and raising motorists' awareness of bicyclists and pedestrians.

Police Traffic Services

Pulaski Highway Project, Baltimore, Maryland
A multi agency law enforcement task force coordinated by the Baltimore County Police department to identify the most effective places to patrol the Pulaski Highway corridor. Media and businesses cooperated in developing a public information campaign.

Motorcycle Safety

"Get in Gear" and "Ride Straight" Campaigns State of Wisconsin
A state initiative with the Wisconsin Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council established two motorcycle programs to increase use of protective gear and decrease alcohol related crashes. "Get in Gear" targeted ages 15 to 24 and "Get it Straight" targeted ages 21 to 24.

Occupant Protection

"Click It or Ticket", State of North Carolina
"Click It or Ticket" is a five year state effort that brought together public support and law enforcement activities for a highly visible safety belt campaign.

Emergency Medical Services

Indiana Highway Emergency Lifesaving Program (HELP), Indianapolis, Indiana
An instructional program to promote more effective bystander actions at rural crash scenes. HELP encourages residents, truck drivers, and school children in rural Indiana counties to perform critical actions to help the crash victim.

Traffic Records

Comprehensive Accidents RAPID Evaluation (CARE), State of Alabama
CARE is a Windows based computer software system that finds high accident locations and retrieves information for any crash or citation type within seconds. It uses expert systems technology to automate the problem identification process.

Health Care and Injury Control

Children's Traffic Safety Program, State of Tennessee
A school based program that teaches young children the importance of traffic safety. This program included community education to increase safety belt use through media, businesses, and a hospital.

Community Corridor Traffic Safety Programs

Community Traffic Safety Program, Bowling Green, Kentucky
A community based project combining education and enforcement to lower DUI occurrences and traffic crashes. The project had a highly visible traffic enforcement unit and promoted safety education in the media to reach nearby counties.

Youth Programs

Missouri HEADS UP Speeding Offenders Program, State of Missouri
An education program at the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Medicine targets adolescents and young adults giving a view of life as a crash survivor. It presents the physical, emotional, financial, and societal costs of injury, allowing participants to determine for themselves the risk they take each time they choose unsafe driving behaviors.

Pupil Transportation

Development of Educational Resources in Occupant Protection for Transporting Preschoolers and Children with Special Needs on School Buses, State of Indiana
An educational program developed by Riley Hospital for Children to give information on safe and correct occupant protection on school buses for preschoolers and children with special needs.

Public Information and Education

Children Passenger Safety Promotion, State of Texas
A public information and education awareness campaign to teach parents how to protect their children in motor vehicles and ways to increase their use of child safety seats.

For a copy of NHTSA Highway Safety Program of Excellence Award Winning Projects booklet (July 1995), write to NHTSA State and Community Services, NSC-20, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Wash-ington, DC 20590, or send a fax to (202) 366-7394.

U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway
Traffic Safety
Administration
400 Seventh Street, S.W. NTS-33
Washington, DC 20590

Traffic Tech is a publication to disseminate information about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, innovative programs, and new publications. Feel free to copy it as you wish.

If you would like to receive a copy contact:
Linda Cosgrove, Ph.D., Editor,
Evaluation Staff Traffic Safety Programs
(202) 366-2759