Title: Creating a Safer System Through State Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Campaigns Track: Prosper Format: 90 minute panel Abstract: Hear about approaches used by North Carolina and Florida to develop, launch, and evaluate combined education and enforcement campaigns aimed at reducing pedestrian and bicyclists injuries and deaths. Presenters: Presenter: Laura Sandt Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Co-Presenter: Lauren Blackburn North Carolina DOT Co-Presenter: Lucas Cruse University of South Florida, Center for Urban Transportation Research Co-Presenter: Billy Hattaway Florida DOT

1. Watch for Me NC: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program Development and Pilot Evaluation
Laura Sandt, UNC-HSRC
September 10, 2014

2. Program Goals
•Raise awareness of pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues
•Education on relevant laws
–Law enforcement
–General public
•Support safer behaviors
•Prevent injuries and fatalities
Short
Term
Longer
Term

3. Watch for Me Triangle Pilot Program
2011: Program development
2012: Year 1 program launch
•Pedestrian safety focus
•8 partner communities
•Data collection to evaluate efforts
2013: Year 2 program launch
•Ped + bike safety messages
•Changes to campaign look
•Expanded data collection
•18 partners
2014: Statewide roll out

4. Pilot Program Partners
•UNC-HSRC
•NCDOT
•Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP)
•Capital Area MPO
•Durham Chapel Hill Carrboro MPO
•8 Universities
•10 Municipalities

5. Program ABC’s
•Adhere to best practices/evidence
–Multi-faceted, multi-level approach
–Messages target specific, key behaviors
•Balanced/Comprehensive
•Community-led
•Data-driven and evaluated

6. Crash Prevention Model
Individual Changes
Organizational/ Institutional Changes
Environmental Changes
Societal and Socioeconomic Changes
Increasing Population Impact
Increasing Individual Effort Needed

7. Program Elements
•Multi-level Education:
–Individual outreach (ads, materials)
–Organizations (training/outreach)
–Social change (networks and media)
•(Re)Enforcement

8. Enforcement Training/Capacity Building
•Training
–2012: 45 officers/11 agencies
–2013: 55 officers/20 agencies
•Laws brochure
•Signage
•Media support
•DA support

9. Training Results
•Test scores rose from 77 to 90% correct
•Many changes in attitude:
Construct
Attitude/Belief Statement (1=Disagree; 6=Agree)
Before Avg.
After Avg.
% Diff.
P- value
Knowledge
I am familiar with the laws protecting pedestrian safety in NC
4.15
5.26
27%
0.0000
Attitude
Pedestrian safety does NOT need routine enforcement
2.00
1.65
-18%
0.0083
Resources/ capacity
My colleagues/I have adequate resources to use towards making our community safer for pedestrians
4.33
4.67
8%
0.0163
Self/ Unit Efficacy
My department/unit could perform a ped crossing operation
5.13
5.67
10%
0.0002
Response Efficacy
I can help prevent crashes by enforcing ped/motorist laws
5.11
5.53
8%
0.0018
Plans
I have been thinking that my unit should work on planning a crosswalk enforcement operation within the next 6 months
4.25
4.85
14%
0.0007

10. Program Results
•Year 1: 37+ ops; 460/170 warnings/citations
•Year 2: 55+ ops; 318/162 warnings/citations
•No citations dismissed
•Several agencies reported being repeatedly thanked
•Program received national recognition

11. Field Data Collection
•16 marked midblock or uncontrolled intersection crosswalks in 5 cities
•8 “standard” enforcement/8 “enhanced” sites
•9 sites with data from 2012/13 and 2013/14
Site Type
Pre Enforcement
Post Enforcement
Total Crossings
Natural
Staged
Natural
Staged
Standard
515
1418
870
2667
5470
Enhanced
734
1548
1278
2787
6347
Total
1249
2966
2148
5454
11,817

12. Program Results
•Short term (8/13-2/14): Slight increase in driver yielding (between 4 and 7%) at sites receiving enhanced enforcement
•Longer term (8/12-2/14): Yielding increased about 15-16%
•Sites with most active enforcement have highest compliance with yielding laws

13. Pilot Program Lessons
•The norms ARE shifting, slowly
•Largest shifts in places with:
–Most long-term, routine enforcement coupled with highest saturation of educational messages and grass-roots champion
–Stable “champion” with strong, intra-agency and intra-departmental partnerships

14. Keys to Success
•Quality data
–Make the case
–Inform program development
–Evaluate effects
•Partner coordination
–Idea generation
–Program delivery
•Funding and support
–NCDOT, MPOs, GHSP, NHTSA, and others

15. Thank You!
Laura Sandt Senior Research Associate UNC HSRC 919-962-2358 sandt@hsrc.unc.edu www.WatchForMeNC.org/pilot