Publicity

Publicity campaigns are an important way to help improve road safety outcomes.

They can be used to

  • increase awareness of road safety issues (including existing issues as well as new laws)
  • increase awareness about the penalties for breaking road rules
  • try and change peoples’ attitudes to road safety issues.

    Publicity campaigns alone will not make people change their behaviour. When trying to change behaviour it is also necessary to educate people about why they need to change. This can be part of the publicity or part of a wider education program. It is also necessary to combine publicity and education with enforcement of penalties.

    Effective publicity campaigns require careful thought and planning. A GRSP document on publicity campaigns lists seven elements that should be covered when planning a campaign-

  • behaviour to target
  • audience to target
  • appeals to motivate the audience
  • message content
  • audience activation
  • media selection
  • campaign timing.

    The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration also provides information on the stages that need to be undertaken when delivering effective publicity campaigns. These are to:

    (1) Define the problem

    (2) Determine objectives

    (3) Agree supporting activities

    (4) Define a manager

    (5) Use the right skills

    (6) Communications brief

    (7) Appoint an agency

    (8) Develop the campaign

    (9) Deliver the campaign

    (10) Utilise 'free' publicity

    (11) Evaluate the impact

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