LISBOA, Inc. Final Report on Focus Group II Findings

Federal Highway Administration
National Pedestrian Safety Engineering Outreach Campaign
LISBOA, Inc. Final Report on Focus Group II Findings
Submitted 3/28/02

INTRODUCTION

The ultimate goal of this campaign, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation), is to develop a public education campaign that will educate both pedestrians and drivers about existing engineering countermeasures designed to keep pedestrians safe. LISBOA, Inc. conducted two focus groups for the campaign to understand how pedestrians and drivers evaluate potential campaign concepts and themes. Two focus groups were held in Washington, D.C. on 2/25/02. The first group was composed of male and female pedestrians aged 21-54 years, and the second was conducted with 18-25 year old male and female drivers.

LISBOA collaborated with the FHWA to develop both the respondent screeners and the themes and concepts, which were presented to the group. Also, LISBOA worked with Ebony Market Research in Washington, D.C. to recruit and schedule the groups. Participants were paid an $80 stipend for attending the two-hour group. The groups were video and audio taped, and respondents were assured of confidentiality.

Dr. Megan Sheehan and Juanita Panlener of LISBOA, Inc., conducted the focus groups. Following each group, they reviewed the video and audio tapes and discussed the group process. Dr. Sheehan and Ms. Panlener then developed structured topline summaries of key findings and observations. The raw data for these toplines included the words, phrases, sentences, and non-verbal responses of the attendees.

The Final Report is based on assimilating the key findings from the toplines. This report includes recommendations to the FHWA for revising the proposed themes and concepts based on focus group feedback.

KEY FINDINGS - PEDESTRIANS

All of the participants in the pedestrian focus groups walk in situations where they encounter moving vehicles. Like the previous focus groups, all of the respondents indicated being concerned for their safety as pedestrians. Several participants expressed concern over drivers' inattention. "Most drivers don't pay attention to the pedestrians and who has the right of way." "I think drivers aren't paying attention these days."

All of the participants, even those who do not have children, expressed concern about kids being hit by vehicles. Everyone felt that there was reason to worry about this. "Sometimes the cars go fast and they don't stop."

The pedestrians worry about being hit by a car, The car [really] has the right of way." The group members also reported that they feel responsible for their own safety. "It's everyone's responsibility to look out for themselves." "It's like Russian Roulette." Their concerns included cars, crossing the street, and not having enough time at intersections to cross before the "Walk" signal changed to "Don't Walk." Some participants admitted that they occasionally disregard pedestrian laws about crossing mid-block or waiting for the "Walk" signal at intersections. "I don't think pedestrians are guiltless. I cross mid-sidewalk." However, they still believe that they are behaving responsibly.

The goals of the campaign were outlined for the group and they offered several suggestions for slogans including: "Pay attention;" "Look and learn;" "You're not invincible;" "Respect goes both ways;" "Be a traffic survivor;" "It's your life - obey the light;" and "Drivers - Don't trust them."

Several concepts and themes for the pedestrian safety campaign were presented to the group. Pedestrian Concept A: Pied Piper (see pedestrian topline for description) was met with some negative feedback from the group. They thought that pedestrian safety should be presented in a more serious manner in order to convey the gravity of the issue. They also thought that the message should have more emotional impact with the audience. "I'd go with the more serious all the way through, personally." ". . . Have impact like those 'Truth' commercials." A few participants also had suggestions for how to make it more impactful. "I think you should have a person crossing the street and getting hit by a car."

Pedestrian Concept B: Invisible Woman (see pedestrian topline for description) focused on the use of retro-reflective wear. The responses of the group to this concept were varied. The "Go Retro" tag line at the end of the description was not popular with the focus group participants. "I think 'Go Retro' is dumb." There was some positive feedback on the concept such as "I think that's a good idea . . ." and "I like the concept. . ." However, the participants thought that the build up was too long and thought that it would be more effective if the retro-reflective wear were shown sooner. "The first couple of frames can have more impact." "I don't think you should spend the resources in setting up the whole thing to get to the end." "I would just cut out the first couple of frames."

The third concept that the focus group evaluated, Pedestrian Concept C: Retro-reflective Play by Play (see pedestrian topline for description), was well received by the group. Overall, they found this scenario accessible and liked the comparison among the fabrics. "I could visualize that." However, there was some skepticism about whether people would actually wear retro-reflective materials even though several participants could attest to its effectiveness. "I don't know that I would wear the retro-reflective necessarily." "How often do you remember when you walk on the street to put on retro-reflective wear?" "I connect retro-reflective with runners, so I would not think to wear that to the store." ". . . I don't see people going out & buying reflective wear."

In addition to the pedestrian concepts, Driver Concept B: Photo Album (see pedestrian topline for description) was also presented to the group. They had many comments regarding this concept. Overall, they liked this concept better than any of the pedestrian concepts that were presented to them. "I think it's interesting that she says she 'wasn't drunk.' Like anyone could do this." "I think you need that punch. You want to say that it could happen to everyone." "I think this could hit home with pedestrians as well." They also offered comments and recommendations to make the ad even more powerful.

"You could use a lot of different drivers with this." "At the end you could have all of the voices together. And then a child's voice saying 'you never know who you might run into.'"

Print Advertisements (see pedestrian topline for descriptions) were also shown to the focus group. Pedestrian Print Ad 1 had the headline: "Go Retro! Get Noticed." The group had positive feedback regarding the "Get noticed" title Print Ad 1. Pedestrian Print Ad 2 with the headline: "Go Retro! It Could Save Your Life." was the next to be evaluated. The responses to this were mixed. They felt that the ad targets athletes, i.e. joggers, and that non-athletes might not relate to it. They suggested using "non athletes" in the ad. The group had positive comments for the design of Pedestrian Print Ad 3 with the headline: "Walk Like a Pedestrian". However, they felt that it did not have the emotional impact needed to adequately convey the message. ". . . there has to be an emotional impact with the message to get people to own it. The every 7 minutes is pretty powerful, but that's not coming across."

KEY FINDINGS - DRIVERS

When asked how frequently the drivers encountered pedestrians when driving, the participants stated that they see pedestrians "All the time, especially in the city." Some other locations where they drive near pedestrians included: crosswalks, intersections, college campuses, and parking lots for malls and shopping areas.

All of the participants indicated that they are concerned about hitting or injuring a pedestrian while driving. "I drive into the city, but I prefer not to because of the fact that people are always running around, crossing the street, not paying attention."

The focus group members indicated that, even though they are concerned about hitting pedestrians, there are occasions when they are not paying attention to pedestrians. "Mostly at intersections when you have to pull out to see what's coming." They also expressed concern about parking lots.

When asked for their suggestions about how to get drivers to pay more attention to pedestrians, drivers had several suggestions including using emotionally charged images: "I'd use some graphic imagery. . . the consequence of actually hitting someone. Maybe not somebody actually getting hit, but it could be done tastefully . . . an event about to happen or the after-effects. Plant something in someone's head." Like the previous driver focus groups, they also suggested using children. "I like what they do with the drunk drivers. . . the little pin and the picture. People react more when it's a little kid." "I think that the kid image would be good and make people more aware of how important it is. Like seatbelts."

Next, the goals of the National Pedestrian Safety Outreach Campaign were outlined for the focus group participants. They were asked to offer their ideas for the campaign. Some of their ideas included: "Caution - driving is dangerous." and "A light is not worth a life."

Driver Concept A: Boy and Dad Leaving Park (see driver topline for description) was the first concept that the group evaluated. The group thought that the images should be more surprising and more graphic in order to have maximum impact with the audience. "I think [being graphic] is important. It helps get the point across." "It should be graphic." "Cigarette commercials are really graphic and that gets the point across."

They liked using a child in the ad and thought that this would be sympathetic. ". . . it's good to have the kid there because there's more sympathy for that."

Driver Concept B: Photo Album (see driver topline for description) was met with positive feedback from the group. Overall, they thought this idea had more impact than the first one. "I think this one works better - it's more graphic and hits closer to home."

The group had some suggestions for variations that could be used with this concept including using actual survivors/family members, including photographs of victims, and showing jail cells. "Use actual people - not actors." They thought that the "this could happen to me" idea would resonate with viewers. "I think the idea that 'this could happen to me' would hit home with people. And I think it would especially if you had people in the commercial that this happened to." "I think the message that it could be anyone could be good."

The third concept to be presented to the group, Driver Concept C: Mom and Child (see driver topline for description). Their reaction to this concept was not as positive as their reaction to Driver Concept B: Photo Album.

One of the pedestrian concepts was also presented to the driver group. Pedestrian Concept C: Retro-reflective Play by Play (see driver topline for description) was positive. Even though they know that retro-reflective materials are effective and they liked seeing the comparison, "I think it works to show people the comparison." They said that they still would not wear it, "I think it's definitely something people don't want to wear."

After completing their comments on the PSA concepts, the group was shown a variety of possible driver and pedestrian safety print advertisements (see driver topline for descriptions of ads). Driver Print Ad 1 with the headline: "Stay Alert" elicited negative comments from the focus group. They agreed with the text message, but thought that the image did not fit well with it. "I don't know if the visual works so well. I think the message is good." The group's comments about Driver Print Ad 2 with the headline: "Stay Alert: You Never Know Who You Might Run Into" focused on the parts of the ad that they thought were unclear. They suggested making the shoe dirtier and showing skid marks on the pavement. "If there were a dirtier shoe and skid marks I think that would say it all - I don't think you'd need any text." The drivers liked Driver Print Ad 3 with the headline: "Stay Alert at Intersections." They thought that it would be effective at targeting drivers or pedestrians. "I think the 'yield to pedestrians' is good." The participants said they would pay attention to this print ad with the modifications they specified. "They need to have the scared look." The group thought that seeing the children looking scared might have more of an emotional pull over viewers.

The driver group was also shown the pedestrian print ads. The first one, Pedestrian Print Ad 1: with the headline: "Go Retro! Get Noticed," was met with some confusion. They were confused over the use of the word "retro" and stated that they do not associate "retro" with retro-reflective wear. "I don't know what 'retro' is, I would think '70s."

"I had no idea what retro-reflective wear is." The layout and image of the second Pedestrian Print Ad, with the headline: "Go Retro! It Could Save Your Life," was criticized by the group. "She looks too happy to have that image there." However, some focus group members were positive about the message, "I like the 'get noticed.'"

The participants had positive comments about Pedestrian Print Ad 3 with the headline: "Walk Like a Pedestrian" and thought that it was catchy. "People can relate to that." However, they were confused by the "don't walk in between. . . " portion of the text. "The 'Walk in the cross walk not in between' doesn't make sense to me."

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings from the 2/25/02 focus groups, LISBOA has several recommendations for the National Pedestrian Safety Engineering Outreach Campaign.

• Both the driver and pedestrian groups thought that the PSAs and message should strive to have emotional impact. They thought a serious tone was more appropriate to the topic and would be more effective with the audience. LISBOA recommends using campaign concepts with similar look and feel, that maximize the emotional impact of the message by depicting fear, sadness, and remorse.
  
  
• The participants were not familiar with the term "retro-reflective wear." Even though many of the participants were aware of the safety benefits of using retro-reflective materials when walking/biking at night, they expressed serious doubt that people would actually wear these materials when not exercising. FHWA should pursue other avenues to increase awareness and accessibility of retro-reflective wear including targeting clothing manufacturers to use the materials on clothing and accessories.
  
  
• LISBOA recommends using the image/voice of a child because regardless of participant age or gender, the focus group participants thought that this would add emotional impact and increase the spot's persuasiveness.
  
  
• The campaign messages should be clear and direct.
  
  
• The groups thought that "Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is killed or injured in a traffic accident" was a powerful statement because it is accessible and easy to understand. While numbers per year may be abstract, the groups reported that they could easily relate to the idea that a pedestrian injury/fatality occurs every 7 minutes.
  
  
• Driver Concept B: Photo Album (see pedestrian topline for description) was the most popular concept with both groups. They liked the fact that the PSA does not specifically target one type of driver. They thought the idea that anyone could be the cause of the accident, even a good driver, would resonate with viewers. "I never thought this would happen to me" had emotional impact for them.
  
  
• The groups also liked the slogan "Think of the impact you could make." They thought it was a more powerful message than "You never know who you might run into."

In sum, while the focus groups provided valuable feedback about and suggestions for the themes and concepts developed by LISBOA, there was no consensus of approval among focus group members for the concepts presented. LISBOA recommends further revising the themes and concepts and convening two additional focus groups to test the messages before proceeding with production of the campaign.

TOPLINE SUMMARIES,
SCREENERS,
&
DESCRIPTIONS OF PARTICIPANTS

Federal Highway Administration
Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures Education
LISBOA, Inc. Focus Group Topline Summary
Pedestrians - Washington, DC
2/25/02

The first of two focus groups in Washington, DC was held with pedestrians. The purpose of this group was to determine what sorts of public education messages would capture their interest and attention. The ultimate goal of this campaign, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation), is to develop a public education campaign that will educate both pedestrians and drivers about existing engineering countermeasures designed to protect pedestrians. The group consisted of ten 21 to 54 year old male and female pedestrians who had been exposed to traffic situations more than once during the past week.

To begin the discussion, the participants were asked about their typical concerns as pedestrians, including how concerned they are about being hit by a vehicle. All respondents indicated feeling concerned for their safety.

• "Most drivers don't pay attention to the pedestrians and who has the right of way. They don't take [into] consideration that they are big vehicles."
• "Cars are supposed to stop at the light, but they're in the crosswalk and people have to go around them, into traffic to cross the street."
• "I think drivers aren't paying attention these days."
• "The cars never stop at the crosswalk."
• "People just drive crazy all the time."
• "People are trying to drive and talk [on cell phones] at the same time."

The four participants, who have children under the age of 10, were asked how concerned they are about their children being hit by a vehicle. In response, all of the participants, even those who do not have children, expressed concern about this issue. The entire group felt that there was reason to be worried about children and vehicles.

• "There's a lot of concern. There are a lot of drunk drivers. . . people on drugs. . . people don't pay attention. They run lights all the time."
• "It's terrible."
• "Sometimes the cars go fast & they don't stop."
• "Crossing in front of the school . . . there's no stop or slow down."
• "They just keep on driving like they're on the highway."

Next, the group was asked how responsible they feel for their safety as pedestrians. Everyone in the group indicated that they feel responsible for their safety when they are walking. Their concerns included cars, crossing the street, and not having enough time at intersections to cross before the "Walk" signal changed to "Don't Walk." Several participants also expressed concern over elderly pedestrians' not having adequate time to cross intersections safely. Some participants admitted that they are not always blameless and that they do occasionally disregard pedestrian laws about crossing mid-block or waiting for the "Walk" signal at intersections. However, they still believe that they are behaving responsibly. Some of their comments included:

• "I've thought about this before. It is my responsibility to look out for my own safety. So, I'm not second-guessing this car. . . You don't know what they're going to do. I observe them more than they observe me."
• "It's everyone's responsibility to look out for themselves."
• "It's like Russian Roulette."
• "I try to look out for my safety. I wait until the car moves."
• "You better observe what the cars are doing. I stand there and look . . . and then run across the street."
• "The car has the right of way."
• "I don't think pedestrians are guiltless. I cross mid-sidewalk."
• "I do the middle of the road crossing too. But, I'm totally, completely watching out [for] what's going on. I know crossing in the middle of the street is illegal, but I also look out [for] what I'm doing. I don't barrel across the street . . ."
• "Some of the crossings don't give you enough time."

The goals of the National Pedestrian Safety Outreach Campaign were then outlined for the focus group participants. They were asked to offer their slogan ideas for the campaign. The group was very animated in their responses to this question. Some of the slogans that they suggested included:

• "Pay attention."
• "Look and learn."
• "Live and learn."
• "You're not invincible."
• "Look both ways - all of the actions you're doing are pertaining to your eyes."
• "It's the two sides of the street."
• "You've got to protect yourself."
• "Mutual Respect" (Drivers & pedestrians being mutually respectful of each other.)
• "Respect goes both ways." (Drivers & pedestrians working together for a safe trip.)
• "Be a traffic survivor."
• "Pedestrians have the right of way."
• "Chill out."
• "Obey your lights & make sure your judgment is right."
• "It's your life - obey the light."
• "Drivers - Don't trust them."
• "Light up the night - wear reflective clothing."
• "Go With The Glow."
• "It's your time to shine."
• "Retro - it reflects on your life."

Pedestrian Themes

Several concepts and themes for the pedestrian safety campaign were presented to the group. The first one was presented as a storyboard with illustrations of the scenes in the PSA mounted to black cardboard for the group to view while listening to the description.

Pedestrian Concept A: Pied Piper

A beautiful woman is walking down the street. We hear catchy, upbeat music. She is walking/dancing to the music as she cruises down the sidewalk. A few people recognize her and start following her. Then a few more people see her and start following too. By the time she gets to the intersection, a small crowd is close behind, dancing to the music with her. She arrives at an intersection and suddenly stops because the signal says "Don't Walk." The lyrics of the music begin to emerge-we hear short, catchy phrases that reinforce the crossing signal messages, (something like: "Walk. Don't Walk. Wait for the next light. That's right.") (Catchy phrases will be technically accurate and visuals that correspond to the phrase will be appropriate.) Some people in the crowd bump into her, and there is a domino affect. The signal then changes to "walk." The woman puts out her arms to hold back the crowd while she looks left, right, and left again, and then crosses the street. (Maybe add Birdseye POV of people entering the crosswalk and keeping within the crosswalk - lyrics reinforcing the message to stay in crosswalk) Again, the crowd follows her. Halfway across the street, the sign starts flashing, "Don't Walk." We see a close up shot of the flashing red hand. We see the beautiful girl glance at the flashing sign acknowledging the sign but keeps on walking. (Lyrics will reinforce the message of what to do once the crosswalk signal starts flashing) She continues across the street confidently. Everyone follows. We see a shot of feet dancing/walking in the crosswalk (not running or doing anything unsafe). And we see everyone makes it across before the signal changes. As we see them walk away, we hear a narrator say something like, "Every seven minutes a pedestrian is killed or injured in a traffic accident. Pay attention to the pedestrian signals. It could save your life. A message brought to you by..." Continue with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

There was some negative feedback about the concept. The group thought that the topic should be presented in a more serious manner in order to convey the gravity of the topic and have more impact with the audience.

• "Click. I'd turn the channel."
• "[The text at the end is] totally incongruous with the rest of the video. It just doesn't vibe."
• "I'd go with the more serious all the way through, personally."
• "Print the message on screen - you still hear catchy music, but read text."
• "Direct it to a younger crowd. [This is directed toward] working people."
• "The message should be toward everybody - not just the youth."
• "I'd go with a silent movie theme. Let people read the information. Maybe a narrator's voice at the end. . . Have impact like those 'Truth' commercials."
• "I think the idea is interesting. Somebody who is attractive . . . and they're following her & not paying attention to crossing the street. I think that could be used for other communities [teenagers, kids]."
• "This doesn't educate, it doesn't give them any information."
• "If you want to get to the root of the accidents - it is not just crosswalks."
• "It needs to go beyond paying attention to the street signs."
• "The message doesn't really come around till the last 5 seconds. Right off the bat - cut to the 'Walk/Don't Walk' sign & then the music comes in. Then at the end you could hit the message again."
• "If you want to keep the idea of this beautiful woman - the crowd follows her to the crosswalk and then she's walking against the sign & no one else follows her because she's not paying attention. Don't get distracted."
• "Of course drivers will stop for her - she's beautiful. You want to downplay the sex appeal . . . if you make this lady sexy, then of course they'll be beeping."
• "Maybe [show] 3-4 people instead of one."
• "Boom, boom, boom. People seeing different pictures - basically you need to pay attention."
• "I think you should have a person crossing the street and getting hit by a car."
• "Show what you are not supposed to do & what you're supposed to do."

The next concept the group evaluated highlighted the use of retro-reflective wear.

Pedestrian Concept B: Invisible Woman

A woman walks into her house with a bag from the pet store. She has bought the best of everything for her dog. She takes the items out one by one: dog food, dog treats, and a shiny new collar, leash and vest. She opens the package with the vest and we see "retro-reflective" on the packaging. Then she puts on a white runner's jacket and calls the dog. She puts the vest, collar and leash on him and walks out the door. Once outside, we see the woman and the dog going down the steps of the house and on to the sidewalk. (From this we can see the reflective material showing brightly on the dog). From here we change perspectives now to see the woman and her dog run towards the sidewalk and turning left onto the sidewalk (again showing off the reflective quality of the dog). From here the camera follows the path to the sidewalk and pivots around the woman and the dog once on the street. From here the camera moves backward with the woman and the dog in view but gradually getting small and far away even though they're jogging towards the camera. As the camera gets farther we see it's harder and harder to see the woman but we can see the dog via the retro reflective material. The camera keeps pulling back until it becomes obvious that you're looking at the woman and her dog from the interior of a car through the windshield. It should become obvious as well that it's very difficult to see the woman but easy to see the dog. The moment car interior comes into view we hear the narrator say something like, "When you're walking or running at night, appearance does matter. Cars can see you from a lot farther away if you are wearing retro-reflective clothing. Go retro and get noticed." End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The responses of the group to this concept were varied. There was laughter in response to the "Go Retro" tag line at the end of the description. While some of the participants thought that the idea was good, others felt that the build up (the woman entering the house, etc.) was too long and thought that it would be more effective if the action started sooner. Some of their comments included:

• "I think "Go Retro" is dumb."
• "I think that's a good idea, a lot of bikers who drive at night should have them."
• "I like the concept - I followed the concept very well. The perspective of the car looking out at them too. I like the way the commercial flows, it's a good idea. I think a lot of people get injured at night because they're walking on the edge of the street."
• "I think the commercial should say, 'If you're out at night you should have this stuff with you.'"
• "The first couple of frames can have more impact. Cause I'm not going to wait. I'd cut the grocery stuff out. Start with wearing the stuff and running."
• "I think you need to reinforce [the message], because saying it once at the end does, I don't know if that does it."
• "I don't think you should spend the resources in setting up the whole thing to get to the end."
• "I don't think there's anything wrong with starting with the message & repeating it at the end."
• "You've lost me already with the woman walking in with the bags"
• "I thought the slogan "Go Retro" was stupid. I think the idea of having it from the driver's perspective is good. The whole dog thing at the beginning is too long - the tag line should be 'You buy the best for your dog, why wouldn't you buy the best for yourself.' [Right now] the message is too passive."
• "Open with car headlights very small, [and a] lady & dog running - She turns around quick[ly] with the headlights in her face & she's wearing all the glowing stuff & the car passes by her."
• "Instead of coming in with the bags, the dog stuff could be on the coat rack."
• "I like the dog running to the owner."
• "You only have 30 seconds - so you have to cut to the chase quickly. The lady getting home is a lot of wasted time."
• "I would just cut out the first couple of frames."
• "I think it's better than the first [Pied Piper concept]."
• "Yeah, I think it's from 2 totally different angles. Urban [Pied Piper] & rural [Invisible Woman]."
• "If you want people to wear this stuff - tell them you want them to wear it. Show situations where they're wearing the stuff in different places where the reflective stuff pays off."
• "[It's] important to show from the driver's perspective [so people know why they need to wear it]."
• "[Show a] lady running & car going past her."

The next concept that the group evaluated again highlighted the use of retro-reflective wear, this time focusing on the superior effectiveness of retro-reflective materials compared to other fabrics/colors.

Pedestrian Concept C: Retro-reflective Play by Play.

Commentator - Pre-game chit chat style dialog. Here we're introduced to each of the different joggers each one getting ready to go out for a jog. Each jogger obviously concerned about safety and being seen out in the street at night.

Jogger 1 - decidedly chooses white clothing (jersey) as his main outfit for being seen. Commentators quickly offer comments - citing maybe why they think the jogger chose this and how they think it will perform on the road

Jogger 2 - the same as jogger 1 except with different clothes (fluorescent). Again, more commentary via the commentators.

Jogger 3 - Putting on retro reflective clothing. Commentators obviously excited about this... cites all the benefits of using retro reflective, why they think this will be a clear choice to be winner.

All three joggers come running out of the house and as we see them start jogging down the street we cut to the interior of an oncoming vehicle some distance away from the joggers which are approaching. From here we see that the retro reflective jogger is the clear winner in being able to be seen from a distance. The commentators excited about a no contest winner. He says something like, "Jogger number one thought she had it right, but the truth is, wearing white doesn't help very much at night. Jogger number two had a good idea, but fluorescent colors can really only be seen during the day, and the reflective strips-well, unless a car's headlights are shining right at them, they're not very effective either. Now, jogger number three hit the nail on the head. She's wearing retro-reflective strips and those puppies can be seen by drivers much farther away than any other material. The narrator say something like, "When you're walking or running at night, appearance does matter. Go retro and get noticed." End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The group had positive comments about this idea as well as additional suggestions to improve it. Overall, they found this scenario accessible and liked the comparison among the fabrics. However, there was some skepticism about whether people would actually wear retro-reflective materials even though several participants could attest to its effectiveness. There was also discussion within the group about the dangers of having to change a flat tire on the side of the road at night.

• "I could visualize that."
• "I don't know that I would wear the retro-reflective necessarily."
• "I think it's more effective than the dog one, [it's] showing people the different choices that they have."
• "It says more [than the Pied Piper or Invisible Woman concepts.]"
• "It sounds funnier. If you're trying to keep it engaging, it's funnier than the dog one, which people may not relate to if they don't have a dog."
• "How often do you remember when you walk on the street to put on retro-reflective wear?"
• "If people consider it 'hip' wear, they'll wear it, not because of safety."
• "I connect retro-reflective with runners, so I would not think to wear that to the store."
• "This reflective wear is more toward those people who are running & being athletic, riding a bike. What are you going to do about the everyday Joe walking down the street?"
• "Have corporations - FUBU, NIKE - promote reflective strips, especially to young kids & school groups."
• "Sometimes I think 'I'm lazy.' Why would I want to invest in that stuff?"
• "I think regardless of whether people will actually go out to buy reflective wear - because I seriously doubt that they will - I think it's important to have this commercial because at least it gives you a sense of how you are not as visible to cars as you think you are. But I don't see people going out & buying reflective wear."
• "I like the idea of the car on the road & the guy stops, someone on the side of the road fixing a tire."
• "Maybe FHWA would do an ad where . . . they give you free reflective stuff."
• "I've seen with my own eyes how this reflective stuff really shows up at night, even on tennis shoes, you can really see that."

The group discussed the "Go Retro" slogan. When asked what they think of when they hear the word "Retro", their responses included "Clothing, music . . . young kids, being mislead", "24 hour parties" and "paint." One participant stated, "I hear this "Go Retro" - I think of everything other than reflective wear. It's associated with a predominantly different subject matter than you're going for." Another participant said, "I never knew it was called retro-reflective wear, I don't think most people know that it's called that. When you say "retro" that's not what I think of." Another participant added, "you've got to drop the 'Go Retro.'"

Print Ads

After completing their comments on the PSA concepts, the group was shown a variety of possible pedestrian safety print advertisements. Once again, the group had a plethora of comments about the ads.

Pedestrian Print Ad 1

Headline: Go Retro! Get Noticed

Tag line: Retro-reflective Clothing Can Save Your Life

Image: Binocular view of runner running along a road away from the viewer into an outdoor/landscape scene. Small text and FHWA logo at bottom.

The group had positive feedback regarding the "Get noticed" title Print Ad 1. The participants were asked for their opinions on the slogan, "Reflect Yourself", also related to retro-reflective wear. The responses were positive including, "I like that." and "That's interesting."

Pedestrian Print Ad 2

Headline: Go Retro! It Could Save Your Life

Tag line: Get Noticed

Image: Female runner wearing retro reflective vest running toward the viewer.

Smaller text: Retro reflective Looks that Stop Traffic

Smallest text: Every 7 Minutes a Pedestrian is Killed or Injured In a Traffic Accident. FHWA logo at bottom.

The responses to this ad and to the retro-reflective wear were mixed. They felt that the ad targets athletes, i.e. joggers, and that non-athletes might not relate to it. They were concerned that someone who was not athletic would dismiss the ad as not being applicable to them. Instead, they suggested depicting other people in the ad.

• "It looks like somebody jogging - it doesn't get to the average person."
• "I wouldn't wear retro-reflective wear getting off the metro."
• "I don't think there can be just one ad that will satisfy all markets [athletes, young, old, average person, etc.]."
• "What about having two old people going to get groceries instead of the jogger?"
• "Don't make it so much for the athletic crowd, unless that's your target."
• "I think the athletic people are already aware of this, the regular pedestrian may not be."
• "Maybe if it had older people. . . children. It might appeal to more folks."

When asked for feedback about the layout of the ad, the group offered positive comments as well as some suggestions for improving the appeal of the ad, including adding actual retro-reflective materials to it.

• "I think [the magazine cover] is a good attention getter because people want to see what's in it."
• "With advertising printing technology, you could have those silver things [pointing to ad] be retro-reflective."
• "I wouldn't have read the bottom [print]."
• "Maybe you should put . . . a really cool graphic, a design thing, that will reinforce what you're saying."
• "Drop the person, but have that glossy reflecting stuff in the ad."
• "Include [actual] reflective material in the ad."

Pedestrian Print Ad 3

Headline: Walk Like a Pedestrian

Tag line: Walk In the Crosswalk, Not in Between

Image: Four casually dressed adults walking across a crosswalk in sync.

Small text below image. "Every 7 Minutes a Pedestrian is Killed or Injured in a Traffic Accident" below small text. FHWA logo at bottom.

While the group had positive comments for the design, they felt that it did not have the emotional impact needed to adequately convey the message. They liked it, but felt that it was not serious enough.

• "Very 'Abbey Road.'"
• "[I think of] the 'Walk like an Egyptian' song."
• "Very post modern."
• "[It] appeals to baby-boomers & people who like the '80s."
• "Use RR back to back for retro-reflective."
• "I think this stuff is backup for whatever else you have, there has to be an emotional impact with the message to get people to own it. The every 7 minutes is pretty powerful, but that's not coming across."
• "Show something that takes 7 minutes to do & then show someone being killed."
• "Show the consequences of not being safe."

Driver Themes

Since there was time remaining and the pedestrian focus group members were so forthcoming in their opinions, the moderators presented a selection of driver concepts and themes to the pedestrian group. The group proved to be quite descriptive in their opinions and comments.

Driver Print Ad 3:

Headline: Stay Alert at Intersections

Image: Two children, a boy and a girl, are standing at intersection. The little boy has his arm in front of the girl seemingly holding her back. There is a blurry image of a car in front of the two children and a school crossing sign is visible beyond the car.

Tag line: You Never Know Who You Might Run Into. Small text, FHWA logo at bottom.

• "I like that."
• "I like the picture. It's really good especially the blurry speeding car."

Driver Concept B: Photo Album

We see a woman sitting in a chair; the rest of the room is black. She is looking toward the camera as she tells her story about a car crash in which she killed a young child. She is obviously still emotional and shaken by the incident. While she is talking we see blurry images of a car turning into a crosswalk (this could be a mid-block crosswalk or intersection crosswalk), a mother is pushing a stroller. The image freezes on teddy bear flying in mid air from impact. The woman says something like, "I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I wasn't speeding. I was just turning at an intersection. I looked to see if any cars were coming..." Then we see another woman, sitting on a couch in a very modest living room. She is flipping through a photo album, tears streaming down her face. We see pictures of a newborn baby, baby's first birthday, out for a walk in the stroller, playing baseball with Dad, etc., while we hear the first woman continue, "I was in a hurry and I wasn't really paying attention, so I didn't see them in the crosswalk. I never thought something like this could happen to me." Cut to a shot of the two women standing together. The women say something like: "Please, stay alert. You never know who you might run into." (Or: And stay alert. Think of the impact you can make.) End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The group had many comments regarding this concept. Overall, they liked this concept better than any of the pedestrian concepts that were presented to them. They also offered substantial comments and recommendations to make the ad even more powerful.

• "I like that."
• "She contradicts herself when she says she 'wasn't speeding,' but then she says she was 'in a hurry and wasn't paying attention.' If you took out 'I was in a hurry' it would work."
• "I think it's interesting that she says she 'wasn't drunk.' Like anyone could do this."
• "I think it's kind of heavy handed, but maybe that's what you need to bring home the message."
• "I think you need that punch. You want to say that it could happen to everyone."
• "The ads are going to have to be strong and to the point. I think the "go retro" is a soft way of trying to address a very serious problem."
• "I think you want to hit the message hard."
• "Maybe you start with 'I don't drink,' and then have a different voice say 'I don't do drugs,' etc. and end it with a the baby pictures or the mom crying."
• "Have background sounds of cars going by and the teddy bear in the cross walk."
• "You don't need the two women together. People are going to realize that a kid dying is serious, they don't need to see the women together."
• "You could use a teenager in that as a the driver."
• "You could have different versions of the ad."
• "I think this could hit home with pedestrians as well."
• "Overlapping voices saying, 'I never thought this could happen to me' at the end would be good."
• "That whole ad could be switched around for a teenage group."
• "You could use a lot of different drivers with this."
• "The way the story flows, it really hits you."
• "Show the teddy bear, but no people, just narration. Just show the car and the teddy bear. Then it doesn't matter who the driver is. You could have different voices. Then while your watching you can imagine the car hitting that person and you can picture whoever you want to."
• "At the end you could have all of the voices together. And then a child's voice saying 'you never know who you might run into.'"

Federal Highway Administration
Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures Education
LISBOA, Inc. Focus Group Topline Summary
Drivers - Washington, DC
2/25/02

The second of two focus groups in Washington, DC was held with drivers. The purpose of this group was to determine what sorts of public education messages would capture their interest and attention. The ultimate goal of this campaign, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (U.S. Department of Transportation), is to develop a public education campaign that will educate both pedestrians and drivers about existing engineering safety countermeasures designed to protect pedestrians. The group consisted of ten 18 to 25 year old male and female drivers who have driven more than 50 miles during the past week.

When asked how frequently the drivers encountered pedestrians when driving, the participants stated that they see pedestrians "All the time, especially in the city." Some other locations where they drive near pedestrians included:

• "Mostly at crosswalks and intersections."
• "I see them on campus. They jump in the middle of the road. They cross anywhere."
• "Parking lots, mall areas, shopping areas. In residential communities."
• "A neighborhood where kids are running in the street."
• "I see kids in my neighborhood."
• All of the participants indicated that they are concerned about hitting or injuring a pedestrian while driving.
• "Especially on college campus where pedestrians have the right of way."
• "I drive into the city, but I prefer not to because of the fact that people are always running around, crossing the street, not paying attention."
• "They have those little signs now. . . I knocked one over once."

The focus group members indicated that, even though they are concerned about hitting pedestrians, there are occasions when they are not paying attention to pedestrians. These included parking lots and intersections.

• "When I'm backing out [of a parking spot]. . . pedestrians are famous for not looking."
• "Mostly at intersections when you have to pull out to see what's coming."
• "Finding parking spots, you're worried about finding a spot and not who's walking around."
• "Pulling out of a parking garage when you're crossing the sidewalk."
• "Pedestrians in Ohio are much worse than here. Pedestrians run into traffic, at least around here they're more cautious."

Next, they were asked to offer their ideas about what we could tell drivers in order to get them to pay more attention to pedestrians. Some of their comments included:

• "[Tell them] that it could be their sons or daughters. It could be someone in your family."
• "Anyone who's been in an accident or knows someone who's been hit is pretty sensitive about seeing someone almost hit. It reminds them."
• "Outlaw talking on cell phones & driving. Avoid using cell phone or listening to loud music while driving. It goes both ways, drivers and pedestrians."
• "[Tell drivers to] drive slower."
• "Add more speed bumps."
• "I've seen 'Drive with care, walk with caution' on a laminated sign. They're all over the place. They're near crosswalks."
• "There are consequences for driving recklessly or not paying attention."
• "People walking don't stand out."
• "A lot of the street crossings aren't reflective, so the people don't stand out. Many areas of the city, the lanes aren't well marked."
• "I'd use some graphic imagery. . . the consequence of actually hitting someone. Maybe not somebody actually getting hit, but it could be done tastefully . . . an event about to happen or the after-effects. Plant something in someone's head."
• "I like what they do with the drunk drivers. . . the little pin and the picture. People react more when it's a little kid."
• "I think it happens more than people think."
• "I think that the kid image would be good and make people more aware of how important it is. Like seatbelts."

Next, the goals of the National Pedestrian Safety Outreach Campaign were outlined for the focus group participants. They were asked to offer their ideas for the campaign. Some of their ideas included:

• "When I first got my license, I was 16 and had no appreciation for how deadly a car can be. So, one night I was making a turn and I heard someone yell and I drove into a traffic light. It's not until you actually have an impact . . . until something goes wrong and you have an impact that you realize how heavy a car is and how hard it is to stop."
• "Someone is driving along and has an accident, the reality of it is very un-glamorous. . . that definitely makes an impression."
• "You need to target new drivers especially who aren't really aware of the damage cars can do . . . they are a loaded gun."
• "Caution - driving is dangerous."
• "A light is not worth a life."
• "Show the Beatles in the crosswalk."
• "Show Michael Jordan walking across the crosswalk. . . well, 'you'd pay attention to Michael Jordan, why wouldn't you pay attention to "Joe Shmoe?"
• "Even as a driver, you're a pedestrian at some point, so you have a trust that people will be driving carefully. Without your car, you're a pedestrian."
• "Use an image of someone who looks like they're driving, but it's just air around them. There's no car actually there."
• "A car is this much metal and steel and if you threw that at somebody they'd be in big trouble."
• "If you said, a car kills more than X, you'd go 'Wow.'"
• "Instead of trying to show damage of metal hitting a person, show how much the impact of a hammer would be and compare that to a car hitting a person. Use something that everyone can relate to."
• "So many people die from cigarettes, so many people die from other things & then say how many people die from traffic accidents."

Driver Themes

Several concepts and themes for the pedestrian safety campaign were presented to the group. The first one was presented as a storyboard, illustrations of the scenes in the PSA mounted to black cardboard for the group to view while listening to the description of the PSA.

Driver Concept A: Boy and Dad Leaving Park

First, we see a boy and his Dad leaving a Little League baseball game. The boy is dressed in uniform and carrying a bat and glove. Father and son are talking about the game as they walk up the street; we see a crosswalk in the distance. Driver quickly running out of his/her house (obviously late/distracted) getting into the car and quickly taking off. Father and boy approaching crosswalk - looking down the street left right left before entering. Inside the car we see the driver... distracted in thought. From driver's point of view we see in the distance the cross walk approaching. Then, from the father and boy's perspective, we see a car heading toward them. Cut to a shot from the driver's perspective, looking through the windshield-in the distance, we see the father and son approaching a marked crossing and we see the yellow warning sign for pedestrians crossing. We see them look left, right, and left again. Cut to a shot from their perspective and we can see that the car is coming, but is still some distance away. Cut back and we see them enter the crosswalk. We see the driver is fumbling with his stereo. The father and son are clearly visible, as is the warning sign for pedestrians crossing, but the driver does not yield. Then cut to a close up of the father and son looking in the direction of the car with great fear on their faces. The camera freezes on father and son and we hear the sound of screeching tires. Cut to a slow motion visual of the baseball going up in the air. It comes back down, lands in the crosswalk and then rolls over to curb in front of the warning sign for pedestrians crossing. Narrator says: "Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is killed or injured in a traffic accident. Yield to pedestrians. And stay alert. You never know who you might run into. (Or: And stay alert. Think of the impact you can make.) A message brought to you by. End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The group thought that the images should be more surprising and more graphic in order to have maximum impact with the audience. They liked using a child in the ad and thought that this would be sympathetic. There were several suggestions from group members about different ways to improve the concept.

• "I think the 7 minutes is good, but the 'you never know who you might run into' didn't work for me."
• "I think commercials like that, where you can kind of see what's going to happen next don't have as much impact. The commercials that struck with me were the ones that were kind of non sequitur . . . something shocking and unpredictable. PSAs tend to look like PSAs. If you made it look like a car commercial people would pay attention. If the car is driving down the street and - oh, my God, they hit someone- that would get people to pay attention."
• "Pay attention to who your audience is. When I saw this I thought it was about pedestrians."
• "Looking at that last sign [pedestrian sign] made me think it was for pedestrians."
• "I thought it was about the driver staying more alert. So, I think it was targeted toward drivers."
• "I think [the yield to pedestrian] tag line is good. I think if you can get people to sympathize with the pedestrians then it would be good. They can relate that person to the person who gets hit relate driver to pedestrian - mailman, someone the driver knows."
• "Drive to baseball game, get out & they almost get hit."
• "Maybe the driver knows the person they run into. It's not just someone you don't know . . . you could hit somebody that you know."
• "You could have a graphic of someone getting out of there car and - 'oh, no that's my neighbor.'"
• "I think [being graphic] is important. It helps get the point across."
• "It should be graphic."
• "Cigarette commercials are really graphic and that gets the point across."
• "If you're going to show the identity of the driver, you should do a series of drivers. If you show a young person, older people are going to say 'well that's not me, I know how to drive.'"
• "Maybe you could do instead of a father and son, maybe a daughter & mother, or kids going to school and a mother leaving the house and nearly running over her kids."
• "I guess it would be good to try to relate it to someone that the person knows. I guess it's good to have the kid there because there's more sympathy for that. But I don't know how you could make it more sympathetic, unless it is some kid that everybody knows."
• "You might want to focus on what the speed limit is & focus on the speedometer of the car. You could make them speeding or not."

Driver Concept B: Photo Album

We see a woman sitting in a chair; the rest of the room is black. She is looking toward the camera as she tells her story about a car crash in which she killed a young child. She is obviously still emotional and shaken by the incident. While she is talking we see blurry images of a car turning into a crosswalk, a mother is pushing a stroller. The image freezes on teddy bear flying in mid air from impact. The woman says something like, "I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I wasn't speeding. I was just turning at an intersection. I looked to see if any cars were coming..." Then we see another woman, sitting on a couch in a very modest living room. She is flipping through a photo album, tears streaming down her face. We see pictures of a newborn baby, baby's first birthday, out for a walk in the stroller, playing baseball with Dad, etc., while we hear the first woman continue, "I was in a hurry and I wasn't really paying attention, so I didn't see them in the crosswalk. I never thought something like this could happen to me." Cut to a shot of the two women standing together. The women say something like: "Please, stay alert. You never know who you might run into." (Or: And stay alert. Think of the impact you can make.) End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The group had many comments regarding this concept. Overall, they liked this idea and thought that it had more impact. The group had some suggestions for variations that could be used with this concept including using actual survivors/family members, including photographs of victims, and showing jail cells. They thought that the "this could happen to me" idea would resonate with viewers.

• "I think this one works better - it's more graphic and hits closer to home."
• "'Stay alert you never know who you might run into' doesn't work with that one. The 'impact' one is better."
• "I think that's what you really need to go after - be alert when driving."
• "You can change someone else's life."
• "Another good ending could be people in jail cells."
• "Another ending could be it might affect your life as well."
• "I think the idea that 'this could happen to me' would hit home with people. And I think it would especially if you had people in the commercial that this happened to."
• "Maybe you hear the lights come on & it's a policeman or a fireman."
• "I think the message that it could be anyone could be good."
• "Have some people holding pictures of people who had died."
• "Use actual people - not actors."
• "Oh yeah, use real people."
• "I think combining [every seven minutes] with this idea works."
• "During this show X number of people will be killed."
• "Do something traffic related & say it takes 7 minutes to do - and in that time a pedestrian was hit."

Driver Concept C: Mom and Child

A mother is helping her child get ready for school. She is very meticulously checking/handing him his lunch, making sure he has his homework, is dressed properly, etc. The boy walks out the door. Cut to the woman heading to work, getting in her car. She is obviously in a hurry, not really paying attention. We see her make a left turn at a green signal without looking for people in the crosswalk. When she makes the turn we see the frightened face of her child (who is walking in the crosswalk). We hear the sound of tires screeching and the camera freezes. The narrator says something like, "Every 7 minutes a pedestrian is killed or injured in a traffic accident. Stay alert. (Show warning sign for pedestrians crossing.) You never know who you might run into. The life you save could be your own child." (Or: And stay alert. Think of the impact you can make.) End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The last drive PSA concept that was presented to the group elicited limited feedback. Their reaction to this concept was not as strong as their reaction to the photo album appeal. With this concept a variation on the tag line was presented "Stay alert: the life you save could be your own child." The group responded with negative feedback including, "No, that doesn't work."

• "The [photo album and Mom & child] both have emotional impact."
• "As long as the audience knows that that was her son."
• "When I hear, 'you never know who you might run into' I think you're walking down the street and you don't know who you're going to meet."
• "I think you use catchy phrases when you're trying to sell something or promote something, but you're not trying to sell anything."

Print Ads

After completing their comments on the PSA concepts, the group was shown a variety of possible driver and pedestrian safety print advertisements.

Driver Print Ad 1:

Headline: Stay Alert

Image: Car bumping pedestrian off of the Pedestrian Crossing sign.

Tag line: Think of the Impact You Can Make

Small text, FHWA logo at bottom.

This concept elicited negative comments from the focus group. They agreed with the text message, but thought that the image did not fit well with it.

• "It doesn't really work for me."
• "It looks like he just got bumped, maybe if his body was mangled or something."
• "Maybe if he's under the car."
• "Too cartoonish."
• "I don't know if the visual works so well. I think the message is good."

Driver Print Ad 2:

Headline: Stay Alert: You Never Know Who You Might Run Into

Variation: Stay Alert at Intersections

Tag line 1: You never know who you might run into.

Variation: Stay Alert Near Crosswalks

Tag line 2: You Never Know Who You Might Run Into

Image: Close-up of a baby shoe and marbles placed on top of crosswalk lines on asphalt.

Small text, FHWA logo at bottom.

This ad was presented with a variation on the tag line. The group's comments focused on parts of the ad that they thought were unclear. They suggested making the shoe dirtier and showing skid marks on the pavement.

• "It's not clear that this is a crosswalk."
• "The black and white isn't clear."
• "It needs a tire tread."
• "Maybe a shoe on top of a street mark."
• "Maybe a chalk outline."
• "It looks like the kid untied it and left it in the middle of the road."
• "If there were a dirtier shoe and skid marks I think that would say it all - I don't think you'd need any text."
• "I guess the big issue is left turns into a crosswalk. You have the right of way making a turn with the green light and there are pedestrians there. I guess that's something that needs to be addressed."
• "I'd probably put at the end - 'it's the law.'"
• "I think you're focusing too much on the crosswalk - it should be everywhere - not just crosswalks. What about other places?"
• "Maybe the intersection could be something else - a different picture."
• "Stay alert . . . when am I staying alert? What am I doing when I stay alert?"
• "It doesn't tell you when you need to stay alert."
• "What about 'stay alert when driving - you never know who you might run into."
• "I would get rid of the marbles. The kid could have slipped on the marbles."
• "Put a double ad in a magazine - car brake lights one page & shoe on other page. Put them next to each other."
• "I think emphasizing driving is important - make it clear."

Driver Print Ad 3:

Headline: Stay Alert at Intersections

Image: Two children, a boy and a girl, are standing at intersection. The little boy has his arm in front of girl seemingly holding her back. There is a blurry image of a car in front of the two children and a school crossing sign is visible beyond the car.

Tag line: You Never Know Who You Might Run Into. Small text, FHWA logo at bottom.

The drivers liked this print ad and thought that it would be effective targeting drivers or pedestrians. The participants said they would pay attention to this print ad with the modifications they specified. They suggested that seeing the children looking scared might have more of an emotional pull over viewer.

• "I think that works, I think you need 'yield to pedestrians' though."
• "I think the 'yield to pedestrians' is good."
• "I think it's good to have 'yield to pedestrians' because I thought it was pedestrians who were supposed to stay alert - like not run into the road."
• "I was thinking the stay alert could be related to the pedestrians."
• "[To target drivers] take the image and have it from inside the car looking out at the kids."
• "Maybe you should show the kids from the other way."
• "They look like they're stopped, maybe if they looked surprised."
• "They need to have the scared look."
• "I like the 'stay alert yield to pedestrians better' [than stay alert at crosswalks, stay alert at intersections]."
• "I might glance through it. I don't know if I'd read every word."
• "Even if they didn't read through it - the picture says a lot."
• "Put every seven minutes in big letters [at the top] and have killed or injured in smaller letters at the bottom - [so people would read it]."
• "Obviously, the context of where it's placed is important."

Pedestrian Print Ad 1:

Headline: Go Retro! Get Noticed

Tag line: Retro-reflective Clothing Can Save Your Life

Image: Binocular view of runner running along a road away from the viewer into an outdoor/landscape scene. Small text and FHWA logo at bottom.

The group expressed confusion over the use of the word "retro" and stated that they do not associated "retro" with retro-reflective wear.

• "I don't know what 'retro' is, I would think 70s."
• "Bell bottoms, leisure suits. . ."
• "Yeah, I don't know what that is."
• "I don't think that works at all."
• "I didn't know [retro-reflective wear] was called that."
• "Before you told me that I thought 70s."
• "I had no idea what retro-reflective wear is."
• "I'd call it 'that shiny stuff.'"
• "Retro is a catchy term for something that is not catchy yet."
• "A two page ad with a black page and go retro . . . on one page and reflective on the other with the person all lit up might be clearer."
• "I don't think it's a term people are up on."

Pedestrian Print Ad 2:

Headline: Go Retro! It Could Save Your Life

Tag line: Get Noticed

Image: Female runner wearing retro reflective vest running toward the viewer.

Smaller text: Retro reflective Looks that Stop Traffic

Smallest text: Every 7 Minutes a Pedestrian is Killed or Injured In a Traffic Accident. FHWA logo at bottom.

The group was critical of the layout and image of this ad. They did, however, offer two alternatives to the "Get Retro" tag line.

• "She looks too happy to have that image there."
• "There needs to be a car there."
• "Get reflective."
• "Shine On."
• "I like the 'get noticed.'"
• "Too many words on the page."
• "I'm still looking and I don't know what you're getting at."
• "She looks like she's in broad daylight."
• "I know that material better as '3M reflective tape.'"

Pedestrian Print Ad 3:

Headline: Walk Like a Pedestrian

Tag line: Walk In the Crosswalk, Not in Between

Image: Four casually dressed adults walking across a crosswalk in sync.

Small text below image. "Every 7 Minutes a Pedestrian is Killed or Injured in a Traffic Accident" below small text. FHWA logo at bottom.

The participants had positive comments about this print ad and thought that it was catchy. However, they were confused by the "don't walk in between. . . " portion of the text.

• "That's catchy and good."
• "People can relate to that."
• "I'm not getting the not in between part."
• "Maybe 'Don't be a jaywalker.'"
• "The 'Walk in the cross walk not in between' doesn't make sense to me."
• "I like the 'Don't be a jaywalker' idea better."
• "It makes me think of 'Walk Like an Egyptian.' I think that works."
• "Is there a Beatles song you could tie in?"

Pedestrian Themes

Since there was time remaining, the moderators presented a pedestrian PSA concept to the driver group.

Pedestrian Concept C: Retro-reflective Play by Play

Commentator - Pre-game chit chat style dialog. Here we're introduced to each of the different joggers each one getting ready to go out for a jog. Each jogger obviously concerned about safety and being seen out in the street at night.

Jogger 1 - decidedly chooses white clothing (jersey) as his main outfit for being seen. Commentators quickly offer comments - citing maybe why they think the jogger chose this and how they think it will perform on the road

Jogger 2 - the same as jogger 1 except with different clothes (fluorescent). Again, more commentary via the commentators.

Jogger 3 - Putting on retro reflective clothing. Commentators obviously excited about this... sites all the benefits of using retro reflective, why they think this will be a clear choice to be winner.

All three joggers come running out of the house and as we see them start jogging down the street we cut to the interior of an oncoming vehicle some distance away from the joggers which are approaching. From here we see that the retro reflective jogger is the clear winner in being able to be seen from a distance. The commentators excited about a no contest winner. He says something like, "Jogger number one thought she had it right, but the truth is, wearing white doesn't help very much at night. Jogger number two had a good idea, but fluorescent colors can really only be seen during the day, and the reflective strips - well, unless a car's headlights are shining right at them, they're not very effective either. Now, jogger number three hit the nail on the head. She's wearing retroreflective strips and those puppies can be seen by drivers much farther away than any other material. the narrator say something like, "When you're walking or running at night, appearance does matter. Go retro and get noticed." End with music and show U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration logo.

The group had positive comments about the concept. Even though they know that retro-reflective materials are effective and they liked seeing the comparison, they said that they still would not wear it.

• "I think it works to show people the comparison."
• "I think it's good.
• "That stuff really does make a difference."
• "You see what could be wrong with something that you're wearing."
• "I think you should focus more on the drivers, than on what pedestrians need to buy to make themselves safe."
• "I think it's a two way street. If you're going to be out driving then I think it's a given that you need this stuff."
• "I like comparing it, but I think it needs to be showing an accident. Not a fashion show, we need to avoid them getting hit, show the consequences of not using it."
• "I've seen 'jogger people' - runners wearing it."
• "What's keeping people from wearing this stuff? Do they have it, do they know where to get it? Do they think it looks ridiculous?"
• "I think it's definitely something people don't want to wear."

When asked how we could highlight the use/importance of retro-reflective wear, the group had several suggestions.

• "With that concept of the comparison where there's a dark spot here the street light is out and they nearly disappear."
• "Really show the difference it would make instead of words."
• "This idea is pretty out there but . . .you have an attractive woman and three people and the woman goes for the guy in the retro wear you could say go retro and get noticed."
• "You should think about doing something for Halloween with kids - kids getting hit trick or treating."
• "You could have someone who's been hit or hit someone and show then at an intersection and tell them what happened. It's not hard to find. You could have short clips or 'I got hit here.'"

DRAFT RESPONDENT SCREENER FOR
NATIONAL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
ENGINEERING OUTREACH CAMPAIGN
PEDESTRIAN GROUP II - DC

Note to Recruiter: Recruit twelve for a show of 8-10 participants for each group.

I am calling for LISBOA, Inc., a Washington D.C. communications firm that is developing a new campaign to improve pedestrian safety. We are recruiting participants for focus groups that will meet at Ebony Market Research to discuss your thoughts and feelings about pedestrian safety and review some messages about pedestrians. This group, which is scheduled for February 25, 2002 at 6pm, will last for approximately 2 hours. Each participant will receive $80.00 for his/her time. Would you be interested in participating? (If yes; continue - if no; thank and terminate). I need to ask you some questions to determine if you qualify to participate in the group.

1. Age (Note to Recruiter: Try to obtain a mix in participants' ages)
   
   
   • 21-65, continue
   • Other, thank & terminate
     
     
2. Gender
   
   
   • Male at least 4 per group, continue
   • Female at least 4 per group, continue
     
     
3. Ethnicity
   
   
   • Asian/Pacific Islander at least 2 per group, continue
   • Hispanic, at least 2 per group, continue
   • Other; at least 4 per group, continue
     
     
4. As a pedestrian, on what occasions do you walk?
   
   
   • Work
   • School
   • Recreation
   • Errands
   • Other ____________________________
     
     
5. As a pedestrian, have you been exposed to traffic situations more than once during the past week?
   
   
   • (Note to Recruiter: traffic situations include walking near moving vehicles including intersections, sidewalks, parking lots, and roadways.)
   • Yes, continue
   • No, thank & terminate
     
     
6. Do you have children under 10 years of age?
   
   
   • Yes, at least four per group, continue
   • No, continue
     
     
7. Do you work outside of the home?
   
   
   • Yes, What is your occupation? __________________________________, continue
   • No, continue
     
     
8. Are you, or any family member, employed with the Department of Transportation, the state DMV, or a law enforcement agency?
   
   
   • No; continue
   • Yes; thank and terminate
     
     
9. Are you, or any family member, employed with a marketing, public relations, or market research company?
   
   
   • No; continue
   • Yes; thank and terminate
     
     
10. Have you participated in a focus group research study during the past 6 months?
    
    
    • No; continue
    • Yes; thank and terminate
      
      Name: ________________________________________
      
      Address: ______________________________________
      
      ______________________________________________
      
      Telephone: ___________ (Home) ______________ (Work)
      
      Assigned to Group ____________________________

DRAFT RESPONDENT SCREENER FOR
NATIONAL PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
ENGINEERING OUTREACH CAMPAIGN

DRIVER GROUP II - DC

Note to Recruiter: Recruit twelve for a show of 8-10 participants for each group.

I am calling for LISBOA, Inc., a Washington D.C. communications firm that is developing a new campaign to improve pedestrian safety. We are recruiting participants for focus groups that will meet at Ebony Market Research to discuss your thoughts and feelings about traffic safety and review some messages about driving. This group, which is scheduled on February 25, 2002 at 8pm, will last for approximately 2 hours. Each participant will receive $80.00 for his/her time. Would you be interested in participating? (If yes; continue - if no; thank and terminate). I need to ask you some questions to determine if you qualify to participate in the group.

1. Age
   
   
   • 18-25, continue
   • Other, thank & terminate
     
     
2. Gender
   
   
   • Male at least 5 per group, continue
   • Female at least 3 per group, continue
     
     
3. Ethnicity
   
   
   • Asian/Pacific Islander at least 2 per group, continue
   • Hispanic, at least 2 per group, continue
   • Other at least 4 per group, continue
     
     
4. Do you have a valid driver's license?
   
   
   • If yes, continue
   • If no, thank & terminate
     
     
5. Approximately how many miles have you driven in the past week?
   (Note to Recruiter: if more than 50 miles per week, please record number of miles)
   
   
   • More than 50 miles per week, continue __________ miles
   • Less than 50 miles per week, thank & terminate
     
     
6. How many days per week do you drive a car?
   
   
   • 4 days or more per week, continue
   • Fewer than 4 days per week, thank & terminate
     
     
7. Is driving your primary means of transportation?
   
   
   • Yes, include at least 5 per group
   • No, continue
     
     
8. Do you work outside of the home?
   
   
   • Yes, What is your occupation? __________________________________, continue
   • No, continue
     
     
9. On what occasions do you drive? (Note to Recruiter: Record up to 3 answers)
   
   ____________________________________
   ____________________________________
   ____________________________________
   
   
10. Are you, or any family member, employed with the Department of Transportation, the State DMV, or a law enforcement agency?
    
    
    • No; continue
    • Yes; thank and terminate
      
      
11. Are you, or any family member, employed with a marketing, public relations, or market research company?
    
    
    • No; continue
    • Yes; thank and terminate
      
      
12. Have you participated in a focus group research study during the past 6 months?
    
    
    • No; continue
    • Yes; thank and terminate
      
      Name: ________________________________________
      Address: ______________________________________
      ______________________________________________
      Telephone: ___________ (Home) ______________ (Work)
      Assigned to Group _______________________________
      
      

Description of Focus Group Participants
Washington DC, February 25, 2002

Pedestrian Group

Gender	Age	Ethnicity	Occasions for Walking	Children under 10	Occupation
Female	21	A.A	To School/Work	None	Receptionist
Male	33	A.A	To Work	One	DJ/Promotions
Male	50	A.A	Work/recreation	None	Custodian
Male	54	Hispanic	Work	Yes	Taxi Driver
Female	48	Hispanic	To run Errands	One	Teacher
Female	48	A.A	Work/Errands	None	Library Assistant
Female	26	Asian	To Work	None	Legal Assistant
Female	37	Asian	To Work	None	WD Director
Male	35	Caucasian	To Work/Errands	None	Transcript Specialist
Female	24	Caucasian	Work/School, Recreation, Errands	None	Manager

Driver Group

Gender	Age	Ethnicity	Miles Driven in past week	Days Driven in past week	Occupation
Female	22	A.A	67 miles	5 days	Unemployed
Female	24	A.A	190 miles	7 days	Social Worker
Male	25	A.A	150 miles	7 days	Web design
Female	21	Hispanic	350 miles	7 days	Retail-sales
Male	25	Hispanic	400 miles	7 days	Contractor
Female	25	Asian	250 miles	7 days	Health provider
Male	18	Hispanic	117 miles	7 days	Unemployed
Male	25	Caucasian	400 miles	4 days	Program Specialist
Male	25	Caucasian	200 miles	5 days	Historical Research
Male	20	Caucasian	100+ miles	4 days	Government