FHWA Safety > Pedestrian Campaign > Research > TWG

Federal Highway Administration
Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures Education

TWG 3 Comments about Print PSAs

LISBOA, Inc.
9/24/02

Print 1: Children at Crosswalk

• Change to "stop for pedestrians."
• You cannot see facial/reactions of children. Other than the title, no indication of pedestrian.
• Mixing "walk" and hand icon.
• Good image and message.
• "Watch" instead of "stay alert" for pedestrians.
• Onus on kids! Why not stop?
• Big sister should be holding younger brother back.
• Faces
• Mixed message - can't tell who this is directed to.
• Really like - clear image, no ambiguity. Would be more realistic if older child were holding back younger.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 2: Crumpled Baby Stroller in Crosswalk

• Check grammar in text - sentence structure is incomplete.
• Stop for pedestrians at any intersection.
• Stroller is not recognizable as a stroller - use a different type of stroller or don't collapse it.
• Stroller could be more recognizable.
• Good image and message.
• Stroller needs more damage add teddy bear. Revise (reduce/simplify) text.
• Maybe say "I didn't see them in the crosswalk" Visual image implies parent and child.
• Stroller did not look like a stroller.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 3: EMTs

• Picture doesn't suggest pedestrian.
• Don't like "think of the impact."
• Like it, but needs a more clear photo to depict a pedestrian collision.
• Hard to make connection to motor vehicle - pedestrian crash.
• Very moving. But see the point of "paramedic" too much. White words harder to see.
• Like ethnic ambiguity.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 4: Family Photo

• Connect to roadway.
• Want to have intersection in background.
• Needs crosswalk visual added.
• Very accusatory of driver. Photo doesn't do much for me. I wouldn't have continued reading after the first sentence to get the message.
• Ties in with TV & Radio PSAs.
• The best. Say "My Mom."

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 5: Pedestrian Traffic Signals 1

• Change color of text.
• A little less slant on sign. Check hands and actual sign.
• Check manual on uniform traffic control devices (MUTCD) and see if this is the correct sign.
• Could put person crossing in background - out of focus.
• Clean, clear message. Check signs.
• Very clean message.
• Changes are needed in the sign.
• Don't think people will bother to read.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 6: Pedestrian Traffic Signals 2

• Emphasize "flashing" more; change hand direction.
• Straighten the hands and check direction of hand.
• Don't slant.
• Hand should not be slanted.
• This would be rated higher if it were in color.
• Straighten signs & fix signage.
• Need flashing hand to show more flash. Walking symbol needs to be lighter.
• Simple, good for posters.
• Graphic is boring, but brevity is good.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 7: Firefighter

• Text too small, use different firefighter.
• Reflective vs. retro-reflective. You are using reflective where the term retro-reflective applies.
• Use the same fireman. He looks mean. I also liked the original one that was on the website much better. Layout is better.
• Would be better less bright - put both characters in the park with a little, light. Improve contrast - other format better.
• Use the same firefighter as in video. Change layout. Like slogan - "Be safe. Be smart. Be seen."
• Hard to see "shiny stuff." Would rather use "reflective material."
• Make clothing harder to see. A bit too many words.
• Use other guy - would rank higher.
• Good, clear graphic.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 8: Mom & Daughter in Crosswalk

• Message is too vague.
• Use the girl looking back? "It's worth the time to cross safely." Show them looking for traffic - not the bird's eye view. Small "s" on seen. "Walk with your child, teach them how."
• I like the image and message - "slow down."
• Good slogan. Use crosswalks.
• Use crosswalks. Walk with your children - teach them how. Insert look both ways and keep looking for cars. How does "Be safe. Be smart. Be seen." Relate to this?
• Pedestrians not looking.
• Don't like bird's eye view.
• Message - cross safely is clear, at least to me.
• I like "walk with your child: teach them how."
• Take the time - It's worth the time.
• Like overhead shot.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 9: Boy in Wheelchair

• Aimed at children, not tested with them.
• The child shouldn't be making these decisions when he's so young.
• Too many mixed messages, also wrong message to pedestrians.
• Not clear why kid in wheelchair.
• Inappropriate - child at fault.
• Puts the onus on the child. Not targeted to 25 to 60. Child may be too young. Conflicts with other ADA ped. Messages. Child may be too young to handle making that decision alone.
• Wrong message for a different target group.
• Not good if target is kids.
• Shouldn't just say signals - really saying thought I could make it across.
• Good, clear image.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

Print 10: Tragedy (Police Officer)

• Need to have image of "ped" signal in picture. I'm not sure average public knows what "pedestrian signal" means.
• Pedestrian signal is for pedestrians, not drivers. Mixing walk and red hand (icon) is confusing. Good authority figure.
• Pedestrian signals are for pedestrians not for drivers.
• Would like to see image of the car with broken windshield, dent on hood in background. Good image and message.
• Add: "Keep looking both ways and keep looking for drivers."
• Several technical problems - can't tell what they are working on.
• Can't really tell that this was a pedestrian collision.
• Blames pedestrians.

Descriptive Statistics

(Note: Ratings were on a 1-7 scale)

General Comments:

• Could print ads for drivers be more specific about scenarios and the specific desired behaviors eg. "When making a left turn, check for pedestrians to your left. When making a right turn, look left for on-coming traffic and look right for pedestrians."
  
  
• Overall, lot of text. Can you get the message across with less text and more graphics?
  
  
• Please consider using a still photo of the girl turning around looking the viewer in the face.
  
  
• Delete all small-pint text. Not needed. Distracts.
  
  
• Maybe focus on just 2 messages. One message would be the meaning of the crosswalk signs. The other message could be the image of the girl.
  
  
• Slow down - watch for me and stop.
  
  
• Child looking back over shoulder - slow down - Watch for me! At bottom "think of the impact you can make."
  
  
• "Speed is lethal to pedestrians."
  
  
• In all cases we do not use diagonal crosswalks 1, 8, 9, 2, - will not relate to our area.
  
  
• What happened to little girl looking back?
  
  
• Please refrain from using signal or marked crosswalks - pedestrians should be respected at all legal crosswalk areas - important
  message to motorists.
  
  
• Overall - thought radio & TV PSAs were much better & stronger.
  
  
• All body copy too light & too small hard to read. Bold all type.