Final Detailed Findings Report for Marketing Plan and Outreach Materials that Promote Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety to Different Hispanic Populations in the United States

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SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Project Background

In the United States, 4,749 pedestrians were killed, and about 70,000 were injured in collisions with motor vehicles in the year 2003 (Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Pedestrians). An additional 622 pedalcyclists (mostly bicyclists) were killed, and 46,000 injured, in collisions with motor vehicles (Traffic Safety Facts 2003: Pedalcyclists). This means that every day, 318 pedestrians and bicyclists are injured and nearly 15 lose their lives. These grim statistics clearly indicate that pedestrian and bicycle safety is a national problem, with staggering human and economic costs.

According to a 2004 report by the Center for Applied Research and The Media Network, an average of 545 Hispanic pedestrians and 79 Hispanic bicyclists are killed in crashes with motor vehicles every year. These numbers are likely to increase as the Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to increase. There is a clear need to include Hispanics as part of the target audience in any pedestrian/bicycle safety education program. With that need in mind, the Federal Highway Administration sponsored this project, "Marketing Plan and Outreach Materials that Promote Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety to Different Hispanic Populations in the United States".

1.2 Task 2 (Detailed findings report) Background

This literature review for the detailed findings report was conducted as part of Task 2 ("Develop a Marketing Plan of Most Effective Methods of Promoting Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety to Hispanic Audiences in the United States"). The objective of this review is to develop a marketing plan of the most effective methods of promoting bicycle and pedestrian safety to Hispanic audiences.

The extent of the task was delineated in the Work Plan submitted to FHWA in November 2004. It stated that:

The SAIC team, principally Sprinkle, will review the FHWA's "Determining the Extent of the Highway Safety Problem as it Relates to Hispanic Populations in the United States" (when completed), NHTSA's "Highway Safety Needs of U.S. Hispanic Communities: Issues and Strategies," and other documents as deemed appropriate. SAIC staff will meet with members of the MWCOG's [Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments] Street Smart Program to review their Hispanic outreach materials and learn about their market research performed to date. SAIC staff will also review any other relevant materials developed for Hispanic audiences, such as material that helps develop a full understanding of the general issues faced by Hispanic immigrants to the U.S. (e.g., language barriers); staff members have collected informative materials developed for Hispanic audiences by the Pan American Health Organization.

The materials included in this detailed findings report were identified and obtained through a variety of sources:

• FHWA and NHTSA staff
• NHTSA website (http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/)
• TRIS Online (http://trisonline.bts.gov) – The Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database is produced and maintained by the Transportation Research Board at the National Academy of Sciences. It contains nearly half a million records of published and on-going transportation research. To ensure that the most recent studies were included in this detailed findings report, we searched TRIS Online using the terms "Latino" and "Hispanic" for records from the last five years.

The marketing plan that developed under this task will address the following questions at a minimum:

• In what pedestrian and bicycle safety-related areas is communication with Hispanic audiences most needed? Specifically, we will consider the Hispanic population's knowledge and understanding of such issues as where to safely cross the street, the meanings of pedestrian signals, rules of the road, and how to put on a bicycle helmet, just to name a few.
• What types of messages are most likely to have the most impact? Not all message types will be effective in communicating the issues that may result in a reduction in the number of Hispanics involved in pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Therefore, it will be important to consider the types of messages that will be most effective. For example, what tone should the messages have? Should humor be used, or would messages with "shock value" have more impact?
• What are the best "media" for getting the messages across? To answer this question, we will need to determine how to target Hispanics. For example, could the messages be effectively promoted in specific locations frequented by Hispanics? If so, what are these locations and how could the messages be displayed (e.g., posters) or distributed (e.g., brochures)? What percentage of Hispanics are transit dependent? Might the messages be communicated by posters at bus shelters or as "safety tips" on transit timetables, where Hispanic transit riders would see the messages? Should the messages ultimately be delivered in newspaper or magazine ads, and if so, what newspapers and magazines are most often read by Hispanics? Would television ads be effective, and if so, on which channels should they be broadcast? Would lectures/presentations by church or community leaders, for example, be effective mechanisms for delivery (i.e., person to person versus handing out material)?
• Which Hispanic groups should be targeted and why? Hispanic groups that may be targeted include migrant workers, recent immigrants (been in country less than 10 years), immigrants (been in country more than 10 years) and those who are "American born". Are any of these groups over-represented in pedestrian and bicycle crashes? If so, why might this be and how could it be overcome?
• Which age groups of Hispanics should be targeted and why? Are younger Hispanics more likely to be involved in pedestrian or bicycle crashes? If so, could they be targeted in or around schools? Community centers?
• Should different cultural groups be targeted and why? Different cultural groups that may be targeted include those from Mexico, South and Central American, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Do their cultural differences have an impact on their involvement in pedestrian and bicycle crashes? If so, why and how could this knowledge be leveraged to develop an effective, targeted marketing campaign?
• Should materials be presented just in Spanish, or in English and Portuguese as well? What level of Spanish/English/Portuguese should be used?

Each item in the detailed findings report is presented in the following format: Title, Introduction and/or Summary, Questions answered, Outstanding questions.

The information in the detailed findings report allows determination of which questions are, and are not, covered in existing materials. Subsequently, we will refine the list of questions to address in the Marketing Plan with input from FHWA and NHTSA, and the refined questions will inform the development and conduct of focus groups.

1.3 Summary of Findings from Literature Review

The following summary table lists each item in the detailed findings report along with how each item addresses the questions.

Table 1a. Questions Addressed in the Literature

	Literature
Questions	Highway Safety Needs of U.S. Hispanic Communities	Hispanic Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety (CAR and TMN)	The Pedestrian and Bicyclist Highway Safety Problem	Pedestrian Safety Program (NHTSA)
In what pedestrian and bicycle safety-related areas is communication with Hispanic audiences most needed?	Not addressed	General awareness of traffic signs and regulations Sources of info about traffic signs and regulations	Intersections on multi-lane roads Obey traffic laws How to use crosswalks Educating drivers on ped/bike safety	Impaired pedestrians
What types of messages are most likely to have the most impact?	Graphic and explicit descriptions of motor vehicle crashes and the impact on families	Graphics and visuals	Graphics and visuals	Not addressed
What are the best "media" for getting the messages across?	TV, radio, print – may differ by location	Distribute info via TV, radio, transit, churches, schools, supermarkets, etc.	Distribute info via TV, radio, transit, churches, schools, supermarkets, etc.	Report, slide program with presenter's guide, educator's guide, brochures, telenovelas.
Which Hispanic groups should be targeted?	Young inexperienced drivers, recent immigrants, rural residents, elderly drivers, unlicensed and uninsured drivers	Children, new immigrants, seniors	Hispanics of Mexican origin, males, ages 21–29	Older pedestrians and children
Which age groups should be targeted?	Young and elderly drivers	Children, seniors	21–29	Older pedestrians and children Did not target specific groups
Should different cultural groups be targeted?	Not addressed	No one cultural group is most at risk	Mexican origin	Did not target specific groups
Should materials be presented just in Spanish, or in English as well?	Spanish only English only Spanish & English	Bilingual	Bilingual	Spanish Bilingual

Table 1b. Questions Addressed in the Literature

	Literature
Questions	Pedestrian Safety Campaign Planner	¡Yo camino – yo cuento!	Mecklenburg Safe Communities Program	Corazón di mi vida
In what pedestrian and bicycle safety-related areas is communication with Hispanic audiences most needed?	Driver yielding to pedestrians Pedestrian understanding of signals Pedestrian visibility	Not addressed	Not addressed	Not addressed
What types of messages are most likely to have the most impact?	Emotional appeal	Slogans that encourage walking Illustrations of comic strip characters enjoying walking	Photos and verbal info Impacts of crashes on families	Value of family as reason to practice passenger safety
What are the best "media" for getting the messages across?	TV, radio, print, brochures	Billboards, door decals, brochures	Radio and print	Hangers, tags, bumper stickers, games, video – distributed through parent gatherings, religious blessings, press conferences, safety seat clinics
Which Hispanic groups should be targeted?	Not addressed	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups
Which age groups should be targeted?	Young drivers Working age adult pedestrians	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups	Parents of young children
Should different cultural groups be targeted?	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups
Should materials be presented just in Spanish, or in English as well?	Bilingual	Spanish Bilingual	Spanish only	Bilingual

Table 1c. Questions Addressed in the Literature

	Literature
Questions	Street Smart 2004 Campaign	The Madrina-Padrino Public Safety Project	Traffic Safety in Communities of Color	Traffic Safety in Latino Communities
In what pedestrian and bicycle safety-related areas is communication with Hispanic audiences most needed?	Pedestrian laws in crosswalks Drivers yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks Improving driver and pedestrian behavior	Not addressed	Not addressed	Not addressed
What types of messages are most likely to have the most impact?	"Imagine the impact" of a crash on the lives and families of pedestrians and drivers	Did not discuss specific message	Family-oriented, highly personalized, non-confrontational	Clear, consistent, and free of jargon Reflect real life Address cultural factors
What are the best "media" for getting the messages across?	TV, radio, print ads, transit, posters, handouts, enforcement activities	Media outreach through newspaper stories and TV news coverage	Comprehensive efforts that involve law enforcement, educators, city planners, media representatives, community leaders, physicians, national organizations	TV, fotonovelas
Which Hispanic groups should be targeted?	Drivers (of all ethnic and racial groups)	Recent immigrants	Highest-risk groups	Recent immigrants
Which age groups should be targeted?	Males 18–34	Did not target specific groups	Highest-risk groups	Not addressed
Should different cultural groups be targeted?	Did not target specific groups	Did not target specific groups, but population of pilot sites is mostly Mexican	Not addressed	Report does not specify groups; acknowledges variety of cultural orientations
Should materials be presented just in Spanish, or in English as well?	Bilingual	Not specified in report	Not addressed	Not specified in report

1.4 Additional Questions

The reports and campaigns reviewed also shed light on two additional questions: how different is the Hispanic population from the general population (other than language issues), and how effective are the methods currently used on the general population.

For the first question, the family is one of the most powerful institutions so any public awareness campaign must feature the family (according to Highway Safety Needs of U.S. Hispanic Communities: Issues and Strategies). This theme has been featured in various campaigns. These include the Yo camino – yo cuento (which features billboards depicting a happy family walking together), the Mecklenburg Safe Communities Program (which includes a RadioNovela in which a woman is concerned about how she and her children will manage after her husband has died in a traffic crash) and the Madrina-Padrino Public Safety Project (just as a Latino child may have a madrina (godmother) and padrino (godfather) to ensure his/her safety, individuals and organizations are encouraged to serve as madrinas and padrinos to the community).

Regarding the second question, the Street Smart campaign conducted in 2004 included TV, radio, newspaper and transit ads, public relations activities, and posters and handouts. A similar campaign was conducted in 2002. Surveys of motorists indicated increased awareness of the campaign and of police efforts to crack down on drivers who did not yield to pedestrians. However, the motorist-reported incidence of (1) pedestrians walking without concern for motor vehicles and (2) drivers not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks remained the same after the campaign as it was before.

FHWA's Pedestrian Safety Campaign includes TV, radio and print ads with messages pertaining to motorist yielding to pedestrians, pedestrians looking before they cross and pedestrian understanding of traffic signals. This campaign is being tested in three cities – Missoula, MT, Oceanside, CA and Washington, DC. An ongoing research project, scheduled to be completed in September 2005, is evaluating the effectiveness of the campaigns with respect to (1) pedestrian and motorist awareness of the campaigns, (2) pedestrian and motorist understanding of safe and legal behaviors, and (3) observed pedestrian and motorist behaviors.

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