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Traffic Safety: Improved Reporting and Performance Measures Would Enhance Evaluation of High-Visibility Campaigns

GAO-08-477 Published: Apr 25, 2008. Publicly Released: Apr 25, 2008.
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Highlights

 

Two primary risk behaviors related to fatal traffic crashes are failure to use safety belts and driving while impaired by alcohol. High-visibility enforcement (HVE) campaigns that combine enforcement of a traffic safety law with media to inform the public about the campaign are effective in reducing these behaviors. In 2005, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users authorized funding of an HVE program, including safety belt and impaired-driving campaigns. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) within the Department of Transportation (DOT) provides media and coordinates with states to provide enforcement activities for the campaigns. This report addresses (1) the extent to which NHTSA has implemented the HVE program and (2) for selected states, the impact of the campaigns and challenges that exist in conducting the campaigns. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed fatality data, plans, and evaluations and interviewed officials from DOT and seven selected states.

 

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation To improve NHTSA's evaluations of the HVE campaigns, the Secretary of Transportation should direct NHTSA to develop a minimum core set of reporting requirements for states to consistently report HVE law enforcement and media activities funded with federal dollars. These requirements should be designed to achieve a more consistent measure of state activity and accountability for federal funding without presenting an undue burden to states.
Closed – Implemented
In 2008, we reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) annual evaluations of the effectiveness of high-visibility enforcement (HVE) campaigns have shortcomings that limit the agency's ability to assess the level of state and local activity and the overall effectiveness of the campaigns. For example, the information that NHTSA has on states' activities is inconsistent and incomplete because reporting of such data is generally voluntary for local law enforcement agencies. As a result, NHTSA has reported that it cannot provide meaningful analyses and comparisons of states' activities. To improve NHTSA's evaluations of the HVE campaigns, we recommended that NHTSA develop a minimum core set of reporting requirements for states to consistently report HVE law enforcement and media activities funded with federal dollars. We noted that these requirements should be designed to achieve a more consistent measure of state activity and accountability for federal funding without presenting an undue burden to states. In response, NHTSA and the Governors Highway Safety Association established a minimum set of performance measures for states and federal agencies to use in the development and implementation of behavioral highway safety plans and programs, including measures for HVE activities. NHTSA worked with states to include these measures in the states' Fiscal Year 2010 highway safety plans. In 2010, NHTSA also implemented two mechanisms for states to use to report enforcement activity data: 1) an online reporting system for states to report HVE activities, which includes a tutorial and definitions for each data entry field to ensure consistency, and 2) states are required to submit a report of HVE and media activities with certain annual traffic safety grant applications. These efforts will provide NHTSA with more complete and consistent data to use in evaluating HVE campaigns.
Department of Transportation To improve NHTSA's evaluations of the HVE campaigns, the Secretary of Transportation should direct NHTSA to develop and include additional performance measures--such as a measure for nighttime safety belt use and additional measures of media effectiveness--in the agency's annual evaluations of the effectiveness of the two campaigns.
Closed – Implemented
In 2008, we reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) ability to measure the overall effectiveness of high-visibility enforcement (HVE) campaigns is hindered because the performance measures used to evaluate the campaigns are not comprehensive. For example, while NHTSA measures daytime safety belt use, it does not directly measure nighttime safety belt use, despite recent efforts to increase safety belt use at night. In addition, NHTSA's evaluations do not include measures of the effectiveness of the campaigns at reaching all target audiences. To improve NHTSA's evaluations of the HVE campaigns, we recommended that NHTSA develop and include additional performance measures?such as a measure for nighttime safety belt use and additional measures of media effectiveness?in the agency's annual evaluations of the effectiveness of the campaigns. As a result, in March 2010, NHTSA issued guidelines for states to observe and estimate statewide belt use at night. These guidelines include options regarding how to estimate seat belt use at night and a detailed description on how to conduct night observations. In addition, starting in December 2010, states were required to conduct and report information from driver surveys every year to help measure the effectiveness of HVE campaigns. The driver survey includes questions on self-reported behavior, media awareness, and enforcement awareness for campaigns. These additional measures should help to improve NHTSA's ability to measure the overall effectiveness of the campaigns.

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Topics

AdvertisingSubstance abuseFederal aid to statesFederal fundsstate relationsHigh risk driversHighway safetyLaw enforcementMass mediaPedestrian safetyPerformance measuresProgram evaluationProgram managementPublic roads or highwaysReporting requirementsRisk assessmentRisk factorsRisk managementSafety regulationSafety standardsState programsStrategic planningTraffic accidentsTransportationTransportation industryTransportation safetyProgram goals or objectivesProgram implementationSafety Belt