Effectiveness of a neighbourhood road safety campaign

The neighbourhood road safety campaign was initiated by the traffic authority of New South Wales to improve the community's awareness of traffic safety on local urban streets. The campaign was seen as the first major step in addressing a significant traffic safety problem. Research prior to the campaign showed that 25-35 per cent of accidents occur on local streets and that children and the elderly are most vulnerable. The campaign was conducted in ten local government areas around the state and included a mix of media activities, distribution of materials, and community relations. Local councils were also actively involved. The campaign was evaluated with respect to community exposure, changes in community awareness, and changes in driver behaviour. The results showed that there was no significant change in community awareness of the problem or a change in driver behaviour. However, the campaign was successful in focussing attention on speeding as a problem and made certain traffic control devices more acceptable to the public. Recommendations were made for future campaign applications in the context of local council initiatives, such as the introduction of a local area traffic management scheme (a).