Strategic Communication
to Enhance Road Safety
Social and Behavior Change Campaigns
Vaishakhi Mallik
Director, Policy Advocacy and Communication Programs
India
Asia-Pacific Road Safety Observatory 2023
Manila, Philippines
Visit www.vitalstrategies.org

Role in Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety
Vital Strategies is a technical partner in the Initiative servicing three roles:

Changing Risky Behavior
Through Proven Interventions

70+ campaigns
launched

www.vitalstrategies.org/roadsafetycampaigns

Media campaigns change risky behaviors

Mass media campaigns coordinated with
enforcement can play an essential role in addressing
risky road user behaviors, operating as anintegrated component of a system approach.

Media campaigns play multiple roles
Media campaigns work through multiple pathways

Effective media
campaigns work throughdirect and indirectmeans.
•Change knowledge,attitudes, andbehaviors.

•Change social norms.

•Build public supportand enable policychange.

Represents themeasures in an
evaluation approach.
Adapted from: Yanovitsky and Stryker
Communication Research 2001

Grounded in science:e.g. Process of Social and Behavior ChangeHigh knowledge
Advocatingpeople are practicing andasking others to do the same
Practicing
people are actively
undertaking desired behavior

Low knowledge

Intendingpeople express the desire to
take the desired action
Approvingin favor of the desired
behavior

Knowledgeableaware of the problem and thedesired behavior change

Preknowledge
unaware of the problem
or of the risk

Piotrow, PT, Kincaid, DL,Rimon, JG & Rinehart, W/ (1997). Healthcommunication: Lessons from family planning and reproductive
health. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers

VIDEO: Power of testimonials/personal stories, India

VIDEO: Helmet wearing, India

Investment in intensive mass media campaigns coordinatedwith enforcement yield positive changes in behavior"Consequences" helmet-wearing mass
media campaign–Launched by Mumbai Traffic Police in 2017

– Out-of-home/outdoor campaign on

60+ billboards and digital screens, and 50 bus
panels in Mumbai– Evaluation showed:

93% wear or somewhat likely to wear strapped
helmet98% supported government running public service
announcement campaigns

"We All Share the Road" Colombia, 2022

Using strategic design and evidence-based approach is key
ASPIRE Strategic Planning Model
1. Assess

2. Strategize

3. Prepare•Vital Strategies uses an evidence-based
approach to plan, prepare, implement andevaluate population-level communication
programs to achieve desired public healthoutcomes.

•Usually, the campaign development process
takes six months. It is described in these twoguides.

4. Implement

5. Review

6. EvaluateMessage testing – key takeaways•

High emotional appeal inducing feelingsof serious personal consequence, andguilt impact the target audience andmake them stop and thinks•

Testimonials are effective if relevantwith clear language on the cause ofsuffering, clear call to action and emotive
relevant person featured.

•Target audience appreciate and relate
more with government-led PSAs; while
also relate with a creditable messenger doctor or scientist instructing them onscience of speed

VIDEO: "Speeding", Colombia

Campaigns should employ a mix of integrated multichannel communication approaches

Funding remains a challenge•

Campaign funding embedded in regulatory and policy frameworks, such as:-Australia's Transport Accident Commission assigns a % of vehicle registration fees forroad safety mass media-

In Brazil Road Traffic Sanctions fuel a road safety fund, Malaysia is considering asimilar policy•

Tax on unhealthy products (tobacco, sugary drinks) earmarked for public healthcommunication (e.g. Thailand, ThaiHealth)•Broadcasters required by law to provide free airtime for public health communications(Turkey and India)•Multi-year funding commitments•

The establishment of public-private partnerships with no conflict-of-interest business, e.g.
insurance or delivery companies

Thank You!

PAIDMEDIA