This publication is distributed by the U.S. Department of 

Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration, in the interest of information exchange. 

The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this 

publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily 

those of the Department of Transportation or the National 

Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The United States 

Government assumes no liability for its content or use 

thereof. If trade or manufacturer’s names or products are 

mentioned, it is because they are considered essential to 

the object of the publication and should not be construed 

as an endorsement. The United States Government 

does not endorse products or manufacturers. 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � i

Technical Report Documentation Page 

1. Report No. 

DOT HS 809 649 

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient s Catalog No. 

4. Title and Subtitle 

Highway Safety in Black/African-American Communities: Issues and Strategies 

5. Report Date 

September 17, 2002 

6. Performing Organization Code 

7. Author�s� Sylvia Cordy, Kevin Raines, Judith Singletary, Rochelle Tillery-Larkin, Ph.D. 8. Performing Organization Report No. 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 

Cordy & Company, Inc. 

5420 Wisconsin Avenue 

Chevy Chase, MD 20815 

10. Work Unit No. �TRAIS� 

11. Contract or Grant No. 

DTNH22-00-C-05175 

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

400 Seventh Street, S.W. 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

13. Type of Report and Period Covered 

Final Report 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code 

15. Supplementary Notes 

16. Abstract 

As traffic safety needs and problems differ across populations, so are the strategies required to address them. 

Efforts to improve traffic safety in the Black community have been handicapped, however, by a lack of information on 

communication strategies that would be helpful in determining and shaping effective interventions. The purpose of 

this study was to identify traffic safety needs of Black communities within the United States and to determine effective 

means of directing traffic safety messages to these populations. Based on the research, specific guidelines for 

conducting interventions targeted to the Black community were produced. Information was collected from officials 

and representatives from local agencies and organizations through one-on-one discussions and with focus groups 

with members of the general public in six targeted locations across the United States. The six study sites were Berkeley 

County, SC; Cook County, IL; Jackson County, MO; Middlesex County, NJ; Oktibbeha County, MS and Prince George's 

County, MD. 

Representatives from agencies and organizations identified the improper or nonuse of child safety seats as a major 

problem. Focus group participants ranked drinking and driving as the top or one of the top three problems. 

Aggressive /reckless driving and speeding were also given high priority by focus groups participants. 

When promoting traffic safety programs to Black populations, research participants recommended positive, realistic 

messages that portray truthful, ordinary Black people in believable situations. Families were identified as the most positive 

influences. Churches and schools were recognized as the most trusted and effective venues for reaching the Black 

community with traffic safety messages. 

17. Key Words 

African American 

Black 

Focus Groups 

Traffic Safety 

18. Distribution Statement 

Document is available through the National 

Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161 

19. Security Classif. �of this report� 

Unclassified 

20. Security Classif. �of this page� 

Unclassified 

21. No. of Pages 22. Price 

Form DOT F 1700.7 �8-72� Reproduction of completed page authorized 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
ii HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Acknowledgements 

Cordy & Company wishes to thank the representatives of agencies and organizations who participated 

in the one-on-one discussions, and the community members who participated in the focus group 

sessions. We also wish to express our appreciation to the community representatives who made 

recommendations on focus group facilities and assisted in the recruitment of focus group participants. 

Our sincere thanks to AFYA, Inc., Kevin Raines, Judith Singletary and Rochelle Tillery-Larkin, Ph.D., 

for their contributions and assistance. 

Note 

This report uses “Black” to refer to the population that was the focus of this research. This was done in 

order to be inclusive of persons who identify with African descent and others who do not. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � iii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

Introduction 

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the 

African-American population is projected to 

grow 13 percent from 2000 to 2010, compared to 

9 percent for the total U.S. population.1 While this 

projected growth may have a positive impact on 

the nation’s diversity, it also foreshadows a 

significant increase in the number of deaths and 

injuries from traffic-related incidents, including 

motor vehicle crashes, among a population that is 

already statistically over-represented in this area. 

Attempts to reach Black communities with 

messages designed to change behavior and attitudes about traffic and driving safety consistently 

have been hampered by a lack of access to 

culturally-relevant strategies and information that 

would be helpful in developing and communicating programs that hit home. For example, traffic 

safety professionals who seek to deliver relevant, 

credible messages and information through the 

most effective channel need to understand how 

concerns and priorities among the Black community may differ from those of the mainstream 

population. To make the effort to develop effective intervention programs even more challenging, communicators also must be pre-pared to 

apply different approaches to reach different 

audiences or subgroups within the African-American community itself, based on age, location, 

ethnic origin, economic and other factors. 

In response to this challenge, NHTSA retained 

Cordy & Company Public Relations, along with 

subcontractors AFYA, Inc., and Kevin Raines, to 

identify traffic safety needs in the Black 

community, determine effective means of 

directing traffic safety messages to Black 

populations, and produce specific guidelines for 

conducting interventions targeted to the Black 

community. This report provides that information 

in the form of research findings and recommendations that can be implemented as part of current 

or future programs. 

Project Goals and General Approach 

This study was designed to identify the traffic 

safety knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and 

behaviors of residents in predominantly Black 

communities and to determine how best to 

promote highway safety to these communities. 

The study had four primary research objectives: 

■	 to identify and interpret traffic safety issues of 

concern to the Black population, particularly 

where those concerns are unique to the Black 

community; 

■	 to identify social norms and/or perceptions of 

traffic safety issues that might impact the 

effectiveness of programs and messages in the 

Black community; 

■	 to identify specific types of messages and 

themes that resonate in or are rejected by the 

Black community; and 

■	 to identify promising, as well as ineffective, 

means of delivering messages to the Black 

community. 

Information was gathered from two sources: (1) 

45 one-on-one discussions with local community 

leaders, key individuals who serve the 

community, local activists, and service providers 

in areas related to traffic safety; and (2) 48 focus 

groups with Black members of the public. 

The lessons learned from this research were 

compiled into this report to meet the study’s main 

objective: to provide an effective resource to guide 

the development of subsequent Federal, State, 

1 U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Projections Branch, 2000 Census data. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
Exhibit 1

6 U.S. Counties That Represent the Black Population


Berkeley Cook Jackson Middlesex Oktibbeha Prince George’s 

County, SC County, IL County, MO County, NJ County, MS County, MD 

Rural outskirts of Core county of

Charleston 

Black Population (1999) 

35,132 

Black Population (%) 

24.7 

Type of Black Community: 

Midsized 

Southern 

community, high 

growth, 

manufacturing 

economy, 

high home 

ownership rates, 

low crime rates. 

Core county of 

Kansas City 

164,073 

25.1 

Low-income, 

high-crime core 

of midsized city. 

Typical “enclave,” 

isolated Black 

urban community 

in West/Midwest. 

Central New Jersey, Rural east-central 

Mississippi 

14,690 

36.9 

Small Southern 

town with a large 

Black presence, 

family-oriented, 

large income and 

education 

disparities 

between Blacks 

and other groups, 

high poverty rate. 

Suburb of 

Chicago New York exurb Washington, D.C. 

1,395,700 66,016 454,871 

26.9 9.2 58.2 

Large, diverse Exurb of major Suburb of large 

population in Northeast Southern metro 

major urban megalopolis, low area, high income, 

megalopolis, proportion of concentrated


above average
 Black population, Black population, 

incomes, service high income, few standard State 

economy. disparities in seat belt law 

income and in place. 

education 

between Blacks 

and other groups. 

iv HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

and local programs that target (and are sensitive 

to) the needs of the Black population. 

Research Communities 

The focus groups and discussions were held in six 

different communities in order to capture the 

diversity of opinions and perceptions of various 

market segments within the Black population. 

Therefore, the selection of research sites was a 

very important step in the process. It was 

important to identify six communities that, in 

combination, would provide a diverse but 

representative sample of economic, demographic, 

and social environments. 

The study team developed profiles of all 3,141 

counties in the U.S. and developed an 

optimization algorithm to identify six counties 

that best represent the Black population. Data 

were gathered for 19 demographic and economic 

measures and were coded into a linear program 

optimization model to identify the most 

representative combination of six counties. Those 

counties are presented in a chart below. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � v

Research Methodology 

The field research conducted for this study 

consisted of two phases: (1) one-on-one 

discussions with key individuals and (2) focus 

groups in each community. One-on-one 

discussions were conducted first, followed by 

focus groups approximately two months later. 

The study team, in cooperation with NHTSA 

staff, prepared lists of types of individuals or 

occupations who serve the Black community or 

participate in traffic safety efforts. The final list of 

discussion candidates included leaders in the 

following general categories: 

■ education; 

■ faith-based organizations; 

■ health care; 

■ traffic safety; 

■ media; 

■ law enforcement; and 

■ politics. 

The study team conducted eight focus groups in 

each study site, which afforded some selectivity 

in segmenting focus groups. The team considered 

two types of segmentation, behavioral or 

demographic, and with input from NHTSA staff, 

elected to conduct demographic segmentations. 

Segmentations were therefore conducted by age 

and gender. 

Based on project priorities, crash statistics and 

other research, the eight population segments 

selected for focus groups were as follows: 

■ parents with children under the age of 4; 

■ seniors (ages 60-79); 

■ female teens (16-19 years old); 

■ male teens (16-19 years old); 

■ female young adults (20-27 years old); 

■ male young adults (20-27 years old); 

■ female adults (28-44 years old); and 

■ male adults (28-44 years old). 

Summary of Focus Group 

Findings and Implications for 

Program Development 

Several key findings from the research stand out 

and are presented below along with their 

implications for program development. 

Key Finding #1:

Drinking and driving and aggressive and reckless 

driving were consistently identified as significant 

traffic safety problems across all focus groups 

regardless of age, gender, or location. Although 

drinking and driving was regularly cited as a top 

area of concern, many participants felt that Black 

people are not the cause of the problem. Rather, 

participants cited White drivers as the ones who 

are drinking and driving. Also, participants used 

definitions of the term “drinking and driving” 

that varied widely. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Messages to Black communities must show the 

relevance of drinking and driving as a behavioral 

issue rather than an outside risk. Messages must 

also clarify the definition of drinking and driving, 

and emphasize the risks. 

Key Finding #2:

There was a strong belief at all sites that racial 

profiling is a serious problem and an ongoing 

practice of law enforcement. In particular, Black 

males felt that there is little that they can do to 

protect themselves from being victims of this 

practice. While most were able to 

separate the problem of racial profiling from the 

benefits of law enforcement, members of law 

enforcement were not seen as desirable leaders in 

local traffic safety efforts. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Law enforcement agencies must address this issue 

before they can become valuable partners in 

developing traffic safety programs for Black 

communities. In light of concerns about racial 

profiling, program designers should be sensitive 

in their selection of messages and messengers. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
vi HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Key Finding #3:

Seat belt use among Blacks is inconsistent, with 

part-time use prevalent regardless of the 

community and the age of the participant. Most 

respondents believed seat belts have a positive 

safety benefit. Most participants also said that 

they most frequently wear seat belts in situations 

that they view as risky, such as traveling long 

distances, in poor weather conditions, and when 

riding with young children. Interestingly, seat 

belt use was also commonly seen as a reflection 

on the ability of the driver; putting on a seat belt 

was often seen as a statement of no confidence 

in the driver’s ability, whether the driver is 

oneself or another. There was little recognition 

of the unpredictable nature of some crashes 

and that they could occur in good and bad 

weather, on long or short trips, or due to another 

driver’s error. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Programs should emphasize the unpreventable 

and unpredictable risk involved when drivers 

do not buckle up, and the need to buckle up 

each and every time a person drives or rides 

in a vehicle. 

Key Finding #4:

For younger participants, especially males, there 

was a strong relationship between driving and 

being “cool” (the term “cool” was used 

throughout the country). Often, young male 

participants said that when they drive or ride in a 

vehicle, they are “styling and profiling” in an 

attempt to look “cool.” (“Styling and profiling” is 

an attempt to show off or to try to make an 

impression). Use of seat belts was not viewed as 

“cool” by the majority of young male 

participants. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Reversing this perception among young Black 

males is important to increasing belt use, and 

may have a positive effect on seat belt use for 

their passengers, as well. 

Key Finding #5:

If parents responded that they did not wear seat 

belts, they still wanted to ensure the safety of 

their children by placing them in child restraints. 

Nonuse of safety seats was generally attributed to 

either economic constraints or indifference to 

safety. For young men, child seats were generally 

not seen as a 

high priority, and warranted minimal investment 

of time and money. Awareness of booster seats 

was mixed, and most people had only a 

general knowledge of when a child should use 

a booster seat. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

More general education needs to be provided to 

clarify the proper use of safety seats and booster 

seats. Promoting the use of child safety seat 

checkups may have a high payoff as well. The 

value and need for safety seats needs to be 

emphasized to young fathers. 

Key Finding #6:

Blacks have many of the same reasons for not 

wearing seat belts as the general population, such 

as discomfort, wrinkling clothes, and simply 

forgetting. However, most Blacks support seat 

belt laws, even if they do not consistently wear 

seat belts and believe that they are more likely to 

be pulled over for nonuse of seat belts than White 

drivers. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

The content of existing general messages needs to 

be shared with and tailored to Black audiences, 

using more culturally relevant themes, images, 

language, and media vehicles. In other words, 

how the message is delivered should be considered, but in many cases the message itself is equally 

relevant to Black or White target markets. 

Key Finding #7: 

Local health and medical providers, Black 

religious leaders, and families were most often 

identified as the most trusted groups to lead 

traffic safety efforts in the selected counties. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � vii

Churches and schools are trusted venues. 

However, no group or venue enjoyed unanimous 

support. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

These trusted sources should be incorporated into 

programs, while also recognizing that no single 

source is universally trusted and thus parallel 

messages with different messengers may be 

warranted. The use of religious leaders should be 

localized and incorporated into appropriate 

program elements. Program designers should 

consult with their local community contacts 

before selecting messengers. 

Key Finding #8: 

Blacks in the selected communities for this study 

were receptive to, and supportive of, positive, 

realistic messages. Messages should portray 

truthful, ordinary people in realistic situations. 

Participants strongly believe it is essential to have 

Blacks represented in messages and ads that 

target Black men, women, teens, or seniors. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Messages and ads should portray ordinary people 

in believable situations. For the most part, 

participants were not interested in “blood and 

guts” images and scenes. Including Black people 

in the messages is important in attracting the 

attention of Black audiences. 

Key Finding #9: 

When compared to White communities, many 

participants believed that Black communities 

have significantly inferior street systems in 

design, construction, and maintenance. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Messages should forthrightly portray infrastructure in keeping with the public’s perceptions, to 

ensure that messages are perceived as honest, 

“above board,” and well received. 

Key Finding #10: 

Participants are suspicious of safety statistics that 

do not match their perceptions of the Black 

community’s opinions or behavior. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Minimize use of statistics in safety messages 

targeting Blacks, or make efforts in the message to 

reinforce the validity of the data as part of a social 

norming message. 

Key Finding #11: 

There was a high level of interest and concern 

about pedestrian issues. Participants had different 

opinions on issues such as jaywalking and the 

lack of sidewalks, depending on their geographic 

region. Participants consistently said that 

pedestrians wearing dark clothing, and walking 

along or across roads at night, present dangerous 

challenges for motorists. 

Implications for Targeted Program Development: 

Better education is needed in the area of 

pedestrian safety, especially how to cross streets. 

These educational efforts need to be targeted to 

the unique urban or rural environments in local 

areas, and designed with deference to the other 

program implications cited earlier with regard to 

message development and delivery. 

When considering target audiences for program 

development, it is important to heed one 

participant’s statement that “there are two ways 

to change: by choice or by force.” This comment 

sums up the feelings of many, particularly older, 

participants about a resistance to forced change. 

Many participants emphasized that messages 

should target changing the community’s mindset 

about the benefits of traffic safety, rather than 

forcing the changes through threats, presumably 

enforcement. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
viii HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Key Comparisons Between Focus 

Groups and One-On-One Discussions 

The following are key findings and comparisons 

of the focus groups and one-on-one discussions. 

Major Traffic Safety Problems in

Black Communities

There were significant differences in the way 

focus group participants and one-on-one 

participants ranked the major traffic safety 

problems affecting the Black communities in their 

respective counties. Across all focus groups, the 

majority of participants ranked drinking and 

driving as either the top, or one of the top, three 

problems. Aggressive driving and speeding were 

also given high priority. 

The improper or non-use of child safety seats was 

the major problem listed in the one-on-one 

discussions. Contrary to the focus group findings, 

drinking and driving was rarely mentioned in the 

one-on-one discussions. 

Trusted Messengers of Health and

Safety Information

Focus group participants and participants in the 

one-on-one discussions differed on who they 

viewed as the most-trusted messengers of health 

and safety initiatives in the Black community. 

While the majority of one-on-one discussants in 

all counties listed elected and law enforcement 

officials as two of the most credible and trusted 

messengers, focus group participants reported 

just the opposite. Focus group participants 

reported that most in the Black community view 

both politicians and law enforcement officials 

with suspicion. In their opinions, both would be 

poor choices as spokespersons for a health and 

safety campaign. 

However, similar to the focus group findings, the 

majority of one-on-one participants saw nonprofit organizations, community-based 

organizations, churches and schools as trusted 

venues and effective at reaching the Black 

community with messages. 

Perceptions in the Black Community About

the Enforcement of Traffic Laws

As in the focus groups, the vast majority of 

participants in the one-on-one discussions 

reported racial profiling to be a major issue in the 

Black community. Similarly, both focus group and 

one-on-one participants said that Black males – 

particularly young Black males – are more likely 

to be victims of profiling than other groups. 

Participants in both sets of research groups 

mentioned similar ways to eliminate racial 

profiling, such as increased diversity on police 

forces and more accountability for police officers. 

Child Safety Seats/Restraints

Participants in the one-on-one discussions 

consistently listed the improper use and nonuse 

of child safety seats as a problem within the 

Black community. In fact, respondents in 

several counties said they believed people 

were not knowledgeable about the guidelines 

and laws that govern the use of child safety 

seats and restraints. 

In the focus groups, the majority of participants 

who regularly transport children reported 

consistent use of child safety seats. In fact, many 

admitted that they were more diligent about 

using restraints for their children than about 

using seat belts for themselves. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � ix

Guidelines and Strategies for 

Program Development 

Information collected and reviewed for this study 

suggested the following guidelines for designing 

and conducting traffic safety programs directed at 

Black populations: 

■	 Messages may be most effective when directed 

to the following three target audiences: the 

“Hip-Hop” Generation, the Civil Rights 

Generation, and Black Males (of all ages). 

■	 It is important to address obstacles that impede 

the communication of traffic safety messages. 

Three significant obstacles in Black 

communities are distrust of law enforcement, 

skepticism about statistics from predominantly 

White organizations, and the perceived 

inferiority of sidewalk and road conditions 

between Black and White communities. 

■	 It is important to address informational needs. 

Those needs may include clarification of 

problem behavior, communication of 

associated risks and consequences, education 

about rules and regulations, and/or instruction 

on safety practices. Identified needs varied 

across program areas. 

■	 Messages should be realistic, factual (although 

not laden with statistics), incorporate culturally 

relevant music, use trusted spokespersons and 

sources, and emphasize change by choice 

rather than change by force. It is important to 

pretest messages and gather feedback about 

appropriate spokespersons before 

implementing a full campaign. 

■	 Possible channels of delivery include churches 

and other religious institutions, personal 

interaction, and mass media. However, the 

selection of an appropriate channel of delivery 

is contingent on a community’s character, 

culture, and resources. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 1


Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 1


Project Goals and General Approach ........................................................................................................... 1


PROJECT METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................................................... 3


Site Selection Process ...................................................................................................................................... 3


Profiles of Selected Sites ................................................................................................................................. 6


Field Research Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 10


FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS IN BLACK COMMUNITIES ................................................................................... 15


Problem Identification ................................................................................................................................. 15


General Driving Practices...................................................................................................................... 15


General Driving Issues........................................................................................................................... 15


Perspectives on Drinking and Driving................................................................................................ 18


Pedestrian Safety Issues ............................................................................................................................... 21


Seat Belt Usage ........................................................................................................................................ 23


Support for Seat Belt Laws.................................................................................................................... 26


Enforcement and Racial Profiling......................................................................................................... 29


Child Safety Seats/Restraints ............................................................................................................... 31


Media and Outreach Opportunities ........................................................................................................... 33


Local Leadership and Organizations ................................................................................................... 33


Ads and Media Messages...................................................................................................................... 35


Key Factors to Successful Messages and Programs .......................................................................... 36


PERSPECTIVES OF NEEDS FROM AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, 


AND ACTIVISTS SERVING THE BLACK COMMUNITY .................................................................................... 39


Importance of Outreach in the Black Community ................................................................................... 40


Resistance or Barriers Encountered in Outreach to Black Communities ............................................. 41


Trusted Messengers of Health and Safety Information........................................................................... 43


Perceptions in the Black Community About the Enforcement of Traffic Laws.................................. 45


Degree of Awareness/Knowledge in the Black Community of Traffic Safety 


Issues—Driver, Passenger, and Pedestrian ......................................................................................... 46


Major Driver-, Passenger-, and Pedestrian-Related Traffic Safety Problems ....................................... 48


Effective and Ineffective Channels of Communication ........................................................................... 49


Specific Cultural Issues to Consider When Working in the Black Community .................................. 50


KEY COMPARISONS BETWEEN FOCUS GROUPS AND 


ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 51


SUMMARY OF THE TOP 11 FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS 


FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT .............................................................................................................. 53


GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT .............................................................. 57


Key Target Groups......................................................................................................................................... 57


Obstacles to Effective Message Reception................................................................................................. 59


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 

HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � xi

xii HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Key Informational Needs ............................................................................................................................. 60


Guidelines for Message Development ....................................................................................................... 64


Channels of Delivery .................................................................................................................................... 66


Implementation.............................................................................................................................................. 66


Appendices 

22 Rules For Selecting Counties 

One-on-One Discussion Guide Template 

Focus Group Moderator’s Guide 

Focus Group Screener 

Moderator’s Checklist 

Traffic Safety Problems 

Blue Ribbon Panel Recommendations 

List of Exhibits


Exhibit 1 6 U.S. Counties That Represent the Black Population................................................... iv


Exhibit 2 County and State Data Measures Used for Site Selection Process................................ 4


Exhibit 3 Black Population by Region and Sample County Statistics ........................................... 7


Exhibit 4 Sample County Profiles........................................................................................................ 8


Exhibit 5 Ranking of Safety Issues by Age and Gender ................................................................ 17


Exhibit 6 Survey Questions and National Findings ....................................................................... 27


Exhibit A-1 Six U.S. Population Groups by Community Size ........................................................ A-2


Exhibit A-2 U.S. Black Population by Region.................................................................................... A-2


Exhibit A-3 Black Population by Size and Region............................................................................ A-3


Exhibit A-4 Black Proportion of Population - Category Definition ............................................... A-5


Exhibit A-5 Ten Year Local Employment Growth Rate- Category Definition ...............................A-6


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 1

Chapter I 

INTRODUCTION 

Overview 

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, the 

African-American population is projected to grow 

13 percent from 2000 to 2010, compared to 9 

percent for the total U.S. population.1 While this 

projected growth may have a positive impact on 

the nation’s diversity, it also foreshadows a 

significant increase in the number of deaths and 

injuries from traffic-related incidents, including 

motor vehicle crashes, among a population that is 

already statistically over-represented in this area. 

Attempts to reach Black communities with messages designed to change behavior and attitudes 

about traffic and driving safety consistently have 

been hampered by a lack of access to culturallyrelevant strategies and information that would be 

helpful in developing and communicating 

programs that hit home. For example, traffic 

safety professionals who seek to deliver relevant, 

credible messages and information through the 

most effective channel need to understand how 

concerns and priorities among the Black community may differ from those of the mainstream 

population. To make the effort to develop effective intervention programs even more challenging, communicators also must be prepared to 

apply different approaches to reach different 

audiences or subgroups within the AfricanAmerican community itself, based on age, location, ethnic origin, economic and other factors. 

In response to this challenge, NHTSA retained 

Cordy & Company Public Relations, along with 

subcontractors AFYA, Inc., and Kevin Raines, to 

identify traffic safety needs in the Black community, to determine effective means of promoting 

traffic safety to Black populations, and to produce 

specific guidelines for conducting interventions 

targeted to Black populations. This report provides that information in the form of research 

findings and recommendations that can be implemented as part of current or future programs. 

Project Goals and General Approach 

This study was designed to identify the traffic 

safety knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors 

of residents in predominantly Black communities 

and to determine how best to promote highway 

safety to these communities. The study had four 

primary research objectives: 

■	 to identify and interpret traffic safety issues of 

concern to the Black population, particularly 

where those concerns are unique to the Black 

community; 

■	 to identify social norms and perceptions of 

traffic safety issues that might impact the 

effectiveness of programs and messages in the 

Black community; 

■	 to identify specific types of messages and 

themes that resonate in or are rejected by the 

Black community; and 

■	 to identify promising and ineffective means of 

delivering messages to the Black community. 

Information was gathered from two sources: (1) 

45 one-on-one discussions with local community 

leaders, activists, service providers, and other key 

people who serve the community; and (2) 48 

focus groups with Black members of the public. 

The lessons learned from this research were 

compiled in this report to meet the study’s main 

objective: to provide a resource that can be used to 

guide the development of subsequent Federal, State, 

and local programs that are targeted to, or sensitive 

toward, the Black population. 

1 U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Population Projections Branch, 2000 Census data. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

With more than 30 million African Americans in 

the U.S., representing numerous opinions, 

perceptions, and experiences, no single message, 

program, or media vehicle will resonate with this 

community. Like any other demographic group, 

however, these diverse opinions can be reduced 

to manageable market segments. This study 

gathered opinions based on two levels of market 

segmentation: 

■	 Geodemographic segmentation. To some 

extent, individual perceptions are based on 

one’s living environment. Messages, media, 

and programmatic needs may differ between 

urban and rural communities, blue-collar and 

white-collar communities, low-income and 

high-income communities, and a number of 

other identifiers. This research has concentrated on six communities that typify the range 

of African American communities throughout 

the U.S. 

■	 Traditional demographic segmentation. Age, 

family status, gender, and other demographic 

identifiers also affect messages, media, and 

program needs within communities. Within 

each of the six communities, eight focus groups 

were conducted, each targeting a different 

traditional demographic market segment. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 3

Chapter II 

PROJECT METHODOLOGY 

This section of the report describes the 

methodological procedures used to conduct the 

research and includes three distinct subsections: 

■	 the approach used to select the six research 

communities; 

■	 demographic and economic profiles of the six 

communities; and 

■	 the field research methodology, including the 

design and recruiting of the focus groups, the 

one-on-one discussion process, and other 

pertinent background information. 

Site Selection Process 

The reason for conducting the research in six 

different communities was to capture the 

diversity of opinions and perceptions of various 

market segments within the American Black 

population. Therefore, the selection of research 

sites was a very important step in the process. It 

was important to identify six communities that in 

combination would provide a diverse but 

representative sample of economic, demographic, 

and social environments. In light of this 

requirement, significant effort was expended to 

locate an optimal combination of communities. 

The site selection process involved five 

distinct steps: 

STEP 1:	 Identify and classify available

community-descriptive data; 

STEP 2:	 Identify data measures (and 

non quantitative measures) to 

be considered; 

STEP 3:	 Develop a sampling or optimization 

methodology to support the selection of the best combination of sites; 

STEP 4:	 Select six sites using the processes 

and data developed in Steps 1 

through 3; and 

STEP 5:	 Manually review the six sites to 

ensure their reasonable fit with the 

goals of the research. 

Step 1: Identify and Classify Available

Data

The study team canvassed a number of data 

sources to identify measures that could be used to 

describe local communities. Upon beginning this 

process, two criteria were defined: the data must 

be comprehensive and consistently defined across 

the U.S. 

This limited the search to Federal data sources, 

since the availability and consistency of State, 

local, and private data sources vary widely. 

Additionally, data sets varied by geographical 

level; different data (and less data) were available 

for cities and Zip Codes, compared to counties 

and States. Upon considering the amount of data 

available, along with practical issues such as the 

population pool needed to recruit for focus 

groups, it was determined that a county-level 

geography was most appropriate for the selection 

process. This geographic criterion offered the best 

tradeoff between small-area targeting and the size 

necessary to recruit a sufficient number of focus 

group participants. 

County-level data were gathered from numerous 

sources, including the U.S. Bureau of the Census, 

the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Uniform 

Crime Reporting System, and private 

demographic sales organizations. State level data 

were collected from NHTSA sources. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
4 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Step 2: Identify Appropriate Data 19 particular measures that, in combination, 

Measures for Site Selection provide a strong description of a county’s 

After gathering and identifying a large number of particular demographic, economic, and social 

available data measures, the study team identified elements. These 19 measures are listed below. 

Exhibit 2 

County and state data measures used for site selection process 

■	 Overall Black population (1999); 

■	 Overall county population (1999); 

■	 Black population as a proportion of overall county population (1999); 

■	 Total minority population as a proportion of overall county population (1999); 

■	 Median household income estimates for all races collectively (2000); 

■	 Disparities in the proportions of Black and non-Black households with incomes of $35,000 or 

more (1990); 

■	 Proportion of residents ages 25 or older with a 2-year college degree or higher (2000); 

■	 Disparities in the proportions of Black and non-Black persons ages 25 or older with a 2-year 

college degree or higher (1990); 

■	 Home ownership rates for the overall population (2000); 

■	 Overall population growth rate (1990–1999); 

■	 Black population growth rate (1990–1999); 

■	 Overall job growth (1989–1998); 

■	 Total per capita crime rate (1997); 

■	 Local economic sector concentrations of manufacturing, services, farm employment, and 

military (1998); 

■	 Presence of standard or secondary seat belt law statewide (current)3

; 

■	 Statewide traffic fatality rates (1999—statewide data were used because of the instability of 

fatality rates on a year to year basis for smaller populations); 

■	 Poverty rates for the overall population (1995); 

■	 Percent of Black households with children (1990); and 

■	 Geographic region. 

Note: Some of these data represent the entire county, and others represent only the Black population within a county. 

2	 Standard seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to pull over drivers for seat belt violations even if no other violations 

are observed. Secondary seat belt laws allow law enforcement officers to address seat belt violations only if the driver has 

been stopped for another offense. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 5

Step 3: Develop Algorithm to Select Sites

Using a mathematical modeling algorithm that 

incorporates the 19 data measures, the team set 

up a series of 22 rules that, if satisfied, would 

identify the “perfect” combination of counties. 

The team then developed and implemented a 

linear programming optimization model to identify the set of counties that came closest to meeting this ideal. For a detailed description of the 22 

rules for selecting counties see Appendix A. 

Step 4: Implement Optimization Model to

Select Sites

The study team developed a linear programming 

model to optimize the site selection process. The 

linear programming model converted the rules 

into mathematical equations and defined an error 

term to quantify how close a particular 

combination of six communities came to 

satisfying all 22 rules. 

As an additional factor, each rule was given a 

different weighting in the model, based on 

rankings assigned by the study team in 

consultation with NHTSA staff. Some rules were 

incontrovertible, such as the rule regarding 

diversity of community sizes. Other rules were 

given high importance, such as the rule regarding 

diversity of the Black proportion of the 

population and diversity of incomes. Other rules 

were given low importance, such as the diversity 

of home ownership rates. 

The odds against a particular group of six 

counties perfectly satisfying all rules were 

astronomical, so the exercise concentrated on 

finding the combination that produced the 

smallest deviation from the theoretically “perfect” 

combination. Additionally, the mathematical 

model was so large, and the data sets so 

numerous, that standard linear programming 

software could not accommodate the model, so 

the study team used an iterative approach to 

eliminate candidate counties until the full model 

could be run. More information about this process 

can be obtained by contacting the study team. 

Using this system, the study team identified a 

number of county combinations that came close 

to satisfying all constraints. 

Step 5: Manually Review Identified Sites

The theoretically optimum set of counties, along 

with backup sites, was submitted to NHTSA 

headquarters and regional staff for review, and 

was also reviewed by all members of the study 

team. The sites were reviewed for any unique 

situations that might cause the research to be 

skewed (e.g., strong programs already in place to 

promote traffic safety issues in the Black 

community; the presence of unique, high profile 

institutions such as historically Black colleges or 

universities; or the presence of other features that 

would render a community atypical). 

Adjustments were made as necessary, and backup 

sites were selected where necessary. 

Profiles of Selected Sites 

The six sites selected were: 

Berkeley County, SC is on the rural outskirts of 

Charleston, SC, with a population of 142,000, of 

whom 35,000 are Blacks. While the county is 

physically large, much of its north and west 

sections are undeveloped, with most of the 

population concentrated in the southern half of 

the county near Charleston and north along 

Interstate 26 and State Highway 52. The county 

has below-average income and education levels 

and above-average growth, with a concentration 

in manufacturing jobs. Berkeley County was 

selected because it is a midsized southern 

community with high growth, high home 

ownership rates, a manufacturing economy, and 

low crime rates. 

Cook County, IL has a Black population of 1.4 

million, densely situated in areas ranging from 

urban to suburban, but primarily metropolitanbased since it is the core county of the Chicago 

metropolitan area. Overall, Cook County has a 

racially diverse population. This location offers a 

diverse range of conditions according to the study 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
6 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

team’s 17 key measurements, although incomes 

and educational levels for Blacks in this area 

generally rank near the national average. There 

also is a very strong base of Black leadership and 

community-based activism. Cook County, and 

Chicago in particular, was selected because of its 

large, diverse population in a major urban setting 

with a service economy. One out of every 25 Black 

people in the U.S. lives in Cook County. 

Jackson County, MO is the core county for the 

Kansas City metropolitan area and is relatively 

representative of the Black presence in midsized 

cities. Of the total population of 650,000, 

approximately 25 percent are Black. The county 

has a strong lower middle class, with a larger 

than average proportion of low-income 

households, but a smaller than average 

proportion of households below the poverty 

threshold. The crime rate is particularly high. 

Blacks are only about half as likely to have a 

college degree as members of other races in the 

county, and only about half as likely to have 

above-average household incomes. Jackson 

County was selected because it is a good example 

of a low-income, high-crime, midsized 

metropolitan core. It is a typical “enclave” or 

isolated Black community in the 

western/midwestern U.S. 

Middlesex County, NJ is an urban/suburban 

county with a Black population of approximately 

66,000. New Jersey has 10 counties with Black 

populations within the 48,000 to 103,000 range, 

many of which are strikingly similar in their 

demographic and economic profiles. Each of these 

counties is characterized by above-average 

income and education levels and offers a 

diversified economy fueled primarily by 

manufacturing and service industries. Blacks tend 

not to be concentrated in urban areas, but are 

found in enclave communities among a primarily 

majority population. Middlesex County was 

selected because it is a high-income exurb of a 

major northeastern megalopolis with a low 

proportion of Blacks, yet with few disparities in 

income and education levels between Blacks and 

other groups. 

Oktibbeha County, MS is a rural area where 

14,690 Blacks reside among an overall population 

of nearly 40,000, in an environment typically 

known as “small-town America.” This site was 

selected because of the relatively high number of 

minorities in the area; the general separation from 

a major metropolitan center; and the interesting 

mix of factors, including a high crime rate, a large 

proportion of jobs in the government sector, and a 

high number of households with children. The 

county is largely family-oriented, with significant 

income and education disparities between Blacks 

and other groups, and a high poverty rate. 

Because Blacks make up more than one-third of 

the county population, there is a high probability 

of strong community vitality, although largely 

“rural” in style and content. Oktibbeha is roughly 

prototypical of the rural and small-town counties 

that are home to approximately 5.8 million Blacks, 

the majority of whom live in the southern U.S. 

Prince George’s County, MD is a densely 

populated urban/suburban area in the 

Washington, DC metropolitan area. Of its 780,000 

residents, more than 450,000 are Black, thereby 

constituting a very concentrated Black 

community. It is a relatively high-income area, 

albeit with relatively slow economic growth, and 

has an above-average concentration of 

government workers. Blacks in Prince George’s 

County tend to experience fewer disparities in 

income and education levels relative to other 

races than is seen in most areas of the country. 

The county has below-average crime levels and 

an above-average presence of families with 

children. Prince George’s County was selected 

because it is a suburb of a large southern 

metropolitan area, with a high-income, highly 

concentrated Black population. In addition, 

Maryland has a standard seat belt law and is 

close to NHTSA headquarters, which facilitates 

project monitoring. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 7

Exhibit 3 

Black Population by Region and Sample County Statistics 

West 

3.4 million - 9.7% 

Midwest 

6.4 million - 18.4% 

Northeast 

6.4 million - 18.3% 

South 

18.7 million - 53.6% 

Numbers 

represent Black 

population by 

region, and 

overall 

proportion of 

U.S. Black 

population 

Berkeley Cook Jackson Middlesex Oktibbeha Prince George’s 

County, SC County, IL County, MO County, NJ County, MS County, MD 

Rural outskirts of Core county of

Charleston 

Black Population (1999) 

35,132 

Black Population (%) 

24.7 

Type of Black Community: 

Midsized 

Southern 

community, high 

growth, 

manufacturing 

economy, 

high home 

ownership rates, 

low crime rates. 

Core county of Central New Jersey,

Kansas City 

164,073 

25.1 

Low-income, 

high-crime core 

of midsized city. 

Typical “enclave,” 

isolated Black 

urban community 

in West/Midwest. 

Suburb of 

Chicago New York exurb 

Rural east-central 

Mississippi 

14,690 

36.9 

Small Southern 

town with a large 

Black presence, 

family-oriented, 

large income and 

education 

disparities 

between Blacks 

and other groups, 

high poverty rate. 

Washington, D.C. 

1,395,700 66,016 454,871 

26.9 9.2 58.2 

Large, diverse Exurb of major Suburb of large 

population in Northeast Southern metro 

major urban megalopolis, low area, high income, 

megalopolis, proportion of concentrated


above average
 Black population, Black population, 

incomes, service high income, few standard State 

economy. disparities in seat belt law 

income and in place. 

education 

between Blacks 

and other groups. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
8 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Full profiles of each selected county are presented in the following table: 

Exhibit 4 

Sample County Profiles 

County Profiles 

Berkeley Cook Jackson 

County, County, County, 

SC IL MO 

Middlesex Oktibbeha 

County, County, 

NJ MS 

Prince 

George’s 

County, 

MD 

Residents ages 25 or older 

with college degree (2000) (%) 

22.83 33.40 30.09 

Well below Above Below 

average average average 

36.89 44.31 

Well above Top tier 

average 

35.61 

Well above 

average 

Median income (all 

residents) (2000) ($) 

38,046 47,283 38,357 

Below Well above Below 

average average average 

64,179 29,498 

Top tier Bottom 

tier 

58,535 

Top tier 

Population in any minority 

group (1999) (%) 

27.9 32.2 27.0 

Above Above Below 

average average average 

20.3 40.6 

Well below Well above 

average average 

63.3 

Top tier 

Overall population (1999) 142,300 5,192,326 654,484 

Well below Top tier Above 

average average 

717,949 39,765 

Above Bottom 

average tier 

781,781 

Well above 

average 

Population change 

(1990–1999) (%) 

10.6 1.7 3.4 

Well above Well below Below 

average average average 

6.9 3.6 

Above Below 

average average 

8.2 

Above 

average 

Black population (1999) 35,132 1,395,700 164,073 

Well below Top tier Above 

average average average 

66,016 14,690 

Below Bottom 

average tier 

454,871 

Well above 

average 

Change in Black population 

(1990–1999) (%) 

above 

12.8 5.1 20.4 

Above Well below Well above 

average average average 

18.2 11.4 

Above Below 

average average 

22.8 

Wel 

average 

Black population (1999) (%) 24.7 26.9 25.1 

Above Above Above 

average average average 

9.2 36.9 

Bottom Well above 

tier average 

58.2 

Top tier 

Jobs in service sector (1998) (%) 20.69 35.11 32.52 

Bottom Well above Above 

tier average average 

31.75 17.79 

Below Bottom 

average tier 

30.60 

Below 

average 

Jobs in manufacturing 

sector (1998) (%) 

18.07 13.08 9.86 

Top tier Above Below 

average average average 

14.20 11.95 

Well above Above 

average average 

3.29 

Bottom 

tier 

Jobs in military sector 

(1998) (%) 

1.91 0.37 0.68 

Top tier Bottom Above 

tier average 

0.40 1.30 

Bottom Well above 

tier average 

2.39 

Top tier 

Jobs in government sector 

(nonmilitary) (1998) (%) 

16.32 10.37 12.77 

Well above Well below Above 

average average average 

11.08 38.35 

Below Top tier 

average 

19.49 

Top tier 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 9

County Profiles 

Berkeley Cook Jackson 

County, County, County, 

SC IL MO 

Middlesex Oktibbeha 

County, County, 

NJ MS 

Prince 

George’s 

County, 

MD 

Employment Growth 

(1989–1998) (%) 

23.35 5.77 6.33 

Well above Well below Well below 

average average average 

11.73 17.97 

Below Above 

average average 

7. 28 

Below 

average 

Total reported crimes 

per 10,000 residents (1997) 

72.5 111.5 209.4 

Well below Below Top tier 

average average 

68.8 120.7 

Bottom Above 

tier average 

97.2 

Below 

average 

Ratio of Blacks with college 

degrees to other races with 

college degrees (1990) 

0.604 0.559 0.582 

Above Below Above 

average average average 

0.822 0.266 

Top tier Bottom 

tier 

0.729 

Well above 

average 

Ratio of households with 

incomes of $35,000 or more – 

Black versus all other (1990) 

0.509 0.580 0.555 

Below Above Below 

average average average 

0.849 0.379 

Top tier Bottom 

tier 

0.900 

Top tier 

Proportion of all households 

below the poverty line 

(1996) (%) 

14.1 14.7 14.9 

Below Below Below 

average average average 

5.8 23.4 

Bottom Top tier 

tier 

8.1 

Bottom 

tier 

Black households with 

children (1990) (%) 

48.56 37.89 39.74 

Top tier Well below Below 

average average 

39.16 49.28 

Below Top tier 

average 

42.07 

Above 

average 

Housing units occupied 

by owners (1990) (%) 

66.36 53.16 56.32 

Well above Well below Below 

average average average 

65.88 56.71 

Well above Below 

average average 

57.67 

Below 

average 

Geographic region (as defined 

by U.S. Bureau of the Census)* 

South Midwest Midwest Northeast South South 

Seat belt law in place Secondary Secondary Secondary Standard Secondary Standard 

Crash fatality rate per 10,000 

residents (State) (1999) 

2.741 1.200 2.001 

Top tier Well below Well above 

average average 

0.893 3.348 

Bottom Top tier 

tier 

1.141 

Well below 

average 

* Note: No counties were selected from the Western region because fewer than 10 percent of the population is Black. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
10 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Field Research Methodology 

Upon selection of the sites and approval from 

both NHTSA headquarters and the relevant 

NHTSA regional offices, the field research began. 

The field research had two phases: one-on-one 

discussions with key individuals in each 

community, and focus groups in each community. 

The general process for conducting this research 

is presented in the following pages. The process is 

presented in approximate chronological order, 

although in many cases independent steps were 

conducted simultaneously. 

Phase 1: One-on-one discussions with

key individuals.

Step 1A: Identify categories of individuals who 

serve the community. 

The study team, in cooperation with NHTSA 

staff, prepared lists of types of individuals or 

occupations who serve the Black community or 

participate in traffic safety efforts. The final list of 

discussion candidates included leaders in the 

following general categories: 

■ education; 

■ faith-based organizations; 

■ health care; 

■ traffic safety; 

■ media; 

■ law enforcement; and 

■ politics. 

Within each category, subcategories were also 

identified. 

Step 1B: Identify specific individuals in the six 

target communities. 

Upon identifying the discussion candidate categories and finalizing the selection of sites, the 

study team investigated each community to identify a list of approximately 10 people who might 

have valuable insights into the research topic. 

Step 1C: Prepare discussion guide. 

The study team prepared a content guide for use 

as a template for discussions. A separate but 

similar guide was created for each type of 

community leader or key individual to ensure 

that pertinent topics were covered. A draft guide 

was submitted to NHTSA for review and NHTSA 

comments were discussed and addressed to 

produce the final guide. See Appendix B for the 

One-on-One Discussion Guide Template. 

Step 1D: Schedule meetings. 

Each individual on the list produced during Step 

1B was contacted by the study team, informed 

about the study and the study goals, and asked to 

participate in a discussion. 

Step 1E: Conduct meetings. 

Discussions were conducted onsite in each 

community by study team members; telephone 

discussions were also conducted in instances 

where the study team’s travel schedule did not 

coincide with a local leader’s availability. 

As a means of ensuring proper coverage of the 

topic and the target community, every person 

who participated in one-on-one discussions was 

also asked to provide the names of other leaders 

or key individuals in the community. This assured 

the study team that key individuals were being 

recognized and canvassed. 

During the travel to these meetings, certain logistical issues were also addressed when planning 

the upcoming focus groups. These tasks included 

checking potential focus group facilities, making 

contact with advertising media (for recruiting), 

and other specific tasks. 

Phase 2: Conduct focus groups with

the public.

Step 2A: Identify target groups. 

The study team conducted eight focus groups in 

each study site, which afforded some selectivity 

in segmenting focus groups. The team considered 

two types of segmentation, behavioral or demographic, and with input from NHTSA staff 

elected to conduct demographic segmentations. 

Segmentations were therefore conducted by age 

and gender. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 11

Based on project priorities, crash statistics and 

other research, the eight population segments 

selected for focus groups were as follows: 

■ parents with children under the age of 4; 

■ seniors (60–79 years old); 

■ female teens (16–19 years old); 

■ male teens (16–19 years old); 

■ female young adults (20–27 years old); 

■ male young adults (20–27 years old); 

■ female adults (28–44 years old); and 

■ male adults (28–44 years old). 

Step 2B: Design focus group moderator’s guide. 

As with the one-on-one discussion guide, the 

study team created a draft focus group moderator’s guide, which was finalized with the assistance and cooperation of NHTSA staff. (See 

Appendix C for the Focus Group Moderator’s 

Guide.) The guide was designed for a 2-hour 

focus group, with additional topics included in 

the event that a group ran short on time. 

The focus group guide was highly consistent 

across groups but minor differences were included for specific groups. The parents group, in 

particular, was offered a more indepth discussion 

of child safety seats and booster seats, while teenagers were asked a question about learning to 

drive. In each group the moderator had latitude 

to stray from the guide in the event that an unexpected topic of interest was raised by the group. 

Prior to conducting the focus groups, moderators 

met for an orientation session where issues 

relevant to the overall operation of the focus 

groups were discussed, including onsite preparations preceding the focus groups. A logistical 

checklist, described in Step 2E, was provided to 

each moderator to ensure smooth setup and 

execution of the groups. 

Step 2C: Set up focus group logistics. 

The study team located sites for focus group 

facilities, and made arrangements for refreshments, travel, props, and other items needed to 

conduct the groups. The team also set up a tollfree telephone number so potential participants 

could call in to register or ask questions. 

Facility selection was determined based on the 

following factors: 

■ location; 

■ access to public transportation; 

■ size and accommodations; 

■ accessibility for the handicapped; 

■ availability; and 

■ cost. 

Formal focus group facilities were generally 

neither available nor necessary, therefore focus 

groups were often held in community centers or 

other locations known to local residents. The focus 

group locations were: 

Berkeley 	 Moncks Corner AME 

County, SC	 Church, Moncks Corner 

Moncks Corner Baptist Church, 

Moncks Corner Cross 

Community Center, Cross 

Cook 	 Sinai Community Center, 

County, IL	 Chicago 

Chicago Urban League, 

Chicago 

Jackson 	 Bruce Watkins Cultural 

County, MO	 Heritage Center, Kansas City 

Kansas City Urban 

League, Kansas City 

Middlesex 	 Job Corps of Edison 

County, NJ	 Tiny Tots Day Care 

Center (affiliated with 

Ebenezer Baptist Church), 

New Brunswick 

Oktibbeha 	 Brickfire Project Community 

County, MS	 Center, Starkville 

Peter’s Rock Temple Church of 

God, Starkville 

Prince George’s 	 Bowie State University, Bowie 

County, MD	 Olchak Market Research, 

Greenbelt Prince George’s 

Community College, Largo 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
12 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

In Prince George’s County, a formal focus group 

facility was used for selected focus groups to allow 

NHTSA staff to observe the groups. 

Step 2D: Recruit focus group participants. 

Focus group participants were recruited in one of 

two ways: (1) through announcements placed in 

key Black newspapers, distribution of flyers, and 

radio public service announcements (PSAs) in the 

designated communities; and (2) telephone 

recruitment using random resident listings. 

Standardized notices containing information on 

the study, focus group composition, a deadline for 

responses, and contact information, including a 

toll-free number, were strategically placed in 

predominantly Black print and media outlets in 

the six sites. Individual flyers containing the same 

information were also widely distributed 

throughout the communities. In addition, team 

members worked directly with community 

organizations and institutions to identify focus 

group participants. These entities included 

churches, youth organizations, service providers, 

universities, and local branches of national Black 

organizations (NAACP and urban leagues). 

After a potential candidate called the toll-free 

number, a study team member asked each person 

a series of questions from a screener designed by 

the team. Team members screened candidates and 

assigned successful candidates to one of the eight 

designated groups. The team sought to recruit 10 

to 12 participants for each focus group so that an 

average of eight to 10 individuals would be 

available for each session (given the possibility of 

“no shows”). While driving status was not used 

as a criterion for inclusion or exclusion in the 

focus groups, the following items were used to 

screen participants (see Appendix D): 

■	 age; 

■	 gender; 

■	 geographic representation (residence in the 

county was required); and 

■	 availability during identified dates and times. 

Step 2E: Prepare and execute onsite task list 

and equipment checklist. 

Study team members developed a schedule for 

conducting focus groups, which followed a 

proposed 5-day timeline at each site. One day was 

designated for onsite arrival and preparation, and 

4 days were allotted to conduct eight focus groups 

(two groups per evening) and to prepare summary 

reports of each session. These checklists ensured 

that the focus groups were conducted consistently 

and without error across all sites (see Appendix E 

for the Moderator’s Checklist). 

The guide included, but was not limited to, the 

following information: 

■	 an overview of the initiative, its purpose, and 

objectives; 

■ roles and responsibilities of the moderator; 

■ outline of the process, timeframe, etc.; 

■	 materials and equipment to be used while 

conducting the focus group; 

■	 questions and topics to be covered during the 

focus group; 

■	 tips and techniques for handling certain 

situations; 

■	 arrangements for site locations, such as 

recording equipment; and 

■	 descriptions of types of field notes to be 

generated by the moderator. 

Step 2F: Conduct focus groups. 

A total of eight 2-hour focus groups were conducted in each community, with two sessions held 

each evening (6–8 p.m. and 8–10 p.m.). For each 

session, focus group participants were asked to 

register (by providing name and contact information on a log sheet) and were given a tent card to 

display their name. Each participant was then 

given three items, which they read and completed 

prior to the beginning of the focus group: 

■	 A brief statement of questions and answers to 

read at their leisure, which answered some of 

the more common questions about the focus 

group, its purpose, and its processes. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 13

■	 A form that asked their opinions about seat 

belt laws, standard seat belt laws, and what 

they believe their likelihood of being ticketed 

would be if they did not wear their seat belt. 

These questions were discussed in depth 

during the focus groups. 

■	 A list of perceived driving risks. Participants 

were asked to rank the risks in terms of their 

danger to the community, in preparation for 

discussion during the focus group. 

The above documents were presented to 

participants prior to the initiation of the focus 

group to conserve time in the group and to allow 

participants as much time as possible to complete 

the survey and the ranking exercise. 

The moderator opened each session with 

introductions and a brief review of the study and 

focus group process. The moderator also 

explained the audio recording and note taking 

process to the participants. Using the approved 

Focus Group Guide, the moderator initiated the 

focus group process. Focus group participants 

received refreshments, plus $35 in cash upon 

completion of the focus group as compensation 

for their time. 

At the completion of each focus group, the moderator team (comprised of one moderator and one 

note-taker) prepared a site summary report which 

included a demographic breakdown of participants by session; a review of the entire process, 

including procedures that worked and those that 

might need to be modified; and a preliminary 

summary of the findings. In order to conserve 

project resources, verbatim transcripts of the 

focus groups were not prepared. The data from 

the site reports was analyzed and key findings, 

patterns, and trends are presented in Chapter III. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 15

Chapter III 

FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS IN BLACK COMMUNITIES


This part of the report discusses the findings of 

the 48 focus groups that were held in Illinois, 

Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, and 

South Carolina. Eight focus groups were held in 

each of six communities, targeting senior citizens 

(ages 60–79); parents with children under the age 

of 4; male teenagers (ages 16–19), female teenagers 

(ages 16–19); male young adults (ages 20–27); 

female young adults (ages 20–27); male adults 

(ages 28–45); and female adults (ages 28–45). 

Findings are segmented into two sections: 

■	 the problem identification section, discussing 

perceptions of traffic safety issues, which 

served as a foundation for the later discussion 

of message content and theme; and 

■	 the media and outreach section, discussing 

promising modes of delivering safety 

messages, along with promising themes and 

message content. 

Problem Identification 

Focus group participants were asked to share their 

opinions and perspectives on a wide range of 

issues related to traffic safety. These included: 

■	 general driving practices; 

■	 general driving issues; 

■	 drinking and driving; 

■	 pedestrian safety; 

■	 seat belt usage; 

■	 seat belt laws; 

■	 law enforcement and racial profiling; 

■	 child safety seats/restraints; 

■	 local leadership and organizations; 

■	 ads and media messages; and 

■	 key factors to successful messages and programs. 

In reviewing participant responses and 

perceptions, it is clear that there are far more 

similarities than differences among focus group 

participants, regardless of age, gender, or focus 

group location. However, significant differences 

were observed on selected issues. The following 

discussion summarizes the similarities and 

differences the study team identified from the 

focus group feedback. 

General Driving Practices

The focus groups included a range of people, 

including both drivers and nondrivers. Most 

nondrivers rode with friends or family; however, 

in some locations, nondrivers relied heavily on 

public transportation and in others, nondrivers 

walked or rode bicycles. There was no distinct 

pattern of one’s likelihood of being a regular 

driver by age or gender. The two suburban 

communities on the eastern seaboard, Prince 

George’s County and Middlesex County, had 

lower proportions of drivers than did the other 

communities, which may be partially due to the 

availability of large mass transit systems in those 

areas. 

General Driving Issues

Consensus Findings 

At the beginning of each focus group, participants 

were given a list of common highway safety 

problems and asked to rank the problems based 

on how serious they were in the Black community 

(Appendix F). Across all communities and all 

groups, the majority of participants ranked 

drinking and driving quite high in terms of 

importance. In most groups and communities, the 

majority of participants also ranked aggressive 

and reckless driving as one of the top three 

problems in the Black community. One 

participant noted that reckless driving is often a 

function of drinking, anger, or other issues, thus 

illustrating the relationship between dangerous 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
16 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

driving behaviors. Speeding also was ranked as a 

significant problem. 

Beyond the top three most important problems 

little consensus existed for the ranking of other 

problems. 

The high profile of drinking and driving may be 

related to other issues, such as participants’ 

definitions of the term “drinking and driving.” 

This is discussed later in the report. 

Respondents tended to be evenly split over 

whether traffic safety problems arise from a lack 

of knowledge of laws and safety issues, or 

whether they are a result of drivers knowing but 

ignoring laws and issues. No particular pattern 

by age, gender, or region was evident in these 

opinions. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

As stated above, there was general consensus on 

key issues. Some minor to moderate differences 

between specific communities existed. 

For instance in Middlesex and Prince George’s 

Counties, both east coast communities near 

metropolitan areas, participants ranked drinking 

and driving as important. In all of the Middlesex 

County groups, participants ranked drinking and 

driving as the greatest safety problem in their 

community. In Prince George’s County, only one 

half of the focus groups ranked drinking and 

driving as the primary problem, though all of the 

Prince George’s County focus groups ranked 

drinking and driving as one of the top three 

problems in the community. Prince George’s 

County residents also consistently ranked 

aggressive and reckless driving, cell phone use, 

and nonuse of seat belts among the top three to 

five problems in the community. Middlesex 

County focus groups ranked speeding and 

aggressive/reckless driving, cell phone usage, 

nonuse of child seats and seat belts, and running 

stop lights as major problems. 

The two small community sites tended to be 

similar in their concerns, in that the majority of 

participants in both Oktibbeha and Berkeley 

Counties ranked drinking and driving as the 

greatest problem. Participants in both 

communities also identified bad roads as a major 

problem, though road conditions were also 

mentioned in other communities. 

“In Black communities, roads are poorly 

maintained and narrower.” 

–Teenage female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

A potentially significant issue raised more 

than once in the Mississippi focus groups was 

that literacy may be an issue in understanding 

laws and issues, particularly among the 

senior population. 

When comparing the urban communities of 

Jackson and Cook Counties, the similarities 

between the two were striking; in 15 of the 16 

focus groups in those counties, participants stated 

that drinking and driving was one of the three 

most serious problems. Parents in Cook County 

were the only urban group not to include 

drinking and driving among the top three 

problems. Instead, they indicated that poorly 

trained drivers, running stoplights, and cell 

phone usage were the top three problems in the 

community. 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

In keeping with the overall findings that 

overwhelmingly showed drinking and driving to 

be the major safety concern, each age group cited 

drinking and driving as their consensus top 

concern. For most groups, aggressive or reckless 

driving was also a significant concern. 

The following table shows the top-ranked safety 

concerns among each of the age/gender groups 

who participated in the focus groups. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 17

Exhibit 5 

Ranking of Safety Issues by Age and Gender 

AGE/GENDER GROUP 

Rank of Safety Teenage Girls 

Issue (16-19) 

Top Issue Drinking and 

driving* 

Young Adult 

Women (20-27) 

Drinking and 

driving* 

Adult Women 

(28-44) 

Drinking and 

driving 

Parents of 

Children Under 4 

Drinking and 

driving 

Second Issue Speeding* Speeding* Aggressive 

reckless driving 

Aggressive/ 

reckless driving 

Third Issue Aggressive/ 

reckless driving* 

Rank of Safety Teenage Boys 

Issue (16-19) 

Top Issue Drinking and 

driving 

Aggressive/ 

reckless driving 

Young Adult Men 

(20-27) 

Drinking and 

driving 

(Nonuse of 

safety seats) 

Adult Men 

(28-44) 

Drinking and 

driving 

Nonuse of 

seat belts 

Senior Citizens 

(60-79 

Drinking and 

driving 

Second Issue Aggressive/ 

reckless driving 

Cell phone use Nonuse of 

seat belts 

Third Issue Seat belts and 

distractions 

Aggressive/ 

reckless driving 

Aggressive/ 

reckless driving 

Notes: 

1. Issues in parentheses were worthy of mention, but were not strong patterns. 

2. Among teenage boys, fewer than three issues were mentioned with any strong patterns. 

3. Issues with asterisks were mentioned in approximately equal proportions within an age group or target group. 

Another general driving issue that was 

mentioned was the driving environment, 

specifically infrastructure such as road conditions, 

signage, and construction. Many participants 

cited the driving environment as being different 

(worse) in Black neighborhoods, which can create 

additional hazards for drivers and pedestrians. 

Adult Black men were most likely to hold this 

opinion, though all age groups mentioned it to 

some extent as an exacerbating factor in Black 

safety issues. 

One other issue that arose was the concept of 

driving as a means to an end versus an activity in 

and of itself. For example, teenage boys tend to 

identify driving with status or “profiling.” 

(Profiling here refers to the presentation of an 

attractive image or “looking good,” i.e., “styling 

and profiling,” as opposed to its use to describe 

selective enforcement.) This mindset appears to 

increase among men in the 20–27 age group, who 

often made statements about driving and related 

activities in terms of “being cool” and “showing 

off.” The phenomenon then declines among adult 

men. The same pattern is seen among women, but 

to a much lesser extent. 

“I’m always running late for 

something; so I tend to speed.” 

–Female teenager, Berkeley County, SC 

“I do it [drive recklessly] just to 

see if I can do it.” 

–Male teenager, Berkeley County, SC 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
18 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“Some lights hold you too long, I get 

impatient and just run it.” 

–Young adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“My car is like trained to go fast. 

I have to put my foot in it. I get it 

from my father.” 

–Young adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“Some older people, when they get 

into their car are focused on safety. 

Some people who have no responsibility 

do not care about safety. 

They choose not to be responsible.” 

–Young adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“Teenagers who just get their license are 

doing everything correctly. Older 

people forget the rules and think that 

they know everything.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“Teenagers drive fast. Senior citizens 

cannot see the signs and drive slow.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Although men cited aggressive driving as a 

concern, they thought it was less of a concern 

compared to women who cited it. Women cited 

speeding as a high concern, particularly teenagers 

and younger women. 

“Young Black men tend to feel 

overconfident in comparison to young 

female drivers who tend to...concentrate 

more on driving and obeying laws.” 

–Parent, Prince George’s County, MD 

“Black males feel they own the roads...they 

automatically feel that (women) can’t 

drive—so there is some disrespect that goes 

on.” 

–Adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Perspectives on Drinking and Driving

Consensus Findings 

When asked to explain why people drink and 

drive, participants responded with two basic 

theories, which transcend regional or 

demographic boundaries. One theory focused on 

the perception of becoming drunk. Participants 

theorized that drunk drivers seldom thought of 

themselves as drunk, seldom thought that they 

had had too much to drink, or did not realize 

how their alcohol consumption would affect 

them. This tendency to underestimate the impact 

of alcohol consumption on driver behavior and 

safety was illustrated in comments from several 

groups. One teen male suggested that, “When 

you are drunk you are more focused because you 

know if you get pulled over it will be a problem.” 

A participant suggested that drinking and driving 

was “cool to do” and that people like to drive and 

don’t want others driving their cars. In summary, 

drunk drivers rarely thought they had consumed 

enough to impair their driving, and therefore felt 

they could “handle it.” 

The second theory of why people drink and drive 

revolved more around planning or lack thereof, 

independent of the drinking issue. Drunk drivers 

were thought to be exercising poor judgment or 

planning ability, and did not think about 

transportation before (or while) they were 

drinking. One participant stated that drinking 

and driving is a matter of “not thinking ahead, 

just drinking.” Other participants mentioned that 

drunk drivers get behind the wheel because they 

have no other option for getting home. As one 

focus group participant explained, “when you get 

drunk you have to get home.” As a corollary to 

this issue, many participants cited “drinking and 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 19

walking” as a pedestrian hazard, implying that 

even when a drinker makes the appropriate 

decision not to drive, he or she still can present a 

traffic hazard if no alternative means of 

transportation are available. 

Throughout the focus groups, participants agreed 

that penalties were not severe enough, which 

motivated drunk drivers to continue practicing 

risky behavior. 

Numerous participants across a wide range of 

cities and target groups said that drinking and 

driving was “more of a White problem,” “not a 

problem in the Black community,” or other 

similar statements. A group of respondents stated 

that Blacks get arrested for public drunkenness, 

not drunk driving. Others felt it was not an 

“obvious problem” in the Black community. At 

the same time, drinking and driving has always 

been considered a major threat to driving safety. 

There appears to be a strong perception that this 

threat arises from the White community, whose 

drivers then pose a threat to the Black 

community. One exception to these thoughts 

appears to be among adult males, who stated that 

it was a Black problem as well. 

“I have not seen a White guy yet 

without a beer.” 

–Teenage male, Cook County, IL 

“White people drinking tend to get more 

violent and reckless.” 

–Young adult female, Middlesex County, NJ 

“Most Black people get cited for public 

drunkenness, not drinking and driving.” 

–Adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

One complicating factor in assessing drinking and 

driving as a hazard is the actual definition of the 

term. “Drinking and driving” means different 

things to different people. There was no 

consistency in the way focus groups defined 

drinking and driving. 

Overall, drinking and driving was assigned one 

of two definitions, with no strong pattern by age, 

gender, or region. The first definition is essentially 

that “drunk driving” is driving when one is not 

capable of controlling the vehicle in a safe manner. 

The second definition, less common but still oftmentioned, is essentially “drinking while in the 

act of driving.” This second definition implies 

that a person who gets intoxicated before entering 

a vehicle is not “drinking and driving” so long as 

he or she does not actually drink in the vehicle. 

�What does �drinking and driving�mean?�

“It sounds like it means, don’t drink 

while in your vehicle.” 

–Adult female, Cook County, IL 

“Drinking in the car while driving.” 

–Young adult male, Jackson County, MO 

“If you drink even one drink 

and then drive.” 

–Young adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“Driving when you have higher than 

the legal amount in your system.” 

–Teenage female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“Physically driving with alcohol being 

consumed.” 

–Adult female, Jackson County, MO 

“You are at home drinking and get in 

your car to go to the liquor store to 

get some more liquor.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“When you drink and the alcohol 

has exceeded the legal limit and 

then you drive.” 

–Young adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
20 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“Falling over drunk and driving.” 

–Young adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

All participants believed that drinking and 

driving was a problem, but the reasons for this 

behavior were attributed to a variety of factors 

including peer pressure (Oktibbeha, Cook, and 

Middlesex Counties); habit and addiction (Cook 

County); people having a “don’t care” attitude 

(Jackson, Oktibbeha, and Berkeley Counties); and 

people seeing themselves as invincible (Jackson 

and Cook Counties). Other reasons for this risky 

behavior include the belief that drunk drivers still 

have control over their behavior (Berkeley 

County); poor judgment and bad decisions 

(Prince George’s and Cook Counties); and 

thinking that it’s cool (Prince George’s County). 

Oktibbeha County participants stated that 

drinking and driving is much more obvious on 

campus (Mississippi State University), although 

nonstudents also practice this risky behavior. 

Participants in all communities also stated that 

the laws are not enforced to the degree that they 

should be and are not strong enough. 

“You know, they always say when 

whiskey’s in, thinking’s out.” – Senior citizen, Berkeley County, NC 

“The people who drink and drive 

around here can handle it.” 

– Teenage male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Many participants in urban and suburban areas 

cited a preponderance of liquor stores in lowincome areas, and expressed a concern that 

alcohol was too prevalent in the neighborhoods. 

For example, Jackson County residents noted the 

prevalence of liquor stores on every corner. One 

group suggested that there are “too many liquor 

stores, open too many hours, [and that it is] too 

easy for young people to get liquor.” A Middlesex 

County group echoed this sentiment stating 

that there are “too many liquor stores in Black 

communities.” This issue was not a concern in the 

smaller communities. 

“White neighborhoods don’t have 

liquor stores on every corner like the 

Black community.” 

–Adult male, Jackson County, MO 

“[Drinking and driving] could be a 

problem, but never really noticed cause 

people live really close in the 

neighborhood.” 

–Adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

A minority of participants in the Oktibbeha 

County focus groups made negative comments 

about alcohol consumption in general. This was 

the only geographic area where such an opinion 

was professed. While some residents in small 

southern communities may hold this opinion, it 

does not appear to be prevalent or accepted 

enough to be a useful tool for safety programs. 

“I wish they would stop selling 


beer, period. Beer is no good for anyone. 


No alcohol”


–Young adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

Teens stood out from adults when asked about 

drinking and driving. As a general observation, 

teens tended to provide excuses rather than 

simple explanations for drunk driving behavior. 

For example, one group said that it is “easy for 

teens to get alcohol.” Some teens played down 

the behavior, though most ranked it very high as 

a safety issue. 

“Even though I am only 17, I drink like 

most old men. I can drink and handle it.” 

–Teenage male, Cook County, IL 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 21

More teens than older drivers stated that drunk 

drivers had no other transportation option and 

therefore had to drive home after drinking. The 

perception of limited transportation was raised as 

a factor in this group more than others. 

“I have a lot of friends who like to drink 

and get in the car. That is why I do not 

want to ride with them.” 

–Teenage male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

There was little variation in the perceptions of 

males and females regarding reasons for drunk 

driving. Both agreed that the laws and penalties 

are not severe enough. One focus group member 

stated that there is “too much drinking and 

driving” and that “people get away with it.” 

Additional reasons for the behavior included “it’s 

not just an alcohol problem, but a drug problem 

too,” people are not being responsible, and people 

just want to relax. 

“I think driving while high happens a lot 

too. But when you drive while you are 

high (drugs) you tend to be more alert 

and more paranoid. Can’t be much of a 

problem ‘cause you never hear of it.” 

–Young adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

Women more commonly called for stiffer 

enforcement as an answer to drunk driving. A 

group of Cook County female residents suggested 

increased penalties, including increased fines and 

enforcement, “will stop the problem.” 

“This is what you pay your taxes for. They 

could utilize this money for enforcement.” 

–Adult female, Cook County, IL 

Pedestrian Safety Issues

Consensus Findings 

When asked to discuss pedestrian issues, there 

was a high level of interest and concern in all 

communities and among all groups. Therefore, 

the first consensus finding is that this is an issue 

of universal interest. All other observations 

should be viewed from this perspective. 

While jaywalking was not identified in all 

communities, it is a common pedestrian safety 

issue raised by a significant number of focus 

group participants. Most groups reported that 

pedestrians put themselves at risk by crossing 

outside of designated pedestrian walkways, 

walking against traffic lights, and walking 

without regard to drivers. Oftentimes, 

participants agreed that pedestrians taunt drivers 

by “strolling” across the street with a perceived 

attitude that dares the driver to hit them. Most 

participants also agreed that drivers put 

pedestrians at risk since they often ignore the 

pedestrian’s right-of-way. 

“Some drivers stop at lights and go up 

past the white line. You do not know if 

they are going to stop or not.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“We hit a pedestrian, an older woman, 

who was crossing the street just as the 

light was changing. She walked out 

from in front of a bus and we couldn’t 

see her. Whose fault was it?” 

–Young adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“(Pedestrians)...may not know what the 

driver is going to do because drivers are 

confused themselves!” 

–Young adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

In all six communities, participants stated that 

their community lacks adequate crosswalks, 

traffic lights, pedestrian walkways, or sidewalks, 

which manifested different types of problems in 

different communities. All groups also noted that 

White neighborhoods seemed to have sufficient 

(or at least better) pedestrian safety crosswalks, 

signs, speed bumps, and traffic lights. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
22 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“Middlesex is in the Stone Age as far as 

[pedestrian] road signage.” 

–Adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“There are not as many signs and 

crosswalks in the Black communities. I 

have driven all around the city [and Black 

communities have inferior 

infrastructure].” 

–Young adult male, Cook County, IL 

According to participants, neither drivers nor 

pedestrians have a thorough understanding of 

pedestrian rules of the road. Perhaps the most 

commonly cited error was pedestrians wearing 

dark clothing when walking at night. 

“Kids walk in a group and won’t get 

out of the way.” 

–Adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“Pedestrians wear dark clothing and walk 

at night—I honestly don’t think people 

know that it’s dangerous.” 

—Young adult female, Middlesex County, NJ 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

In comparing the communities, it is clear that 

there were more similarities than differences. The 

most obvious difference in pedestrian safety, 

however, was that participants in small 

community sites (Oktibbeha and Berkeley 

Counties) perceived a higher number of 

pedestrians who walked in the roads. These 

communities seem to have fewer traffic lights, 

sidewalks, and crosswalks within large 

subdivisions. One Oktibbeha County focus group 

participant commented, “you’re walking on the 

road or in the ditch.” The group went on to say 

that there were no crosswalks in town except near 

the college campus. Participants in Berkeley 

County often reported that a lack of sidewalks, 

accompanied by roadside drainage ditches or tall 

grass, forced pedestrians to walk on the side of 

the road. Participants in these two communities 

also stated that jaywalking is a problem, as is 

pedestrians’ knowledge of traffic safety laws. 

Pedestrians are also unaware of their 

responsibility for their own safety (e.g., wearing 

clothing that increases visibility and walking on 

the appropriate side of the street or road). 

“They do not maintain the roads in the 

Black community. It endangers the drivers 

and the pedestrians are on the road.” 

–Adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“I walk in the ditch, it’s safer.” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Urban participants (Cook and Jackson Counties) 

also noted that there are not enough crosswalks 

for pedestrians to safely cross the street in a 

convenient manner. Residents of Prince George’s 

County said that crosswalks were too distant and 

led to jaywalking. A Cook County group suggested that jaywalking was often done out of choice, 

but also out of necessity due to inadequate crosswalks and stop signs. Jackson County participants 

stated that pedestrians do not use the available 

crosswalks and should be more responsible for 

their actions. Cook County participants agreed 

that pedestrians put themselves at risk. Suburban 

(Prince George’s and Middlesex Counties) 

participants also identified jaywalking as a major 

problem. Other focus group participants noted 

that pedestrians “think they have bumpers” and 

tend to walk out into the street at any time 

because they believe that they have the right-ofway and drivers must stop for them, even if they 

(the pedestrians) are breaking the law. 

“KC is designed with boulevards and 

thoroughfares with high speed limits, 

which isn’t pedestrian friendly.” 

–Senior citizen, Jackson County, MO 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 23

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

All age and gender groups agreed that 

crosswalks, speed bumps, better timing of traffic 

lights, and more stop signs would increase 

pedestrian safety in the Black community. In 

addition, most groups agreed that pedestrians’ 

knowledge regarding pedestrian safety laws (e.g., 

jaywalking) is lacking. The groups also agreed 

that pedestrians are more inclined to put 

themselves at risk, as opposed to drivers putting 

them at risk. 

“They [pedestrians] are just stupid. 

Cannot wait to get to the other side 

of the street. Walking out in 

between parked cars.” 

–Teenage male, Cook County, IL 

There was agreement among men and women 

that education and training are needed in the area 

of pedestrian right of way rules for adults and 

children. Women in the “young mother” age 

range tended to be more concerned about 

children as pedestrians than other groups, 

although adult men also frequently voiced 

concern on this issue. 

“People don’t understand the need...to 

slow down and look out for kids.” 

–Parent, Prince George’s County, MD 

“We need to educate school kids better 

about how to cross the streets.” 

–Adult male, Cook County, IL 

Seat Belt Usage

Consensus Findings 

In each of the six communities, a substantial 

number of participants said they did not use seat 

belts on a full-time basis. Reasons most 

commonly cited for not using seat belts included 

wrinkling clothes, uncomfortable fit (particularly 

among women), driving only a short distance, 

and simply forgetting. Many also frequently 

reported that they often did not think about seat 

belts unless spurred on by some outside event, 

such as seeing a police car. A few participants 

made cultural statements such as, “Black people 

have not been taught the value of seat belts.” 

“When I got my first car, I asked what it 

was (seat belt). It’s not the first thing I 

think of when getting into the car.” 

–Young adult male, Jackson County, MO 

“They probably think that it is nerdy. Do


not want to wrinkle their clothes. Black


people like to profile. Boys have their seat


back so far and so low that the seat


belt will not work.”


–Female teenager, Cook County, IL 

“A seat belt won’t be the thing to save 


my life; I’ve been in a wreck and


I can take it; I’m kind of big, I can 


take it; I’ll be okay.”


–Teenage male, Jackson County, MO 

“I do not think that I am an unsafe driver


just because I do not wear a seat


belt and speed sometimes.”


–Adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“My daughter says that they are 

uncomfortable and she can’t stand to be 

buckled down and uncomfortable.” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“It is very constricting and there are 

a lot of entertainment activities in 

the cars (DVDs, CDs). I need to be 

able to reach everything.” 

–Young adult male, Cook County, IL 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
24 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“I never wear my seat belt in the car. 

It is uncomfortable.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Part-time usage was common, and many 

participants said that they make a decision to use 

or not use their seat belts on a trip-by-trip basis. 

These drivers, who were not limited to particular 

geographic areas or population groups, are aware 

of the safety benefits of seat belts, but decide to 

wear a belt based on the perceived risks of a 

particular trip. This decision was often based on 

factors such as the perceived skill of the driver 

when one was a passenger, the distance traveled, 

or a route that required highway travel. Another 

risk, enforcement, was often addressed only if a 

police car was spotted. 

“If you’re around a lot of people who 

don’t wear it—you don’t want to look like 

the only person who does or vice-versa.” 

–Adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“I live in the country and I don’t need a 

seat belt because there’s no traffic.” 

–Teenage female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“When I’m in a high police territory, I 

make sure that I wear my seat belt.” 

–Teenage male, Jackson County, MO 

“I don’t like anything around my neck... 

But if I see the police, I will put it on.” 

–Young adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“I tend to be hardheaded, I have been in 

several accidents but still don’t wear a seat 

belt unless I am riding with someone that 

is driving crazy.” 

–Young adult female, Jackson County, MO 

In most groups, stories about seat belts trapping 

people in cars, or “friends of friends” who would 

have been trapped if they had been wearing their 

seat belts during a crash, were common. A small 

proportion of people thought that seat belts have 

a negative safety benefit. Most people view seat 

belts as a tradeoff of risks, but most also recognize 

that the benefits far outweigh the risks. 

Participants who always wear seat belts do so 

because they believe wearing seat belts saves 

lives, people who wear them have a better chance 

of surviving a crash, and wearing them is a habit 

they started when they were younger. 

“I depend on the airbag. The seat belt can 

keep me in if I need to get out.” 

–Adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“Habit—just always have worn one.” 

–Adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“2 out of 10 chance that you’ll be worse off 

without a seat belt.” 

–Adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“I am used to wearing my seat belt all the 

time so I do not know why others do not.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

A significant exercise during the focus groups 

involved testing participants’ reactions to NHTSA 

survey findings that the U.S. Black population is 

supportive of seat belt laws, even standard laws 

that allow drivers to be pulled over solely for 

nonuse of seat belts. When considering these 

findings, many participants viewed research with 

skepticism if the findings were not intuitive. 

Many participants stated that they did not believe 

the NHTSA survey results when the information 

did not match their perceptions. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

The reasons that people do or do not wear seat 

belts were similar regardless of the community 

being surveyed. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 25

In comparing communities, Oktibbeha and 

Berkeley Counties, the two small communities in 

the study, ranked highest in percentage of focus 

group participants who claimed to always wear 

seat belts (49 percent of the total respondents). 

Even so, a Berkeley County group stated that 

there is no need to wear a seat belt in rural areas 

with low traffic volume. The small communities 

were followed by the urban communities, Jackson 

and Cook Counties (45 percent of the participants), and then the suburban communities, 

Prince George’s and Middlesex Counties (42 

percent of participants). However, these statistics 

are drawn from very small, non-random samples, 

and therefore offer only suggestions that perhaps 

seat belt use in the Black population does not 

have the strong urban/rural split that is seen in 

the general population. A quantitative research 

study would be necessary to determine if this 

pattern is valid. 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

In every age group, a significant proportion of 

participants were not full-time seat belt users. 

However, the reasons for not wearing belts fulltime varied by age and gender. 

First and foremost, seat belts are “not cool” to 

younger drivers. The term “not cool” was used 

consistently by most groups of 20–27-year-olds, 

particularly males, when describing seat belts. 

“People are trying to ‘style.” 

–Young adult male, Cook County, IL 

“Most young Black people in this 

area are not going to wear it because 

it doesn’t look cool.” 

–Young adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“Young Black guys are too cool.” 

–Young adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

The “cool” term was also used among teens 

(especially girls, but also boys) and young 

women, and was even found occasionally in the 

adult groups. One group of teen males 

collectively said, “It’s nerdy to wear a seat belt.” 

A focus group of young women (ages 20–27) 

noted that young Black men don’t wear seat belts 

because “they are too cool and lean back too far.” 

Nonetheless, the core of the “seat belts are not 

cool” camp appears to be 20–27-year-old men. 

“Young drivers don’t think seat 

belts are cool.” 

–Young adult female, Jackson County, MO 

“Not cool. Mostly boys think this.” 

–Teenage female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Adult drivers were more likely to state traditional 

reasons (e.g., personal safety) for being full-time 

seat belt users, and also more likely to report that 

they had increased their seat belt use in response 

to a crash in the past. This may be due in part to 

the fact that adults have a longer driving history 

than younger drivers, hence a greater chance to 

experience a crash that produced a change in 

behavior. However, senior drivers did not report 

the same change-causing experience. Several 

people also reported that their seat belt decisions 

depended on who is in the vehicle with them, 

either driving or as a passenger. 

“I wear it only when certain people 

are in the car.” 

–Young adult female, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“If I ride in some of my relatives’ 

(uncles, aunts, etc.) cars, I do not 

wear it because they are real good 

drivers. I wear it when I drive.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Senior drivers did, on the other hand, profess a 

strong aversion to “being forced” to do 

something, whether it is wearing seat belts or 

anything else. While it was not confirmed that 

this attitude made senior drivers less likely to 

respond to enforcement as a means of 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
26 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

encouraging seat belt use, this group, more than 

any other, rebelled against authority solely 

because they didn’t want to be told what to do. 

“If they are Black males like me, they don’t 

like someone telling them what to do.” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

The difference between males and females in 

terms of seat belt usage was dramatic. More than 

twice as many females in the focus groups wore 

seat belts as males, whether full-time or 

intermittently. Oftentimes, females were 

motivated by their children and admitted that 

because they have children, they want to be safe 

and “around to raise them.” Interestingly, females 

who never or rarely wore seat belts always used 

child safety seats for their children and buckled 

up when their children mentioned it or reminded 

them. In terms of those participants who never 

wear seat belts, men accounted for a higher 

number than women. 

“When we get in the car, my wife


immediately puts on a seat belt, 


I’m not sure if that has something to do 

with my driving.” 

—Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

One unique finding expressed in numerous groups 

was that many Black men like to lean to the side 

while driving as an expression of personal style. 

However, “leaning” was not generally deemed to 

be unsafe or the cause of unsafe behavior. Wearing 

seat belts hinder one’s ability to do that and are 

therefore shunned. In fact some Black males said 

that seat belts are another means for society to 

confine and keep the Black male down. 

“People who lean back in (their) seats 

can’t wear their seat belts.” 

—Young adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“Sometimes you just like to sit differently 

[leaning back] and the belts hurt where 

they hit the body.” 

—Young adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Support for Seat Belt Laws

When participants arrived for the focus groups, 

they were asked to answer three questions that 

were included in a national NHTSA telephone 

survey. Those three questions, along with the 

findings from the national survey, are provided 

below. During the focus groups, participants were 

asked to share their responses to the three 

questions, and were then told about the national 

survey findings. They were then given the 

opportunity to comment on those findings. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 27

Exhibit 6 

Survey Questions and National Findings 

1.	 How do you feel about laws that require drivers and front seat passengers to

wear seat belts?

• I favor these laws a lot. 

• I favor these laws some. 

• I do not favor these laws at all. 

(National Statistics: Blacks are more likely to support the laws than the general public – 94 percent 

versus 87 percent. Of Blacks, 72 percent favor them a lot and 21 percent favor them some. Nationally, 

67 percent of the U.S. population favors them a lot, and 20 percent favor them some.) 

Some States have standard seat belt laws, where law enforcement officers are allowed to pull over a driver 

for not wearing a seat belt, and other States have secondary seat belt laws. Secondary laws allow officers to 

issue tickets for not wearing seat belts, but they cannot pull a car over for that reason alone. They can only 

issue the ticket after stopping the car for another reason. 

2.	 In your opinion, should police be allowed to stop a vehicle if they observe a

seat belt violation when no other traffic laws are being broken?

• Yes • No 

(National statistics: Blacks are more likely to support such laws than the general public – 68 percent 

versus 61 percent.) 

3.	 Assume that you do not wear your seat belt at all while driving over the next six

months. How likely do you think you will be to receive a ticket for not

wearing a

seat belt � very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely or very unlikely?

• Very likely 

• Somewhat likely 

• Somewhat unlikely 

• Very unlikely 

(National statistics: Blacks are more likely to believe that they will be ticketed than the general 

public – 54 percent versus 43 percent.) 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
28 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Consensus Findings 

Nearly all participants were aware their State had 

a seat belt law. In keeping with the latest NHTSA 

national survey results, the vast majority of focus 

group participants supported seat belt laws in 

general, and a smaller majority supported a 

standard law. 

Most participants were surprised when shown 

the survey results that indicated strong national 

support in the Black population for seat belts 

laws even though the survey findings matched 

their personal opinions. Many found this 

fact so surprising that they questioned the 

survey findings. 

“I’m surprised [at Black support for seat 

belt laws] because most Blacks I know 

don’t wear seat belts.” 

–Adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“People are not truthful on surveys.” 

–Adult female, Cook County, IL 

“I have a problem with being stopped 


and ticketed when not wearing a 


seat belt. I’m doing no harm when I am 


not wearing a seat belt, I am driving 


safely but I get a ticket.”


–Young adult male, Jackson County, MO 

“I don’t believe the answers; none of my 

friends would agree with those responses; 

Black people are only giving you the 

answers that they think you want rather 

than what they actually do.” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Many participants were not surprised that Black 

respondents to the national survey were more 

likely to expect to get a ticket if they didn’t wear 

their seat belt. This was attributed to the belief that 

Black drivers are more likely to be pulled over by 

law enforcement officials if all else is equal. 

“People are more concerned about 

safety than profiling.” 

–Young adult male, Cook County, IL 

“Another tool for White policemen to use 

unfairly against Blacks.” 

–Senior citizen, Jackson County, MO 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

In all communities, participants strongly supported seat belt laws, and supported standard laws to 

a lesser extent. Most participants in each community were surprised at the support nationally 

for standard laws by the Black population. 

“Sometimes people on a national basis 

think of Blacks as not favoring any laws. I 

am surprised.” 

–Teenage female, Prince George’s County, MD 

Most participants at each site also felt that Black 

drivers are more likely than Whites to be ticketed 

if they do not wear their seat belt, and were not 

surprised to learn that the NHTSA survey showed that same perception nationally. Geographic 

differences emerged when participants were 

asked why Blacks support seat belt laws when 

they feel that they are more likely to be ticketed 

than Whites. While responses varied, responses in 

Prince George’s, Jackson, and Middlesex Counties 

were more likely to include statements that the 

two issues were independent of each other. As 

one young man in Prince George’s County stated, 

support of the law and racial profiling “are two 

separate issues.” In Berkeley, Oktibbeha, and 

Cook Counties, respondents were more likely to 

question the survey itself, either in terms of its 

execution or the veracity of the responses. One 

young woman in Cook County speculated that 

“no one tells the truth on surveys,” a sentiment 

paralleled by a teenage girl in Berkeley County 

who stated, “those surveys must be done with 

rich Black people.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 29

“Blacks are law-abiding and believe in 

law enforcement. We’re just more 

subject to profiling.” 

–Adult female, Jackson County, MO 

[First participant] “It is kind of like me. I 

support the law but I do not wear my seat 

belt all of the time.” [Second participant] 

“If you do not obey the law, why would 

you support the law?” [First participant] 

“I think that it would benefit us. There are 

a lot of laws that you support, but you 

don’t have to face them every day.” 

–Two young adult females, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

While some opinions transcended age and 

gender, others showed strong patterns. To varying 

degrees, all age and gender groups showed 

strong support for seat belt laws in general, and a 

majority supported standard laws. 

With regard to the apparent contradiction that 

Blacks support seat belt laws, while also believing 

that they are more likely than other groups to be 

pulled over for seat belt violations, adults tended 

to state that awareness and respect for laws 

should not be lessened by racial profiling. In 

other words, they were able to separate the 

conceptual issue of the law from the practical 

issue of being pulled over. 

“We as African Americans know we get 

stopped more, yet we are optimistic that 

the judicial system will work for us.” 

–Adult female, Prince George’s County, MD 

“Surprised, thought it [support of seat belt 

laws] would be higher. I would think 

people who would be against it would be 

the ones up to no good.” 

–Parent, Middlesex County, NJ 

In contrast, younger drivers and teenagers who 

were surprised by the survey findings were more 

likely than adults to criticize the survey itself, 

speculating that Blacks know what the desired 

answer is on a survey and offer it regardless of 

their true opinions. Women, and particularly 

teenage girls, were skeptical about surveys in 

general from a methodological standpoint. 

Similarly, seniors were more likely to question the 

scope of the national surveys that show widespread Black support of seat belt laws. In particular, they raised the issue of how data was collected and who participated in the national surveys. 

“It was all mothers being surveyed.” 

–Teenage female, Cook County, IL 

“I think it was fake. Probably sounded 

like a nice thing to say.” 

–Teenage male, Cook County, IL 

Enforcement and Racial Profiling

Consensus Findings 

An overwhelming majority of participants agreed 

that racial profiling is a major problem in their 

community. In addition, it was clear to 

participants that traffic safety and enforcement of 

traffic safety laws have little to do with the 

reasons that people are stopped. A majority stated 

that Black males are stopped more often than 

females, and that young Black males are most 

likely to be stopped. 

“Black people can only just obey the law 

and hope to not get stopped.” 

–Young adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

Some participants stated that Black drivers are 

almost guaranteed to be stopped when driving 

through predominantly White neighborhoods, 

merely by being present there. Many others stated 

that, in White neighborhoods, skin color (black or 

brown), combined with driving a “nice” vehicle, 

almost always leads to minority males being 

stopped by the police. Fewer than five focus 

group participants in the entire study did not 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
30 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

believe that racial profiling was a problem in 

their community. 

“Even though we are in favor of laws, 

there is a definite mistrust of the 

habits of law enforcement officers and 

their ability to treat Black people 

fairly. Black children must live by a 

different code of conduct while 

driving compared to White children.” 

–Adult female, Jackson County, MO 

Even so, when asked if police should enforce seat 

belt laws, an overwhelming majority responded 

positively. Participants stated that they strongly 

support frequent and fair enforcement of traffic 

safety laws, and most participants were able to 

conceptually separate the issue of enforcement 

from the issue of profiling or harassment. When 

asked what could be done to eliminate racial 

profiling, participants suggested increased 

diversity in police forces, better screening of 

candidates for police forces, and more 

accountability for police officers. 

“Sometimes the Black cop will be that way 

too. It is not just the White cops.” 

–Teenage male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

While almost all participants, male and female, 

agreed that males are more likely to be stopped 

than females, some women stated that “profiling is 

an issue for women too.” Another common perception was that police equate Blacks riding in “nice” 

cars to dealing drugs or otherwise target Blacks 

(especially young men) who drive “nice” cars. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

In Jackson, Cook, Berkeley, and Oktibbeha 

Counties, more participants noted that racial 

profiling occurs in White communities. On the 

other hand, Prince George’s and Middlesex 

County participants did not distinguish between 

neighborhoods when they discussed racial 

profiling. This may be due to the fact that there 

are fewer White communities in areas where the 

majority of the population is Black (i.e., Prince 

George’s County), and fewer Black communities 

in areas where Blacks constitute a small 

proportion of the population (i.e., Middlesex 

County). This is not intended to claim that racial 

profiling is more or less prevalent in these types 

of communities, but rather that geography is less 

of a basis for profiling. 

In each of the six communities, the majority of 

participants favored enforcement of traffic safety 

laws, yet believe that they would be ticketed 

more often. When asked to explain this contradiction, participants in all communities stated that 

Blacks generally are law-abiding people 

and tend to support laws written to protect them 

and the general public. Blacks were also realistic 

and had experienced or witnessed racial profiling 

in both Black and non-Black communities. 

“If a young Black man is driving a nice 

car—police think he must be selling 

drugs so it’s okay to stop [him].” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“I think there is some bias there, especially 

since PG County has high incomes for 

Blacks. Police officers believe that, ‘Oh you 

people think you’re doing so great, well do 

I have something for you!’ 

–Parent, Prince George’s County, MD 

Differences and Similarities By Age and Gender 

As in all other groups, seniors agreed that racial 

profiling is a problem, but no one in this age 

group stated that they had first-hand experience. 

This is compared to a large number of teens (ages 

16–19), young adults (ages 20–27), and adults 

(ages 28–44) who did have personal experiences 

with profiling. One group of males (ages 28–44) 

commented, “profiling occurs, just obey the law 

and be respectful.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 31

By far, more males than females are victims of 

racial profiling, according to participants. 

Regardless of age, all males stated that racial 

profiling is a major problem in the Black 

community and that they are at higher risk of 

being stopped because of their gender, 

particularly so if they are driving a “nice” car. 

They also noted that they tend to drive much 

more cautiously in White neighborhoods and, if 

possible, they avoid driving in White 

communities. On the other hand, females are less 

likely to have personal experience with racial 

profiling (although they are not immune), and 

they frequently reported seeing young Black 

males being stopped, or had friends and family 

members who were stopped by police for no 

apparent reason. 

“Young Black men with a nice car—they


are going to get pulled over.” 


–Young adult female, Middlesex County, NJ


“Police don’t believe that guys can 


afford a nice car.”


–Teenage female, Oktibbeha County, MS


“They get the boys more than girls.” 

–Teenage female, Berkeley County, SC 

Child Safety Seats/Restraints

Consensus Findings 

About one-third of the participants regularly 

transport children and the majority use child 

safety seats. Even if parents do not always use 

seat belts themselves, they tend to be much more 

diligent about restraining their children. 

Participants unanimously agreed that ensuring 

child safety in the car is the primary reason that 

they use child safety seats. Even though using 

child restraints is the law, participants generally 

are more concerned about child safety than 

complying with the law. The most frequently 

cited reason why parents do not use child safety 

seats was affordability, i.e., parents cannot afford 

them, though many participants stated that “not 

caring” or “neglect” may be a reason for some 

households. Other reasons stated are that seats 

are uncomfortable for children; the child can be 

trapped in the seat if there is a crash; and seats 

require too much space in the car, particularly for 

large families. While some parents complained 

that they could not see their child when using a 

car seat (presumably a rear-facing seat), one 

significant advantage was the fact that the child 

could be kept from moving around in the car. 

“[An advantage of car seats is] 

I don’t have to keep checking in 

the rear view to find them.” 

–Parent, Berkeley County, SC 

“Kids don’t like it—hollering and 

screaming. They get out of them. The 

driver just can’t take all that noise.” 

–Parent, Berkeley County, SC 

“Some lower income people of any 

race can’t afford seats. I see kids 

all the time who are not in seats. 

It may be lack of education.” 

–Young adult male, Cook County, IL 

“Don’t waste money on all those things.” 

–Young adult female, Berkeley County, SC 

“Some Black parents are still riding 

around the road holding their children.” 

“Or the kids are standing up in the seat.” 

–Two adult males, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“People, especially Black parents, 


believe if kids are in the back seat they 


are safe, even if they’re not in a car


seat...They assume because they 


are in the back seat they are safe.” 


–Parent, Prince George’s County, MD 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
32 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Most participants knew that a child’s height and 

weight determine which safety seat is appropriate 

for the child, though most did not know specific 

figures (this was not unreasonable since most 

were not parents of children of an age where it 

was necessary to know specifics). Many parents 

had rules of thumb for the progression of a child 

from a safety seat to a seatbelt. For example, one 

parent said that when the child can kick the back 

of the front seat, that child does not need a safety 

seat. Many others said that when the child is “too 

big” for a safety seat, it needs to be replaced. 

Other parents mentioned weight requirements in 

general, but not specific thresholds. 

“[It’s time to switch seats] when they 

weigh over 60 pounds or when their legs 

touch the back of the front seat.” 

–Adult female, Jackson County, MO 

As a final area of commonality, Black parents 

overwhelmingly rely on the instructions and 

guidelines provided with the safety seat for 

guidance on selection and installation. Few, if any, 

received other outside help, which might present 

problems for those who purchased second-hand 

seats or obtained “hand-me-downs.” 

“[People learn about installing car seats] 

on the box. A lot of them do not know 

because they do not purchase them new.” 

–Parent, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Although participants had heard of booster seats, 

few knew who should use them, how they are 

installed, and why they need to be used. Most 

knew that booster seats are used to enhance 

safety, but many also questioned the extent to 

which safety is enhanced. 

“[Booster seats are not safe because] 

They are too open.” 

–Young adult female, Middlesex County, NJ 

Participants suggested a wide range of sites to 

inspect booster and safety seats to ensure proper 

installation. These suggestions included local 

health departments, community centers, stores 

where child seats are purchased, police and fire 

stations, and motor vehicle departments. While 

the participants were suspicious of police officers 

in terms of law enforcement, they trusted them to 

check child safety seats. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

Many issues regarding child safety seats drew a 

similar response across all six focus group 

communities, as described in the consensus 

findings above. The primary difference was in the 

locations suggested for child seat checkup events. 

In Oktibbeha County, participants most often 

suggested motor vehicle departments, car 

dealerships, and police stations. Jackson County 

was the only county where participants routinely 

suggested schools and churches as good sites for 

child seat checks. The suburban participants 

suggested that retail stores (e.g., Kmart, Toys “R” 

Us) are good sites to check on the installation of 

child safety seats. One could infer from these 

findings that different types of communities have 

different key geographic focal points or centers of 

activity. 

(Following the completion of focus groups in 

Berkeley and Cook Counties, the focus group 

guide was changed and from that point forward, 

participants were asked about child seat 

inspection sites. Participants from Berkeley and 

Cook Counties did not contribute information to 

this question.) 

Fewer participants from Prince George’s and 

Middlesex Counties than in the other study sites 

stated that they did not use child safety seats, and 

participants from both of these communities 

noted that information on child safety seats (size, 

appropriateness of seats, installation instructions) 

could be obtained from TV and the Internet. In 

the small community sites, it appeared that 

participants have generally heard about booster 

seats, but they are unsure when to use them and 

what benefits they serve. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 33

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

All participant groups, regardless of age or 

gender, supported using child safety seats. The 

perceived advantages in all cases surpassed the 

perceived disadvantages. 

The major difference among age groups appeared 

to be exposure, since safety seats were familiar to 

all groups. Seniors appeared less likely than other 

age groups to transport children in motor 

vehicles, although those who were grandparents 

and transport grandchildren knew about child 

safety seats and used them all the time. While all 

groups were aware of safety seats, teens across 

the communities had limited knowledge of 

booster seats. Adults and young adults (ages 

20–44) were the most consistent group to 

transport children in motor vehicles and to use 

safety seats, and were most aware of the details of 

child safety seats. 

Females, much more often than males, stated that 

they routinely use child safety seats. Males 

tended to know much less about booster seats 

than females and were less sure about which 

safety seats were the most appropriate, after 

infant seats. 

“They use them when they are babies, 

but when the kids get old they don’t 

upgrade or get the next type.” 

–Adult male, Middlesex County, NJ 

“I require my grandchildren to use seat 

belts and generally don’t see the use of 

child seats after the age of 3, rarely see 

booster seats in our neighborhoods.” 

–Senior citizen, Jackson County, MO 

In terms of sites for child safety seat checks, 

females and males suggested similar sites with 

very little variance, including police and fire 

stations, day care centers (or locations with a lot 

of children), vehicle inspection stations, and 

motor vehicle departments. Teens were the only 

group that identified drive-through restaurants as 

possible sites for seat checks. 

Teens were also more inclined to state that people 

do not use safety seats because they do not have 

(or want to take) the time to install the seats 

properly. 

Men in the 20–27 age group appeared to be 

significantly less interested in safety seat issues 

than any other group. Comments from men in 

this age category included “buying the cheapest 

seat you can find,” “picking up whatever you can 

get,” and other comments that indicated a low 

level of interest. In terms of checkpoints, all 

participants wanted the checkpoints to be held in 

easily accessible places. Males in the 20–27 age 

group often wanted checkpoints to be in 

destination locations; in other words, they were 

generally not willing to go out of their way to 

have safety seats checked. 

[How do people obtain car seats?] “Go to 

Wal-Mart and grab the cheapest one that 

they see.” 

–Young adult male, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Media And Outreach Opportunities 

Local Leadership and Organizations

Consensus Findings 

The participants were asked to identify: 

■	 Who would be effective in leading traffic safety 

efforts in the community; 

■	 Who most influences people in their age group 

in the community; 

■	 Who is trusted and who is not; and 

■	 Which organizations and groups they interact 

with on a continuing basis that would be 

effective in delivering traffic safety messages. 

A majority of participants stated that nonprofit 

organizations, churches, and schools are the most 

effective in leading traffic safety efforts in the 

community. The most trusted in leading traffic 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
34 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

safety efforts were doctors, hospitals, and 

churches. Politicians and law enforcement were 

least trusted in the community. When asked for 

an explanation of their choices, most participants 

felt that politicians have their own agenda. In 

terms of law enforcement, the majority perceived 

the police to be insincere in their efforts to help 

the community and perceived some law enforcement officers as needing to be policed themselves. 

Although churches were considered to be trusted 

entities within the community, religious leaders 

were consistently found in both negative and 

positive categories when being considered for 

spokesperson roles. Therefore, the decision to use 

a religious leader should be made on the local 

level after consideration of the religious leader’s 

reputation in the target audience. Any 

spokesperson should be selected with care and 

due consideration of the opinions of the local 

Black community. Churches and schools were 

most frequently named across all groups as 

consistent gathering places that could be used for 

delivering highway and traffic safety messages. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

In Oktibbeha and Berkeley Counties, participants 

consistently said that religious leaders are a 

positive influence. At these sites, participants 

named schools, religious organizations, and 

hospitals as good organizations to lead community efforts. Participants in Prince George’s and 

Middlesex Counties identified peers, the media, 

and parents as positive influences. Prince 

George’s and Middlesex County participants also 

named schools, religious organizations, and 

hospitals as positive community organizations. 

Likewise, participants in Jackson and Cook 

Counties named the media and parents as positive influences and commented that churches and 

schools were good groups to lead a traffic safety 

effort in the community. 

“Doctors and hospitals have had the 

training, so people would believe them.” 

–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

“Around here, people want you to 

‘show me,’ they just don’t want to 

take anybody’s word.” 

–Young adult male, Berkeley County, SC 

“Schools are good because they 


reach kids while they are young to help


them develop good habits. They have 


a captive audience.”


–Young adult female, Cook County, IL 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

The most striking difference existed in who most 

influences their age groups in the community. 

Teens (ages 16–19) named media, celebrities, and 

school antidrug programs as most influential; 

young adults (ages 20–27) named the media, 

family, and church; and adults (ages 28–44) most 

often named family. 

“Parents and peers would be effective.” 

–Adult male, Cook County, IL 

“I’m influenced by television, friends, 

older brothers and sisters and family 

members other than my parents.” 

–Teenage male, Prince George’s County, MD 

“Health care professionals are really good 

and local hospitals and paramedics because 

they are the first line of defense. They see 

all the accidents and victims.” 

–Adult female, Berkeley County, SC 

Similarly, both males and females stated that 

school, church, and family were the strongest 

influences in the community. Male focus group 

participants stated that local law enforcement was 

not viewed as a positive influence in the 

community; females were not as consistent in this 

opinion as males. (This negative opinion of law 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 35

enforcement was also highlighted earlier). 

Approximately 99 percent of the focus group 

participants viewed racial profiling as a problem 

in their community. 

When asked about local leaders and organizations 

to lead community efforts, both males and 

females stated that they would rely on their 

church leaders and nonprofit groups (i.e., MADD, 

NAACP, etc.) rather than politicians. Coaches 

were cited as positive influences by male 

participants. Many male teenagers said they 

respect and will listen to what their coaches tell 

them. 

Ads and Media Messages

Consensus Findings 

Participants were asked to identify (a) ads and 

messages that work well in the Black community 

and to explain why they work; (b) ads and messages that were viewed negatively by the Black 

community and to explain what was wrong with 

them; (c) traffic safety messages that were memorable; and (d) messages with which Blacks identify. 

Ads and messages that work well in the Black

community and why they work

In general, participants said that ads with real-life 

situations and ordinary people tend to work best 

in reaching Black audiences because they are 

believable and usually they have a connection to 

the Black community. They are considered to be 

more trustworthy or credible. 

“To deal with Black people, you have to 

make it relevant to us.” 

–Adult male, Berkeley County, SC 

Ads that have music, rhythm, catchy tunes, and 

slogans also work well. Historically, music has 

been a staple part of Black culture across all ages 

and socioeconomic levels. Overall, the antismoking and the HIV/safe sex ads were viewed 

as effective examples. 

Ads and messages that were viewed

negatively and why

In general, participants did not like ads and 

messages that try to be too Black, too ethnic, or 

too urban. Many of the participants, particularly 

older ones, were resistant to messages that 

emphasize forced change. Many participants 

emphasized that messages should target changing 

the community’s mindset about the benefits of 

traffic safety, rather than forcing the changes. As 

participants in Berkeley and Oktibbeha Counties 

advised: the key to a successful outcome is 

providing education to help people make the 

right choices. 

“Should be more sensitive to 

your background and not make 

generalizations about people.” 

–Young adult female, Berkeley County, SC 

“The Toyota SUV thing. I did not like 

the reference to Blacks and gold teeth. 

It’s a stereotype and insulting.” 

–Adult male, Cook County, IL 

“Ads that always show Black people 

dancing around. They just show White 

people eating. We have to rap and sing 

when we go out. Why can’t we just eat?” 

–Teenage female, Cook County, IL 

Traffic safety messages that are memorable

The commercial featuring the crash-test dummies 

overshadowed any other traffic safety message 

that participants could recall. Likewise, traffic 

safety messages showing videos of drunk driving 

victims ranked high among the participants. 

When asked if they had seen or heard any traffic 

safety messages directed toward the Black 

population, participants said the messages they 

have seen have been general and are not specific 

to the Black community. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
36 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Messages with which Blacks identify

A significant number of participants noted that 

Blacks identify with ads that are realistic and 

truthful, and which feature ordinary Black 

people. If celebrities are used, participants 

thought those messages would be more effective 

if they are delivered by local celebrities or 

celebrities who have been personally affected by 

an issue. Participants made no distinction 

between radio, television, and billboard ads. 

However, ads with too many facts and statistics 

do not work in the Black community. Some of the 

male participants said that they are suspicious of 

traffic safety statistics. 

“Be honest and show the truth. If you are 

saying that 94% of Blacks support traffic 

safety, show me how this is true.” 

–Adult male, Prince George’s County, MD 

“I don’t believe the answers [on the 


traffic safety survey]; none of my 


friends would agree with those 


responses. Black people are only 


giving you the answers they think you


want rather than what they actually do.”


–Senior citizen, Oktibbeha County, MS 

Geography-, Gender-, and Age-based 

Differences and Similarities 

No geographical, gender, or age differences were 

found regarding the effectiveness of fact-based 

messages and messages that contain music. 

However, a geographical difference in opinion 

was found for the most frequently identified 

characters in positive ads and messages. In all 

counties except Prince George’s County, Michael 

Jordan and Magic Johnson were considered to be 

good influences in the Black community on issues 

such as sports and HIV/AIDS awareness. Prince 

George’s County emphasized family, parents, 

peers, doctors, and paramedics as stronger 

influences than celebrities. Teens preferred using 

celebrities in advertisements. In addition, some of 

the most memorable advertisements across all 

geographical, gender, and age groups included 

athletic shoes, crash-test dummies, safe-sex 

campaigns, HIV/AIDS campaigns, drinking and 

driving, and anti-smoking ads (particularly the 

TRUTH campaign ads sponsored by the 

American Legacy Foundation). Participants did 

not differ on the choice of preferred media for 

advertising; billboard, radio, and television ads 

were all identified as viable delivery options. 

Key Factors to Successful Messages and

Programs

Consensus Findings 

Participants were asked to identify factors that are 

most important when trying to reach and 

influence the Black population with traffic safety 

programs. The majority of participants stated that 

using positive role models and reality-based 

commercials would catch the attention of Black 

viewers. They felt that the community could 

identify more with people who are role models. 

Participants emphasized that role models do not 

need to be celebrities; however, if the celebrity is 

regularly identified with an issue and regularly 

participates in community activities, he or she 

might be more effective than a celebrity who did 

not. A parent in Berkeley County, SC said, 

“Watching videos—some of my students 

think nothing is going to happen to them; 

because when the stars get in trouble, they 

get off [are not punished]. So my students 

think it is ok to get in trouble.” 

According to participants, reality-based 

commercials demonstrate that traffic crashes and 

fatalities can happen to anyone, without needing 

supporting statistics. 

Geography-Based Differences and Similarities 

Similarly, all of the communities stressed the 

importance of fact-based messages. Each 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 37

community, however, provided additional key 

factors to successful messages. At two small 

community sites (Oktibbeha and Berkeley), 

participants consistently said that the key to a 

successful message was to provide education, 

regardless of the target audience. Participants in 

the two suburban counties (Prince George’s 

and Middlesex) stressed that ads should use 

reputable people who are trusted in the 

community. Participants in the two urban 

counties, Jackson and Cook, stated that music 

and social gatherings might be used successfully 

to get the community’s attention. 

“The cigarette truth ads were pretty good; 

it was the hard honest truth about 

ammonia and stuff in cigarettes.” 

–Adult male, Berkeley County, SC 

“Commercials about the basketball star 

killed by drunk driving has a big impact.” 

–Teenage male, Jackson County, MO 

“Friends being killed in accidents 

or Derrick Thomas killed in his 

SUV are powerful.” 

–Young adult female, Jackson County, MO 

Differences and Similarities by Age and Gender 

Teens (ages 16–19) stated that young people 

should be used to deliver messages. Young adults 

between the ages of 20 and 27 felt that realitybased commercials were most effective, and 

adults (ages 28–44) most often identified 

educational commercials as most important. 

Across focus groups, there were varying opinions 

of what constituted a successful message, and 

opinions varied with each age group. With 

increasing age, participants felt that rather than 

focusing on who is in the ad, greater emphasis 

should be placed on the content. 

“Music, particularly rap artists, have a 

major influence on young people.” 

–Teenage female, Middlesex County, NJ 

“Continual education. Consistent 

education and then there is no excuse for 

not knowing.” 

–Parent, Prince George’s County, MD 

Similarly, both males and females stated realitybased messaging is important. Male focus groups, 

however, also stated that they want to be 

entertained to hold their attention. Females 

emphasized the educational aspect of the ad as 

most important. 

“Nike creates images of the way 

I like to see things be.” 

–Teenage female, Jackson County, MO 

“People are more impressed by what 

you do—not what you say.” 

–Adult Male, Prince George’s County, MD 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 39

Chapter IV 

PERSPECTIVES OF NEEDS FROM AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND 

ACTIVISTS SERVING THE BLACK COMMUNITY 

As mentioned in the Introduction, the study team 

gathered information from two sources: (1) oneon-one discussions with local community leaders 

and traffic safety practitioners; and (2) focus 

groups with residents of the local population. 

The purpose of the one-on-one discussions was to 

gather information on the following topics: 

■	 How the agencies and organizations engage 

the black community; 

■	 Methods that the agencies and organizations 

have found to be effective in working with the 

Black community; 

■	 Types of messages and requests towards which 

the agencies/organizations have found the 

Black community responsive; 

■	 Perspectives of the highway safety needs of 

the Black community, and how they fit with 

other needs; 

■	 Perceived opportunities for promoting 

highway safety in the Black community. 

Study team members obtained names of 

individuals to participate in the one-on-one 

discussions from NHTSA regional staff 

representatives and by identifying local 

organizations and individuals integral to local 

traffic safety or the Black community. The study 

team made every effort to ensure that the lists of 

identified community members and 

agencies/organizations were representative of the 

following community sectors: 

■	 civic, voluntary, and fraternal organizations; 

■	 faith-based organizations; 

■	 young adult and youth-serving agencies; 

■	 health and human services providers; 

■	 community-based organizations; 

■	 local businesses; 

■	 educational institutions and organizations; 

■	 professional associations; 

■	 consumer groups; 

■	 policy and advocacy groups; 

■	 parent groups; 

■	 neighborhood associations; and 

■	 local media. 

(It should be noted that the study team member 

who conducted the one-on-one discussions 

within a specific site was also part of the team to 

conduct the subsequent focus group sessions. 

This approach assured consistency in the 

information-gathering process and allowed the 

team member to become more knowledgeable 

about the dynamics and characteristics of a 

specific region or site.) 

The discussion guides used were industry specific 

and included the following discussion topics: 

■	 importance of outreach in the Black 

community and successful and unsuccessful 

outreach strategies; 

■	 resistance or barriers encountered in outreach 

to Black communities; 

■	 trusted messengers of health and safety 

information in the Black community/ leaders 

in promoting health and safety information in 

the Black community; 

■	 perceptions in the Black community about the 

enforcement of traffic laws; 

■	 degree of awareness/knowledge in the Black 

community about traffic safety issues; 

■	 major driver, passenger, and pedestrian-related 

traffic safety problems within the Black 

community and contributing factors; 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
40 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

■	 effective and ineffective channels of 

communication; and 

■	 specific cultural issues to consider when 

working in the Black community. 

These discussion guides were tailored to the 13 

community sectors listed on the previous page. 

Following is a summary, by topic area, from each 

of the six communities: 

Importance of Outreach in the Black Community 

Berkeley County, SC. Most respondents felt that 

community outreach was critical to the effective 

promotion of programs or initiatives in Black 

communities, especially in the county’s rural areas. 

One of the most successful types of outreach cited 

was participation in church-sponsored events. 

“Church is an excellent way to reach 

females, who make most of those kinds 

of decisions (health and safety-related) 

in the household.” 

“Ninety percent of that (outreach) 


takes place on Sundays in the churches


around here.”


“Churches are important—especially 


in the rural areas—and it’s important 


to get the leaders involved.”


Other successful outreach strategies mentioned 

included door-to-door promotions, visits to local 

eating and drinking establishments, and 

attending local sporting events. Unsuccessful 

strategies included collaborations with 

organizations or individuals the community does 

not trust and partnerships with too few 

organizations. 

Cook County, IL. Outreach was also found to be 

important in reaching the Black community in 

Cook County. Here, the majority of respondents 

felt that participating in a few select, key events 

would be an effective outreach strategy. The Bud 

Billiken Parade was cited as an example of a 

successful outreach effort and was described this 

way by several respondents: 

“It is a well planned, well-publicized, 


and well-attended event.”


“It presents a good opportunity to


communicate with large segments of


Chicago’s Black community.”


In the opinions of several respondents, the “sense 

of community” in Cook County has dissipated 

since many of the public housing complexes have 

been torn down. In their opinions, strategies that 

do not unite communities would prove 

unsuccessful. 

Jackson County, MO. Most respondents felt that 

outreach is important to promote programs in 

Jackson County. A few felt that participating in 

events where there are opportunities for dialogue 

and one-on-one communication has been a 

particularly effective strategy. 

“When approaching a neighborhood, 


we ask ‘are you interested’ not ‘we are


going to do this.”


“The most successful strategy is 

one-on-one and meeting face-to-face 

with individuals. The Chamber of 

Commerce knows the business 

community and the neighborhood 

groups know the community residents.” 

Also, the success of various outreach activities 

depends on the message and the target groups. 

Respondents noted that churches and schools are 

ideal venues for holding events. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 41

“Give-a-ways and freebies are 


important tools for outreach. We call 


them ‘wiz wiz, bang bangs.’”


Middlesex County, NJ. According to most 

respondents, organized events such as health fairs 

and community festivals are excellent venues to 

reaching the Black community. 

“It guarantees you an audience, 

especially if it’s popular. Plus, you 

don’t have to spend as much time 

planning and organizing.” 

Many suggested school events, particularly 

events that include children and extended family 

members, as an excellent strategy. 

“Schools are good. I have found if 


you involve the children, then the 


parents are likely to support it.”


Oktibbeha, MS. Community outreach was seen 

as important to making inroads in the Black 

communities in and around Oktibbeha County. 

Gaining access to key audiences through 

elementary and secondary schools, Mississippi 

State University, local Red Cross chapters, and the 

county hospital was noted as an effective strategy. 

These organizations were also recognized as very 

involved in the community. 

“They are involved in health and 

safety anyway, like CPR training, some 

driver’s education and health fairs. 

Mississippi State also has extension 

sites all over the community.” 

Prince George’s County, MD. Most respondents 

had some experience with outreach and they 

shared successful strategies and offered recommendations. Frequent suggestions included: working 

through existing events; partnering with organizations; starting small and building a presence 

over time; and in the faith community, taking time 

to locate the right church for outreach efforts. 

“Some of the churches that are the 


most active in the community are the


largest with 3,000–5,000 members, and


have multiple layers. You have to 


get to engage the pastor first and 


then have him put you in touch with 


the right person in that church to make


sure you get and stay involved.”


“One thing you need to always 


remember, if the pastor doesn’t want it 


to happen, it’s not going to happen.”


Resistance or Barriers Encountered in 

Outreach to Black Communities 

Berkeley County, SC. Many respondents commented that the Black community in Berkeley County 

is divided along income and geographic lines. 

Because of this, some encountered problems reaching rural, less-educated, lower-income residents 

and described them as less trusting and more 

resistant to new ideas, programs, or activities. 

“Many out in the rural areas are not 

forgiving of the past, and even current 

disparities that exist. It keeps going 

on...it’s a generational thing.” 

“The rural areas are unique. You 

definitely see a split down racial lines. 

Blacks in the rural parts tend to be less 

educated and they are not as quick to 

get involved in a program where they 

can’t see an immediate benefit.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
42 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“Sometimes there is a lack of motivation 

from those less educated about general 

issues that affect them. Unfortunately, 

most only respond when a crisis happens 

and they need some type intervention.” 

When asked what resistance or barriers they 

faced in their outreach efforts to the Black 

community, the majority of respondents reported 

that many in the community did not trust 

“outsiders.” As one respondent explained, 

“The Black community has been


hoodwinked a lot...you must show that


you are in it for the long haul and 


that you are committed.”


According to these respondents, the more urban, 

higher-income residents were more likely to be 

receptive to and show interest in new 

information. 

Cook County, IL. Most respondents described 

local Black community members as generally 

having a strong distrust of law enforcement, 

government entities, Whites, and people outside 

their communities. As a result, many had 

encountered problems initiating programs. 

Jackson County, MO. The majority of respondents did not indicate that they had experienced 

any resistance or barriers in their outreach to 

Black communities. Some felt, however, that a 

general lack of trust in the system and authority 

was a barrier. In their opinions, many citizens are 

leery of government and government agencies. 

“We find that sometimes it’s an ‘us 


versus them’ mentality and that can


work against a program.”


“A barrier to success is when you do 


not ask permission to work within 


the community; when you don’t 


get them to buy in.”


Middlesex County, NJ. The majority of respondents overwhelmingly cited the busy work and 

personal schedules of many in the Black 

community in Middlesex County as a barrier to 

outreach, and many felt this to be true across 

income and education levels. Some went on to 

add that busy schedules, along with long 

commuting times, make it difficult to be effective 

in outreach. 

Another common theme was that economic status 

and lack of education often contribute to difficulties in reaching some in the Black community. 

“The wealthier and more educated will pay


closer attention to what you are saying


whether or not it impacts them directly.”


“This area is very diverse. There is a 


large socioeconomic band. New Brunswick


is very urban; Plainsboro is middle class


and suburban. You have to make


adjustments when addressing folks or 


your message will fall on deaf ears.”


Oktibbeha County, MS. The majority of respondents did not indicate that they had experienced 

any resistance or barriers in their outreach efforts 

to Black communities, but several respondents 

did stress the importance of contacting key 

opinion leaders before attempting a project 

of any significant size. Suggestions included 

Ava Moore, a local businesswoman who at that 

time was leading the county’s race relations 

team; Roy Perkins, a local lawyer and alderman; 

and Dr. Mfanya Tryman, then director of the 

local NAACP and professor at Mississippi 

State University. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 43

Prince George’s County, MD. As in Middlesex 

County, the majority of respondents cited the 

busy work and personal schedules of many in the 

Black community as a barrier to outreach. 

Similarly, many felt this held true across income 

and education levels and, in this particular 

county, geographic location. 

“There are a lot of two-income households 

here and people driving themselves and 

children to multiple places in the evening.” 

“After work and school activities really 

compete for people’s time. That’s why 

partnering is so important.” 

Trusted Messengers of Health and 

Safety Information 

Berkeley County, SC. In some cases, respondents 

differentiated between those who would be 

trusted messengers in the county’s rural 

communities and those who would have more 

credibility in urban areas. In rural areas, 

ministers, nonprofit organizations, and social 

service agencies were most often mentioned as 

trusted messengers of information. 

“For the Black community, especially in 

the rural areas, trust is key. Whoever is 

before the people has to build trust first 

and have the backing of people who are 

recognized and ‘homegrown.’” 

“In the rural areas, where people tend not 

to be as educated, it is really important to 

use messengers that can break through 

their defensive attitudes.” 

In the urban communities, community leaders 

(many of whom are elected officials), ministers, 

and Black police officers were noted as trusted 

messengers of health and safety information. 

“Many of our police officers are from the 

community and people have grown up 

with them. They can read the community 

well and know how to get things done.” 

Several respondents mentioned the NAACP 

as a trusted messenger because of their work 

on several issues important to the Black 

community, as well as their success with the 

Confederate Flag issue. 

Representatives from faith, health, community 

and political organizations also were asked what 

local or national health programs or organizations 

they felt were effective at reaching the Black 

community. Respondents named national 

pharmaceutical companies, along with the local 

and national organizations that target Blacks with 

cancer and hypertension prevention messages. 

Cook County, IL. The majority of respondents 

reported that celebrities, local personalities (radio 

personalities, not TV anchors), political leaders, 

and ministers were all trusted messengers of 

health and safety information in the Black 

community. However, some reported that police 

officers, other law enforcement officials, or 

government agencies would not be good choices. 

“Members of the Black community have 


a strong distrust of law enforcement.”


“People tend to be cynical about


government entities in this county.”


Jackson County, MO. Leaders from communitybased organizations, local sports and 

entertainment personalities, and religious and 

political figures were cited as trusted messengers. 

Not all agreed that health care professionals 

would be good messengers. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
44 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“This county is less progressive in dealing 

with health and safety issues. You really 

need leaders people know and recognize to 

promote a change in behavior.” 

Names mentioned as trusted messengers 

included retired Lt. Colonel Jim Nunn from the 

organization Move-Up; local personality, Buck 

O’Neil; religious leader Emmanuel Cleaver, and 

any football player with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

In fact, several respondents mentioned the 

sobering effect of the tragic death of Kansas City 

Chiefs player Derek Thomas. He was killed in a 

vehicular crash and was not wearing a seat belt. 

“He was visible and popular in the


community. There have been buckle-up


campaigns in his name since his death.”


Several national and local organizations were 

viewed as leaders in promoting health and safety 

information in the Black community, including 

Truman Medical, American Family Insurance, 

First Guard (a Black-owned HMO), and Emerging 

Market Manager (a business run by two women 

who sponsor health fairs, immunization drives, 

and other health and health-related activities). 

Middlesex County, NJ. As in other counties, 

respondents believed that Black opinion leaders, 

religious leaders, and Black elected officials 

are all trusted messengers of health and 

safety information. 

“A collaboration of individuals from these


groups who are interested in health and


safety would be a good idea.”


The NAACP was one organization specifically 

mentioned by several respondents: 

“The local NAACP does a good 


job tailoring messages and 


disseminating information.”


Individuals representing faith, health, community 

and political organizations were also asked what 

local or national health programs or organizations 

they felt were particularly effective at reaching 

the Black community. Programs promoting 

diabetes awareness and cancer prevention 

programs were mentioned as good examples of 

tailoring messages to the Black community. 

Oktibbeha County, MS. The most trusted 

messengers of health and safety initiatives in this 

county include educators (active and retired), the 

clergy, health care providers, political figures, and 

the police. Law enforcement officials have a good 

reputation here and are generally well respected. 

Prince George’s County, MD. The majority of 

respondents in this county said that fire 

department officials, well-known local opinion 

leaders, and health care professionals— 

”especially to the more educated”—are trusted 

messengers of health and safety information. One 

respondent noted that young people typically 

react positively toward local professional athletes 

and entertainers. Several pointed out that: 

“In this community, familiarity and 

comfort level is important! Even if you use 

people credible in the health and safety 

field, people have to recognize them.” 

Names mentioned frequently included County 

Executive Wayne Curry and County Council 

President Dorothy Bailey. 

The county health department, the larger local 

hospitals, and the MADD and DARE programs 

were all programs mentioned frequently as 

effective at reaching the Black community 

with messages. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 45

Perceptions in the Black Community 

About the Enforcement of Traffic Laws 

Berkeley County, SC. All respondents agreed that 

the Black community perceives disparities in the 

enforcement of traffic laws. The majority believed 

that Black residents in rural parts of the county 

have more problems with racial profiling than 

their counterparts in urban areas. 

“Black people know that they are more 

likely to get stopped in the affluent, White 

areas of the county. You can’t even get the 

police to leave the city limits and enforce 

the laws in the rural parts of the county.” 

Some noted that police agencies in urban areas 

tend to be more aware of racial profiling. They are 

also better educated and trained, and therefore, 

more sensitive to this issue. 

Suggestions for improvement included 

the following: 

“Community leaders need to do a better job


talking with police agencies and holding


them accountable for their actions.”


“Perceptions are being addressed by 

having officers keep logs of every person 

stopped. But the problem is that there is 

vague communication from the top. There 

should be more reporting back to the 

community on the status of programs in 

place to eliminate profiling.” 

Cook County, IL. The majority of respondents 

reported that most Blacks are concerned about 

being stopped while driving by the police and 

feel they are more likely to be stopped than White 

drivers. The majority said that racial profiling is a 

problem and a growing issue in this county. 

Jackson County, MO. For most respondents, 

racial profiling was seen as an important issue 

and problem in the Black community. Most stated 

that there was a perception that disparities exist 

in enforcing traffic laws. In fact, one of the 

respondents said that he was responsible for the 

enactment of the first piece of State legislation to 

address racial profiling. 

“Folks have preconceived, negative 

notions about cops because of the 

profiling issue. And unfortunately many 

have not had a positive first experience.” 

Some felt that the Black community does not have 

confidence in the process. 

“Even though we have community 

policing and cops on bikes, there is still a 

need to talk more openly and frequently 

with community residents. This issue 

needs to be acknowledged as a problem.” 

Middlesex County, NJ. All respondents agreed 

that there is a perception in the Black community 

that disparities exist in the enforcement of traffic 

laws. One respondent said she felt Black drivers 

were more cautious because of this problem, and 

had a personal story. 

“I was stopped three times in a month 

when I first moved to a White area of the 

county. I know Black kids who are afraid to 

visit other kids who live in White areas.” 

An elected official pointed out that New Jersey 

was one of the first States to expose racial profiling as a serious problem. Still, in his opinion: 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
46 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“It is a hypersensitive issue. There 


is a high desire for community policing,


but as a result, police have been more


aggressive than need be.”


Suggestions for improvements included: 

“Police forces need to be more diverse.”


“There should be emphasis placed on 

telling young people what the problems are 

and teaching them how to communicate 

with police officers when stopped.” 

“There needs to be more open and honest


discussions, maybe through town meetings


and forums.”


“Microphones and video cameras mounted


in cars would be great!”


Oktibbeha County, MS. Although some 

respondents agreed that many Black residents 

believe they are stopped more often than White 

residents, other respondents disagreed and said it 

was not a major issue. 

Prince George’s County, MD. There was unanimous agreement among the Black respondents 

that the Black community feels there are disparities in the enforcement of traffic laws. 

“Young Black men who fit a certain


‘profile’ are often stopped for no reason.


Officers seem to make snap judgments.”


“Cops erroneously label Blacks as 


one thing or another.”


Some said that Black residents actually fear being 

stopped and that they believe Black motorists are 

cautious because of this. 

“As an African American male, I know 

that I am more likely to be stopped. I spend 

a lot of time focused on that while I’m 

driving because I know it is dangerous to 

get entangled with the law.” 

White respondents, on the other hand, did not 

view it as a major issue. 

“I know that racial profiling is a huge


problem elsewhere, but not here.”


Recommendations for improvements included: 

“More education for young people on how


certain behaviors might be perceived.”


“Law enforcement should develop more


partnerships around this issue.”


Degree of Awareness/Knowledge 

in the Black Community of Traffic 

Safety Issues—Driver, Passenger, 

and Pedestrian 

Berkeley County, SC. Most respondents agreed 

that while there is a high level of awareness of 

traffic safety issues in the Black community, the 

levels of knowledge vary. Several noted that 

overall, there is less education about traffic safety 

laws and enforcement in the rural communities. 

“Because of the problems in the rural 

communities with poor upkeep of the roads 

and the problems that causes for 

pedestrians, traffic safety issues are a 

priority. But I would say there are some 

knowledge problems too.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 47

“Most people seem to be clear on 


most driver-related issues, but others 


are clueless.”


“People think they know the laws, but they


really don’t. There are a lot of knowledge


problems around pedestrian issues.”


Although access to child safety seats was not 

reported as a problem, the majority of 

respondents stated that improper use and nonuse 

of child safety seats was an issue for some. 

“I hear a lot of parents complain about 

kids not wanting to be in the car seats 

and how the crying drives them crazy. 

So they take them out or they don’t 

restrain them at all.” 

“Hand-me-down safety seats are a


problem, especially out in the country.


Many are damaged and too old to be used.”


Respondents also reported that in rural 

communities, where there tends to be less 

enforcement, adult seat belts are often used for 

small children. Many adults buckle multiple 

children in one seat belt if there are not enough 

seat belts to go around. 

Cook County, IL. The majority of respondents 

said that both awareness and knowledge of traffic 

safety issues in the Black community are low, 

especially among lower income groups. 

“With lower income groups, traffic 


safety does not come up; it is not on


anyone’s agenda.”


“The awareness of traffic safety issues in


the Black community is generally low. The


younger generation may be a little more


knowledgeable, due to the influence of


schools and the media, such as


Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV. But for 


the most part, awareness is low.”


The majority of respondents believed there to be 

knowledge problems around requirements for, 

and proper use of, child safety seats. 

“I really don’t think that the message 


that children are always safer in the 


back has gotten through.”


Jackson County, MO. In Jackson County, 

respondents felt that both awareness and 

knowledge of traffic safety issues is weak. 

“People do not seem to know enough 


about the correct way car seats are


supposed to fit into the car.”


“In general, I think folks don’t practice


what they know.”


“Pedestrians seem totally oblivious 


to the laws and rules.”


Regarding the issue of child safety seats, a few 

respondents mentioned an initiative called the 

Car Seat Diversion Program, which has helped 

increase awareness and knowledge. 

Middlesex County, NJ. The majority of 

respondents described the level of awareness 

about traffic safety issues as “low” to “moderate.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
48 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

“People just don’t think about it and 


don’t see the immediate applicability.”


“Other transportation issues are more 

pressing, such as congestion, more 

bus service and the need for a 

sophisticated subway system.” 

However, one respondent said she felt it was high 

because of the racial profiling issue. 

Some respondents saw a knowledge gap with 

respect to child safety seats and attributed 

this to confusion about age, height, and 

weight requirements. 

“There definitely needs to be more spot


checks for safety seats.”


Oktibbeha County, MS. Most discussants reported that there is little awareness and knowledge of 

traffic safety issues in the Black community. 

“No organizations have really taken on the


traffic safety issue, except for some small,


temporary initiatives.”


However, some stated that people have recently 

become more aware and knowledgeable about 

seat belt laws because of increased enforcement. 

Prince George’s County, MD. Respondents felt 

that both awareness and knowledge of traffic 

safety issues are generally high among Blacks. 

“I think knowledge is high because there


are so many traffic problems and tragedies.


It’s not far from anyone’s mind.”


“Awareness is high because Blacks tend to


be profiled and everyone knows it’s a


problem in the county.”


However, some participants reported that 

knowledge problems exist with respect to 

pedestrian-related safety and safety seat use. 

“Safety seats are difficult to use and that


creates problems.”


“There needs to be more spot checks for


safety seat use.”


Major Driver-, Passenger-, and 

Pedestrian-Related Traffic 

Safety Problems 

Berkeley County, SC. Participants cited road 

conditions, driving without a license or insurance, 

dangerous walking conditions for pedestrians, 

and early-model cars without proper restraints as 

important problems. 

The factors most often mentioned as contributing 

to these problems included the tremendous 

amount of growth and redevelopment in the area; 

trucking on rural roads, which causes 

deterioration; lack of formal driver education; and 

lack of enforcement in rural areas. 

“Lack of enforcement prompts some to


drive without a license, insurance, and


cars that are just plain unsafe.”


“There are no sidewalks. There is nowhere


for people to walk and it causes the roads


to deteriorate faster.”


“There is not enough driver education for 

young people. Kids drive younger here 

because they have to learn to operate farm 

equipment. They end up learning to drive 

from friends or older siblings who may not 

be the best teachers.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 49

Cook County, IL. Respondents cited improper 

use of child safety seats, small children seated in 

the front seat, lack of seat belt use, and driving 

while under the influence. 

Jackson County, MO. Participants cited the lack 

of restraints, particularly on school buses, the 

lack of speed bumps and crosswalks, speeding, 

distracted drivers, high-speed police chases, 

road conditions, and the lack of crossing guards 

at schools. 

There was no consensus on what factors 

contributed most to these problems. 

Middlesex County, NJ. Respondents cited traffic 

congestion and related problems, aggressive 

driving, speeding, and the improper use and 

nonuse of child restraints. 

Factors contributing to these problems included 

problems with the mass transit system; young 

people who are inexperienced drivers; 

“...congestion causes aggressive driving and 

speeding”; and the loss of school-sponsored 

driver education courses. 

Oktibbeha County, MS. Respondents cited 

driving while under the influence, speeding, 

disobeying helmet laws, the improper use or 

nonuse of child safety seats, and frequent farming 

or heavy equipment accidents. 

Participants reported the following as factors that 

contribute to these problems: economic concerns 

regarding purchasing helmets and child safety 

seats; young drivers “drag racing” down rural 

roads; and drivers with excessive numbers of 

passengers (especially children) and not enough 

restraints. 

Prince George’s County, MD. Respondents cited 

aggressive driving, speeding, inattentive drivers, 

and inexperienced drivers. 

Factors contributing to these problems included 

the abuse of drugs and alcohol, “the demise of 

driver education programs in public schools,” 

traffic congestion leading to “road rage,” and 

cell phone use. 

Effective and Ineffective Channels of 

Communication 

Berkeley County, SC. According to the vast 

majority of respondents, “word of mouth” and 

face-to-face communication are the most effective 

channels. Many respondents also felt that flyers 

and direct mailings were effective. Newspapers 

were almost always cited as the most ineffective 

channel of communication. 

“Word of mouth is very effective—


especially from the pulpit.”


“Face-to-face dialogue is the most effective.


A lot of people don’t read the newspaper.”


Cook County, IL. Television, radio, and 

newspapers were viewed as the most effective 

channels of communication in the Black 

community. However, it was reported that a large 

segment of the county’s Black community does 

not read the major newspapers. Many said that 

the smaller, local newspapers are more popular 

and are seen as more credible sources of 

information. 

Jackson County, MO. For most respondents, 

“word-of-mouth” is the most effective channel of 

communication, with newspapers being the least 

effective. Seniors can most effectively be reached 

through the churches and neighborhood 

associations, and young people through the 

schools. Festivals and fairs were seen as effective, 

especially when reinforced with follow-up 

brochures and flyers. 

Middlesex County, NJ. In this county, there was 

no consensus on the most or least effective 

channel of communication. Newspapers, radio, 

television, and schools were all mentioned as 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
50 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

being effective. Several respondents felt that 

“word of mouth” would probably be ineffective, 

given the busy work, school, and personal 

schedules of most families. 

Oktibbeha County, MS. Local TV stations were 

described as being very effective channels of 

communication, providing news, community 

concern programs, and bulletin boards. Churches 

and “word of mouth” were also mentioned as 

good channels. Radio was viewed as being almost 

as effective as local television. 

Prince George’s County, MD. The majority of 

respondents felt that radio was the most effective 

channel of communication. Local newspapers 

were also mentioned as a preferred channel. 

Mainstream newspapers, however, were felt to be 

the most ineffective channel. 

Specific Cultural Issues to 

Consider When Working in the 

Black Community 

Berkeley County, SC. The cultural issue most 

frequently mentioned was the close relationship 

between family members in the Black community. 

Respondents said that Blacks in this county tend 

to feel very “rooted” in their communities, since 

many families have lived on and owned the same 

land for generations. Although the “inherent” 

trusting nature of most in the Black community 

was heralded by most respondents, many were 

quick to add that Blacks had become less trusting 

due to broken promises made by elected officials 

and large companies in the area. 

Cook County, IL. Respondents noted that 

members of the Black community have a strong 

distrust of law enforcement and are cynical about 

government entities. In general, the community is 

distrustful of Whites and others from outside the 

immediate community. 

Jackson County, MO. One socioeconomic factor 

raised was the mobility of Black families in Jackson 

County. Since they are often renters, they move 

around a lot. Neighborhood safety issues, such as 

feeling safe when going out in the evening, were 

also mentioned. And as in other sites, the busy 

lives of most families was mentioned by many 

respondents. Families in Jackson County are not 

unlike their counterparts in other urban areas of 

the country in that there is little time for weekend 

and evening activities, and outside interests often 

compete with work, family, and other priorities. 

Middlesex County, NJ. The most common theme 

was the busy nature of most Black households in 

the county, with inordinate amounts of time spent 

in cars commuting between work, home, and 

outside activities. 

One respondent commented that Blacks in 

Middlesex County are very sensitive to the racial 

disparities that they believe exist. They have 

experience with racial profiling in driving 

situations, as well as housing and employment 

problems. 

Oktibbeha County, MS. Many Black residents 

reportedly believe that the police stop them more 

often than Whites. While some discussants agreed 

with this statement, others said it is not an issue. 

Prince George’s County, MD. While no cultural 

issues specific to the Black community were 

commonly mentioned, some respondents did 

comment on the differences in perspectives of 

Blacks living “inside” and “outside” the Beltway. 

These people felt that Blacks living “inside,” or in 

the Washington, DC metropolitan area, were 

more aware of the “hottest” issues covered in the 

mainstream media than their counterparts living 

further away from the District of Columbia. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 51

Chapter V 

KEY COMPARISONS BETWEEN FOCUS GROUPS AND 


ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS


The following are key findings and comparisons 

of the focus groups and one-on-one discussions. 

■	 Major Traffic Safety Problems

There were significant differences in the way focus 

group participants and one-on-one participants 

ranked the major traffic safety problems affecting 

the Black communities in their respective counties. 

Across all focus groups, the majority of 

participants ranked drinking and driving as either 

the top, or one of the top, three problems. 

Aggressive driving and speeding were also given 

high priority. 

The improper or non-use of child safety seats was 

the major problem listed in the one-on-one 

discussions. Contrary to the focus group findings, 

drinking and driving was rarely mentioned in the 

one-on-one discussions. 

■	 Trusted Messengers of Health and

Safety Information

Focus group participants and participants in the 

one-on-one discussions differed on who they 

viewed as the most-trusted messengers of health 

and safety information in the Black community. 

While the majority of one-on-one participants in 

all counties listed elected and law enforcement 

officials as two of the most credible and trusted 

messengers, focus group participants reported 

just the opposite. Focus group participants 

reported that most in the Black community view 

politicians and law enforcement officials with 

suspicion and that they would be poor choices as 

spokespersons for a health and safety campaign. 

However, similar to the focus group findings, the 

majority of one-on-one participants saw nonprofit organizations, community-based 

organizations, churches and schools as trusted 

venues and effective at reaching the Black 

community with messages. 

■	 Perceptions About the Enforcement of

Traffic Laws

As in the focus groups, the vast majority of 

participants in the one-on-one discussions 

reported racial profiling to be a major issue in the 

Black community. Similarly, both focus group and 

one-on-one participants said that Black males – 

particularly young Black males – are more likely 

to be victims of racial profiling than other groups. 

Participants in both sets of research groups 

mentioned similar ways to eliminate racial 

profiling, such as increased diversity on police 

forces and more accountability for police officers. 

■	 Child Safety Seats

Participants in the one-on-one discussions 

consistently listed the improper use and nonuse of 

child safety seats as a problem within the Black 

community. In fact, respondents in several 

counties said they believed people were not 

knowledgeable about the guidelines and laws that 

govern the use of child safety seats and restraints. 

In the focus groups, the majority of participants 

who regularly transport children reported 

consistent use of child safety seats. In fact, many 

admitted that they were more diligent about 

using restraints for their children than about 

using seat belts for themselves. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 53

Chapter VI 

SUMMARY OF THE TOP 11 FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR


PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT 

A large amount of information was collected 

during the focus groups and the one-on-one 

discussions and is presented in the full report. 

However, several key findings from the research 

stand out and are presented below along with 

their implications for program development. 

Key Finding #1

Drinking and driving and aggressive and reckless 

driving were consistently identified as significant 

traffic safety problems across all focus groups 

regardless of age, gender, or location. Although 

drinking and driving was regularly cited as a top 

area of concern, many participants felt that Black 

people are not the cause of the problem. Rather, 

participants cited White drivers as the ones who 

are drinking and driving. Also, participants used 

definitions of the term “drinking and driving” 

that varied widely. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Messages to Black communities must show the 

relevance of drinking and driving as a behavioral 

issue rather than an outside risk. Messages must 

also clarify the definition of drinking and driving, 

and emphasize the risks. 

Key Finding #2

There was a strong belief at all sites that racial 

profiling is a serious problem and an ongoing 

practice of law enforcement. In particular, Black 

males felt that there was little that they can do to 

protect themselves from being victims of this 

practice. While most were able to separate the 

problem of racial profiling from the benefits of 

law enforcement, members of law enforcement 

were not seen as desirable leaders in local traffic 

safety efforts. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Law enforcement agencies must address this issue 

before they can become valuable partners in 

developing traffic safety programs for Black 

communities. In light of concerns about racial 

profiling, program designers should be sensitive 

in their selection of messages and messengers. 

Key Finding #3

Seat belt use among Blacks is inconsistent, with 

part-time use prevalent regardless of the 

community and the age of the participant. Most 

respondents believed seat belts have a positive 

safety benefit. Most participants also said that 

they most frequently wear seat belts in situations 

that they view as risky, such as traveling long 

distances, in poor weather conditions, and when 

riding with young children. Interestingly, seat belt 

use was also commonly seen as a reflection on the 

ability of the driver; putting on a seat belt was 

often seen as a statement of no confidence in the 

driver’s ability, whether the driver is oneself or 

another. There was little recognition of the 

unpredictable nature of some crashes and that 

they could occur in good and bad weather, on 

long or short trips, or due to another driver’s 

error. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Programs should emphasize the unpreventable 

and unpredictable risk involved when drivers 

do not buckle up, and the need to buckle up 

each and every time a person drives or rides 

in a vehicle. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
54 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Key Finding #4

For younger participants, especially males, there 

was a strong relationship between driving and 

being “cool” (the term “cool” was used 

throughout the country.) Often, young male 

participants said that when they drive or ride in a 

vehicle, they are “styling and profiling” in an 

attempt to look “cool.” (“Styling and profiling” is 

an attempt to show off or to try to make an 

impression). Use of seat belts was not viewed as 

“cool” by the majority of young male 

participants. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Reversing this perception among young Black 

males is important to increasing belt use, and 

may have a positive effect on seat belt use for 

their passengers, as well. 

Key Finding #5

If parents responded that they did not wear seat 

belts, they still wanted to ensure the safety of 

their children by placing them in child restraints. 

Nonuse of safety seats was generally attributed to 

either economic constraints or indifference to 

safety. For young men, child seats were generally 

not seen as a high priority, and warranted 

minimal investment of time and money. 

Awareness of booster seats was mixed, and most 

people had only a general knowledge of when a 

child should use a booster seat. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

More general education needs to be provided to 

clarify the proper use of safety seats and booster 

seats. Promoting the use of child safety seat 

checkups may have a high payoff as well. The 

value and need for safety seats needs to be 

emphasized to young fathers. 

Key Finding #6

Blacks have many of the same reasons for not 

wearing seat belts as the general population, such 

as discomfort, wrinkling clothes, and simply 

forgetting. However, most Blacks support seat 

belt laws, even if they don’t consistently wear 

seat belts and believe that they are more likely 

to be pulled over for nonuse of seat belts than 

White drivers. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

The content of existing general messages needs to 

be shared with and tailored to Black audiences, 

using more culturally relevant themes, images, 

language, and media vehicles. In other words, 

how the message is delivered should be considered, but in many cases the message itself is equally 

relevant to Black or White target markets. 

Key Finding #7

Local health and medical providers, Black religious leaders, and families were most often identified as the most trusted groups to lead traffic safety 

efforts in the selected counties. Churches and 

schools are trusted venues. However, no group 

or venue enjoyed unanimous support. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

These trusted sources should be incorporated into 

programs, while also recognizing that no single 

source is universally trusted and thus parallel 

messages with different messengers may be 

warranted. The use of religious leaders should be 

localized and incorporated into appropriate 

program elements. Program designers should 

consult with their local community contacts 

before selecting messengers. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 55

Key Finding #8

Blacks in the selected communities for this study 

were receptive to, and supportive of, positive, 

realistic messages. Messages should portray 

truthful, ordinary people in realistic situations. 

Participants strongly believe it is essential to have 

Blacks represented in messages and ads that 

target Black men, women, teens, or seniors. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Messages and ads should portray ordinary people 

in believable situations. For the most part, 

participants were not interested in “blood and 

guts” images and scenes. Including Black people 

in the messages is important in attracting the 

attention of Black audiences. 

Key Finding #9

When compared to White communities, many 

participants believed that Black communities 

have significantly inferior street systems in 

design, construction, and maintenance. 

Implications for

Targeted Program Development 

Messages should forthrightly portray infrastructure in keeping with the public’s perceptions, to 

ensure that messages are perceived as honest, 

“above board,” and well received. 

Key Finding #10

Participants are suspiciousof safety statistics that 

do not match their perceptions of the Black 

community’s opinions or behavior. 

Implications for 

Targeted Program Development 

Minimize use of statistics in safety messages 

targeting Blacks, or make efforts in the message to 

reinforce the validity of the data as part of a social 

norming message. 

Key Finding #11

There was a high level of interest and concern 

about pedestrian issues. Participants had different 

opinions on issues such as jaywalking and the 

lack of sidewalks, depending on their geographic 

region. Participants consistently said that 

pedestrians wearing dark clothing, and walking 

along or across roads at night, present dangerous 

challenges for motorists. 

Implications for 

Targeted Program Development 

Better education is needed in the area of pedestrian safety, especially how to cross streets. These 

educational efforts need to be targeted to the 

unique urban or rural environments in local 

areas, and designed with deference to the other 

program implications cited earlier with regard to 

message development and delivery. 

Conclusion 

When considering target audiences for program 

development, it is important to heed one participant’s statement that “there are two ways to 

change: by choice or by force.” This comment 

sums up the feelings of many, particularly 

older, participants about a resistance to forced 

change. Many participants emphasized that 

messages should target changing the 

community’s mindset about the benefits of 

traffic safety, rather than forcing the changes 

through threats, presumably enforcement. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 57

Chapter VII 

GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIES FOR PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT


This chapter serves as a standalone reference tool 

for people who wish to design and conduct traffic 

safety programs directed at Black populations in 

their communities. The guidelines outlined here 

incorporate best practices, operational guidance 

and strategic information gleaned from literature 

reviews, the project team’s focus group sessions 

and one-on-one discussions with community 

leaders in six locations throughout the United 

States. Also included are recommendations from 

the Blue Ribbon Panel to Increase Seat Belt Use 

Among African Americans: A Report To The Nation, 

released in Fall 2000. Established by former 

Secretary of Transportation, the Honorable 

Rodney Slater, this prestigious panel identified 

issues and approaches for addressing seat belt use 

in African-American communities. The work of 

the Blue Ribbon Panel is introduced here in order 

to note the consistencies between the results of 

this research project and the Panel’s 

recommendations, and to present the research 

results so that they build on the guidance 

provided by the Panel. 

Specifically, you may use this chapter to help 

develop programs and messages designed to: 

■	 enhance awareness of highway safety issues 

and concerns; 

■	 encourage modification of behaviors that may 

compromise safety; 

■	 explore the specific channels of communication 

most likely to reach these audiences; and 

■	 include cultural relevance aimed at Black 

populations. 

Key Target Groups 

Black communities are not homogeneous. The 

diversity within African American communities 

makes it essential to create targeted 

communications to elicit effective responses to 

traffic and highway safety messages. Based on a 

literature review of major segments of the Black 

population and focus group research findings, 

messages may be most effective when directed 

to the following three target audiences: 

■	 The “Hip-Hop” Generation; 

■	 The Civil Rights Generation; and 

■	 Black Males (of all ages). 

While other target groups exist, these three main 

groups were selected because they offer a 

sufficient market size to warrant broad-scale 

media message development. Markets for 

particular behaviors or other smaller target 

groups also may be worthwhile to pursue. Since 

the research for this project was qualitative, the 

sizes of particular markets were not calculated, 

though it would be a relatively straightforward 

process to calculate size for demographically 

defined groups such as those above. 

Demographic definitions such as age and gender 

were used to identify and recruit participants for 

the focus groups. During the focus group 

sessions, information about participants’ 

lifestyles, media patterns and attitudes toward 

traffic safety issues was collected. Therefore, the 

major target markets discussed in this section 

present both demographic and psychographic 

information to enhance State and local efforts to 

communicate with Black communities. Overlaps 

exist among the various groups; and individuals 

may be found in several market segments, 

particularly if they are male. Also recognize that 

these three segments are not exhaustive of all 

segments of Black communities. Therefore, 

additional research within a local community 

should be conducted to thoroughly understand 

specific Black audiences. Nonetheless, the market 

segmentation provided here is a starting point for 

research and communication planning targeting 

Black communities. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
58 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

The �Hip-Hop� Generation

The “Hip-Hop” Generation can best be described 

as individuals between the ages of 15 and 35 

(born between 1965 and 1986) who identify 

closely with the language, clothing, music, poetry, 

attitudes, and behaviors of “hip-hop” culture in 

the U.S.4 “Hip-Hop” is defined as the culture from 

which rap music emerged in the 1970s. It has 

since developed into a lifestyle with its own 

language, style of dress, music, and mindset, and 

has expanded beyond urban centers like New 

York City and Los Angeles into rural and 

suburban communities. The Source, the leading 

publication targeting the Hip-Hop Generation, 

explains that the term is limited to Black 

Americans, while the term “Hip-Hop Nation” 

refers to anyone, regardless of race, nationality or 

ethnicity, who relates to the hip-hop culture. 

Today, some in this generation tend to consider 

leisure activities and entertainment as a higher 

priority than economic and political 

empowerment.5 

According to Christopher Tyson, Harvard 

University Fellow and business consultant, what 

distinguishes the Hip-Hop Generation from the 

Civil Rights Generation is that the former are the 

first Black Americans born and reared in a legally 

desegregated and voluntarily integrated country.

6 

Although the Hip-Hop Generation has been 

exposed to working- and middle-class realities, the 

development of their culture, in some respects, has 

been based on a backlash against the middle-class 

values of African Americans. Many urban youth in 

the 1970s and early 1980s felt disenchanted with 

the fading promises of the Civil Rights Movement 

and the abandonment by middle-class Black 

Americans of then-decaying urban communities. 

This generation respects the opinions of their 

immediate peers, hip-hop artists, and others who 

are directly involved with issues or causes 

directly affecting their lifestyles. 

The Civil Rights Generation

The Civil Rights Generation typically includes 

Black Americans who tend to associate with the 

economic, political, and social struggles for 

equality in America. This group holds traditional 

middle-class values. Members of the Civil Rights 

Generation tend to join more traditional 

organizations within the Black community such as 

Black fraternities and sororities, the NAACP, 

Urban League chapters, and other national Black 

professional, civic, and social organizations. 

Members of this generation hold economic, 

political, and social advancement as core values 

and believe in a strong work ethic. This generation 

has a solid voting history, is politically astute, uses 

traditional channels of communication, including 

the Black press, and prefer to see positive media 

images that incorporate family, wealth, education, 

and achievements. Members of this group hold 

strong traditional family values and have firm 

roots in the Black church. 

The core of the Civil Rights Generation typically 

includes people born before 1964. However, the 

Civil Rights Generation also includes a younger 

group, which transcends geographic, social, and 

economic levels. 

Black Males

The final key target group comprises Black males 

of all ages. They have different views on traffic 

safety issues than females. For example, racial 

profiling affects them to a greater extent than it 

does their female counterparts. Black male 

audiences tend to be more skeptical of preachy 

messages and mainstream delivery mechanisms. 

This group generally requires a culturally relevant 

approach that sends clear messages that recognize 

and reflect male beliefs, behaviors, and interests. 

4	 Kitwana, Bakari. 2002. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis of American Culture. Basic Books. And Lee 

Hubbard’s article, “Speaking on the Hip Hop Generation” published on www.africana.com 

5 For more information about the Hip-Hop generation see www.urbanthinktank.org, www.davyd.com and www.rap.about.com 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 59

Diversity Within the Targeted Groups

Since diversity exists within each of the major 

target groups, respondents felt that a message’s 

appeal can be increased by addressing specific 

gender, age, or geographic differences. Each 

program or message developed should be tested 

to ensure that it will be well received by the 

intended audience. In certain instances, the three 

target audiences may be reached by using the 

same strategies; however, in others, carefully 

targeted communication is necessary to effect 

behavioral, attitudinal, and awareness changes in 

Black people. 

Obstacles to Effective Message 

Reception 

During the research, focus group and one-on-one 

discussion participants consistently emphasized 

obstacles to the effectiveness of any highway or 

traffic safety messages. In addition to normal 

target marketing issues (discussed later) three 

significant concerns were: 

■	 distrust of law enforcement, particularly for 

issues such as “driving while Black;” 

■	 the reliability of statistics and findings from 

research commissioned by government and 

other predominantly White organizations; and 

■	 the perceived inferiority of sidewalk and road 

conditions between Black and White 

communities. 

Since these perceptions may impede the 

effectiveness of many safety messages, 

respondents felt it would be essential to address 

these issues forthrightly to ensure that messages 

are well received. Therefore, these issues must be 

considered atop normal marketing strategies 

when attempting to communicate with the Black 

population. It is important to talk with the local 

community to determine the extent to which 

these obstacles exist. 

Address Obstacles

It is important to address obstacles that impede 

the communication of traffic safety messages. The 

obstacles include racial profiling, the quality of 

roads and sidewalks, and the distrust of statistics. 

The Blue Ribbon Panel to Increase Seat Belt Use 

Among African Americans: A Report To The Nation 

also addresses these obstacles. Selected 

recommendations from the Panel are included 

below. (See Appendix G for a complete list of the 

Panel’s recommendations.) 

Although most participants in the focus groups 

and one-on-one discussions said they could 

separate racial profiling concerns from issues of 

traffic and highway safety, the tension generated 

by racial profiling, or “driving while Black,” 

creates mistrust between the public and law 

enforcement. Therefore, racial profiling should be 

recognized as a significant issue when developing 

traffic safety messages and policies. 

■	 To address the issue of “driving while Black,” 

focus group participants suggested increased 

diversity on police forces, better screening of 

candidates, and greater accountability of law 

enforcement. In other words, policy solutions 

were seen as more effective than marketing 

solutions. However, dissemination of 

information about these policies would be 

necessary, as stated in Recommendations 5 and 

6 of the Blue Ribbon Panel Report (see 

Appendix G). 

■	 To improve the perceived credibility of 

research and statistics, participants in the oneon-one discussions said it is essential to 

demonstrate that all research used or cited in 

safety messages is credible and has been 

prepared by people who are culturally 

sensitive. This is similar to Recommendation 4 

of the Blue Ribbon Panel Report. In addition, 

focus group and one-on-one participants said 

that potential solutions to this issue might 

include a greater knowledge of, and reliance 

on, research organizations that have good 

reputations within the Black community; less 

use of statistics; and statistical information 

presented in a clear, simple and relevant 

manner making it easier for the audience to 

understand and accept. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
60 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

■	 To address the strong consensus finding from 

the focus group participants that their driving 

environment differs from that of White drivers 

in local communities, the participants and oneon-one discussants recommended creating 

messages that at least acknowledge and 

recognize those differences. 

■	 To address all three major obstacles cited 

above, research participants and the Blue 

Ribbon Panel suggested opening 

communication among community partners, 

organizations, and government agencies 

wishing to deliver traffic safety messages to 

Black communities. These actions can help 

develop relationships and maintain contacts 

with key Black constituents. This 

recommendation was important because many 

of the one-on-one discussion participants said 

that people were often unaware of resources 

available from government agencies and other 

groups regarding highway and traffic safety. 

Key Informational Needs 

This section presents the key informational needs 

emphasized by focus group and one-on-one 

discussion participants. The participants also 

discussed additional safety issues that may be 

targeted to Black communities. All of these issues 

are listed in order of their cited importance to 

Black communities in general. While the previous 

section described obstacles to effective message 

reception, this section describes specific message 

content and information that may be worthy of 

emphasis. The National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration has more detailed information 

available about these issues. Again, additional 

localized research is necessary to understand how 

the local Black community perceives these 

informational needs. 

Drinking and Driving

All focus groups, regardless of age, gender, or 

location, listed drinking and driving as a major 

concern in the Black community. Reasons given 

for drinking and driving are that most people 

do not know their tolerance level and think they 

can drive safely when under the influence. 

The key issues that require clarification or 

emphasis for Black target markets are the links 

between drinking and impaired driving. Drinking 

in its own right was an overarching concern. 

Many participants said drinking is a concern 

because “there is an abundance of liquor stores in 

Black communities.” One participant said, “There 

is a liquor store on every corner in (urban) Black 

neighborhoods.” However, linkages between 

drinking and impaired driving were not always 

acknowledged. Participants felt that messages 

and campaigns should: 

■	 Demonstrate relevance in black communities. 

While drinking and driving is regularly cited 

as a top concern, many participants did not 

perceive the Black population to be part of the 

problem, or commented, “it’s more of a White 

issue.” This implies that a key initial task for 

reaching many in the Black community is to 

create awareness that drinking and driving is 

an issue of concern in the Black community. A 

key challenge in disseminating this information will be to persuade an audience that is 

skeptical of statistical information. 

■	 Clarify the definition of drinking and driving. 

One complicating factor in assessing the risk of 

drinking and driving is the actual definition of 

the term. “Drinking and driving” tended to be 

assigned one of two definitions, with no strong 

pattern by age, gender, or region. The first 

definition is essentially that of “drunk 

driving,” or driving when one is not capable of 

controlling the vehicle in a safe manner. The 

second definition, although less common, is 

essentially “drinking while in the act of 

driving,” even if the person has only one drink. 

This second definition also implies that a 

person who gets intoxicated before entering a 

vehicle is not “drinking and driving”, as long 

as he/she does not actually drink in the 

vehicle. Perhaps use of labels such as “drunk 

driving” and “driving while under the 

influence” may provide further clarification. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 61

■	 Emphasize the risks of drinking and driving. 

During the focus groups, two main points 

emerged regarding drinking and driving. One 

was that drunk drivers seldom thought of 

themselves as drunk, seldom felt that they had 

consumed too much, or didn’t realize how 

their alcohol consumption would affect them. 

Drunk drivers rarely thought they had 

consumed enough alcohol to impair their 

driving and, therefore, felt they could “handle 

it.” The second point was that drunk drivers 

often get behind the wheel because they have 

no other way of getting home. After all, “You 

have to get home somehow,” stated a focus 

group participant. As a corollary, many 

participants also cited “drinking and walking” 

as a pedestrian hazard. 

Based on these findings, many of the same 

message themes targeted to the general 

population about the risks of impaired driving 

can also be targeted to the Black population, 

albeit with deference to the other 

recommendations in this report. 

Aggressive and Reckless Driving

Many participants cited aggression as a major 

reason for reckless driving. Anger and frustration 

over traffic congestion and loss of time while 

sitting in stalled traffic, and job-related and 

personal stress, also contribute to aggressive 

behavior behind the wheel. 

■	 Define Aggressive and Reckless Driving and 

Its Consequences 

Although aggressive and reckless driving appears 

as a major issue regardless of gender and age 

(with the exception of teenage boys), few focus 

group participants could define what was meant 

by the behaviors and their effect on public safety. 

They suggested that reality-based messages such 

as spokesperson testimonials and the use of 

crashed vehicles at public venues might 

effectively illustrate the impact of such behavior. 

Speeding

Many groups tend to view speeding with resignation, with teenage boys in particular having 

a cavalier attitude about speeding. However, 

speeding was also viewed as a significant concern among focus group participants, separate 

from aggressive or reckless driving. 

A common perception in the focus groups was 

that “it just happens.” Speeding was most often 

attributed to Americans’ fast-paced lifestyles. This 

belief may explain the nonchalance about speeding since a change in lifestyle would be required 

in order to change this behavior. Communities 

can help reframe such thinking, if they: 

■	 Promote better understanding and knowledge 

of the law. Participants fell into two groups 

with regard to strategies for reducing speeding 

(and the breaking of all traffic laws). About 

half of respondents (with no strong pattern by 

age, gender, or location) felt that speeding and 

other breaches of traffic law were due more to 

a lack of understanding or knowledge of the 

law. For that group, education is key to 

improving such behavior. 

■	 Enforce the speed limit laws. The other half 

of respondents felt that most lawbreakers 

understand traffic laws, but just choose to 

ignore them. This group felt that speed limits 

need to be more strictly enforced, particularly 

around schools and in neighborhoods and 

other areas where children are present. 

■	 Explain the consequences and risks. The consequences and costs of speeding, such as 

higher insurance rates and injury and fatality 

rates, must be emphasized, specifically to 

younger adult males. This message may be 

more effective in Black communities if 

combined with information about increased 

risks in areas where sidewalks are narrow or 

non-existent, or in areas with substandard 

infrastructure. 

Pedestrian Safety

A general concern across all of the focus groups 

was for pedestrian safety. Focus group participants cited poor sidewalk conditions, the absence 

of speed bumps, road construction, vehicular 

speeding, aggressive driving, alcohol consumption, lack of crosswalks, and poor signage as 

pedestrian safety concerns. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
62 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

■	 Discourage jaywalking. All focus groups 

reported that pedestrians put themselves 

at risk by crossing outside of designated 

pedestrian walkways, walking against traffic 

lights, and walking without regard for 

drivers. Oftentimes, participants agreed that 

pedestrians taunt drivers by strolling across 

streets with a perceived attitude that dares 

drivers to hit them. Messages should 

encourage pedestrians to use designated 

crossing areas. 

■	 Clarify pedestrian rules of the road. According 

to focus group participants, neither drivers 

nor pedestrians have an understanding of 

pedestrian laws and ordinances. Better 

education is needed to explain these laws and 

ordinances. Additionally, some attention may 

need to be given to pedestrian “guidelines” in 

situations where the environment or infrastructure may not be ideal. For example, 

education about proper ways to walk along 

roads without sidewalks may be useful in 

some areas, or guidelines about stepping into 

crosswalks where visibility may be obstructed 

by parked cars. 

Proper use of child safety seats

Although not listed among the top three concerns 

by the focus groups, some participants felt that the 

use of child safety seats needs to be addressed. 

Focus group participants said that even if parents 

do not wear seat belts, they tend to want to 

ensure that their children are safe and will place 

their children in child restraints when driving. 

Non-use of safety seats was generally attributed 

to either economic constraints or indifference to 

safety, as opposed to lack of awareness. On the 

other hand, awareness of booster seats was 

mixed, with most people having only a general 

knowledge of when a child should use one. 

Apparently, more education needs to be provided 

on child safety seats and booster seats in order to 

change thinking, with mothers considered the 

target audience for the messages. 

■	 Promote understanding of the proper use of 

child safety seats. In smaller communities, the 

majority of respondents in the one-on-one 

discussions reported that proper use of child 

safety seats is a problem. Many respondents 

noted that there is less education and 

enforcement in rural communities. In other 

areas, some respondents felt there was 

confusion about age, height, and weight 

requirements. Likewise, teens in the focus 

groups said that people do not use safety seats 

because they do not have, or want to take, the 

time to properly install them or to secure a 

child in one. 

■	 Emphasize the necessity of safety seats 

regardless of the price.Cost was a major reason 

cited by many participants when asked why 

others in their community do not use safety 

seats for their children. Education efforts 

should emphasize that the decision to purchase 

a safety seat is not a choice, but rather is 

necessary to ensure the safety of the child. One 

consideration is offering and promoting free or 

low cost safety seats to parents. 

■	 Encourage the participation of young fathers. 

Men in the 20–27 age group appear to be 

significantly less interested in safety seat issues 

than any other group. Comments from men in 

this age group included “buying the cheapest 

seat you can find,” “picking up whatever you 

can get,” and other comments that indicate a 

low level of interest. They also indicated that 

they were less likely to drive “out of their 

way” to attend a child seat checkup or obtain 

other tech-nical assistance on safety seats. Since 

men in the 20-27 age group are demographically highly likely to be fathers of infants and 

toddlers, this group should be a major target 

for education efforts. 

■	 Clarify the proper use of booster seats. 

Although participants had heard of booster 

seats, relatively few knew who should ride in 

them, how they are installed, and why and 

when they should be used. Most knew that 

booster seats are used to enhance safety, but 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 63

many also questioned the extent to which this 

occurs, given the visual appearance of booster 

seats as merely a height booster. Most 

participants felt that a child’s height and 

weight determine which safety seat or booster 

seat is appropriate for the child, though most 

did not know specific figures (not 

unreasonable since most were not parents of 

children of an age where it was necessary to 

know specifics.) Many parents had rules of 

thumb for the progression from a safety seat to 

a booster seat. For example, one parent said 

that “when the child can kick the back of the 

front seat, that child doesn’t need a safety seat” 

or it should be replaced. Others mentioned 

weight requirements in general, but not 

specific thresholds, indicating a possible need 

for more details on the subject. 

■	 Promote the use of child safety and booster 

seat inspection stations. Parents in the focus 

groups said they rarely sought or received 

outside help with child safety seats and booster 

seats; instead, they overwhelmingly relied on 

the instructions and guidelines provided with 

the safety seat for guidance on selection and 

installation. Participants suggested that it 

would be helpful to have a wider range of 

easily accessible sites to properly inspect and 

install all safety seats. Such sites included 

“institutions” such as local health departments, 

community centers, police and fire stations, 

and motor vehicle departments, and 

“convenience locations” where seats are 

purchased (e.g., mass merchandisers), or 

temporary events at daily destinations. It 

appeared that younger men preferred 

installation stations at destination locations, 

since they were often unwilling to go out of 

their way to have safety seats checked. 

Interestingly, while participants are suspicious of 

their law enforcement role, police officers are 

trusted to check child safety seats. Participants 

also indicated a desire for more Black technicians 

to install the seats. 

Use of Seat Belts

Seat belt use among Blacks is inconsistent, with 

part-time use prevalent regardless of the community and the age of the participant. Most people 

believe that seat belts have a positive safety 

benefit, but often weigh that benefit against the 

perceived risks of each individual trip. Based on 

focus group results, the primary messages should: 

■	 Emphasize the need to buckle up at all times. 

Most participants who were part-time belt 

users said that they most frequently wear seat 

belts in situations they view as risky, such as 

traveling long distances, in poor weather 

conditions, and riding with young children. 

On perceived “low risk” trips, reasons for not 

wearing a belt included comfort, “lack of 

need,” or social reasons (see below). There was 

little recognition of the fact that some crashes 

cannot be avoided and can occur in good 

weather and on short trips. For the most part, 

messages targeted to the general population 

are also relevant to the Black population with 

regard to these issues, so long as the message 

delivery is targeted properly. 

■	 Attempt to reverse the “cool” aspects of not 

buckling up. For younger participants, 

especially males, there was a strong relationship 

between driving and being “cool” (the term 

“cool” was used throughout the country). Often, 

young male participants said that when they 

drive or ride around, they are “styling and 

profiling”, which makes buckling up not “cool.” 

(“Styling and profiling” is an attempt to show 

off while driving). Reversing this perception 

among young Black males in particular is a key 

to increase seat belt use, and can also have an 

impact on their passengers. 

■	 Eliminate the social element of decisions to 

buckle up or not buckle up. Related to the social 

element, many participants cited interpersonal 

reasons to buckle up or not buckle up, 

particularly when passengers in vehicles driven 

by others. Some participants said they would 

buckle up when they are drivers, but not when 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
64 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

they are passengers. One reason given was that 

passengers do not want to offend the driver. 

One participant said, “Drivers tease me when I 

buckle up and they ask, ‘Don’t you think I am a 

good driver?’” Others made the decision to 

buckle up based on whether they felt that the 

driver was skilled or unskilled. Education 

efforts in this area can focus on the fact that not 

all crashes are due to the actions or mistakes of 

the driver. 

■	 Continue dispelling the myth that wearing a 

seat belt can do more harm than good. As with 

other demographic groups, the “trapped in 

your car” stories and other second-hand seat 

belt danger stories exist in the Black population. While most participants recognized the 

benefits of seat belt use, some male focus 

group participants said that seat belts made 

them feel “locked in,” as if they are imprisoned 

or overly restrained. Many participants felt 

that wearing a seat belt might cause whiplash 

during a crash. Some felt that you might 

actually be trapped and unable to get out of 

the car. The conclusion was that many 

participants felt that they were making a 

tradeoff of risks and benefits when wearing a 

seat belt, even if the benefits usually were 

perceived as greater. The key message should 

be that seat belts save lives and should be 

worn at all times. 

Guidelines for Message Development 

Previous sections discussed obstacles to be 

considered and content to be addressed when 

targeting messages to the Black community. This 

section provides general suggestions that may 

help to develop the tone of messages so they will 

resonate within Black communities, regardless of 

the market segment within the community. 

Communities across the country are different 

therefore it is important to pretest the message 

and gather feedback about the spokesperson 

before implementing a full campaign. 

Messages Should Emphasize �Change by

Choice� Rather Than �Change by Force�

Enforcement-related messages may have value 

in messages targeted to the Black community, 

but also carry significant risks. Many participants, particularly older people, had strong 

feelings of resistance to forced change, and racial 

profiling issues also increase sensitivity. While 

the message of enforcement may be appropriate 

for some audiences (Black women, for example, 

strongly endorsed using enforcement as a tool 

against drunk driving), educational themes or 

other less punitive messages were generally 

viewed more positively. 

Messages can emphasize influence by example 

as an alternative approach. The stated desire 

to influence others may be likened to the 

cultural slogan, “Each One, Teach One.” The 

sentiment shared by several participants was 

that if one person feels responsible for others 

(parents, children, or peers), he or she can set 

a positive example. 

Messages Should Be Realistic

Focus group participants and opinion leaders in 

the selected communities recommended positive, 

realistic messages. These messages should portray 

truthful, ordinary people in believable situations. 

Participants felt strongly that it is essential to 

feature Blacks in future messages and ads that 

target African Americans. Participants said they 

were not interested in “blood and guts” images 

and themes. If celebrities were used, participants 

said that messages would be more effective if 

they were delivered by local celebrities, or those 

who had been personally affected by the issue. 

Some of the ad campaigns cited as being 

successful across all geographical, gender, and 

age groups were those addressing traffic safety 

using the crash-test dummies, safe sex, HIV/ 

AIDS, drinking and driving, and anti-smoking 

ads. The crash-test dummies campaign, which 

combines realism with humor, was parti-cularly 

popular with focus group participants. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � 65

Messages Should Be Factual, but not Rely

Heavily on Statistics

Focus group participants said that ads with too 

many facts and statistics might not work in the 

Black community. Some of the male participants 

said they were suspicious that statistics of Black 

traffic fatalities and failure to use safety belts were 

untrue or misleading. Younger females simply did 

not find statistics (presented without a humanistic 

context) to be compelling. Distrust of the 

government is also tied to ineffective use of 

statistics. Conversely, some of the most memorable 

ads discussed by the focus groups showed actual 

crashes and victims, without the showing of blood 

or other potentially gory details. Participants in the 

study want honesty, truthfulness, and relevance. 

Messages Should Incorporate Culturally

Relevant Music

Culturally relevant music tends to get the 

attention of Black audiences because it is a staple 

part of Black culture across all ages, genders, and 

socioeconomic levels. However, diversity exists 

within the Black community concerning genres of 

music, so care must be taken in selecting music 

that appeals to each target group. (This is an area 

of strong age segmentation.) 

Use Trusted Spokespeople and Sources

Focus group participants also expressed 

preferences in the types of people and 

organizations used to deliver transportation 

safety messages. Across all three key target 

groups, the following individuals and 

organizations consistently ranked high as trusted 

messengers and sources: 

■ Families 

All age groups said that the family unit has the 

most influence in the Black community. 

Mothers, in particular, tend to be the strongest 

influencers within the family. 

■ Churches 

When asked which organizations and/or 

professions were the most trusted in the Black 

community to deliver traffic safety messages, 

most participants indicated the church and its 

religious leaders. One specific reason for this is 

that people in the Black community tend to 

have more direct contact with their church than 

with any other entity. 

■ Medical Professionals 

The individual professionals most often 

mentioned in all six focus group sites as 

credible spokespeople were doctors, nurses, 

and paramedics. These professionals see the 

effects of crashes everyday and have first-hand 

knowledge of the injury and fatality rates. 

Similarly, hospitals were listed as being among 

the most trusted entities to deliver safety 

messages, particularly in smaller communities 

where hospitals are more recognized as 

local institutions. 

■ Schools 

Schools were selected as trustworthy sources 

for safety information, particularly to reach 

youth and teens. 

Although law enforcement officials and 

politicians were thought to be the least trusted 

messengers, they are often critical to the success 

of highway traffic safety programs. Law 

enforcement officials and politicians can thus be 

useful “behind the scenes” providing local 

information and resources. Some of the one-onone discussants and focus group participants in 

the small communities said that certain 

individual law enforcement officers and 

politicians in their communities could be 

considered as spokespersons because they had 

earned respect and trust from the Black 

community. One-on-one and focus group 

participants who did not identify these groups as 

possible spokespersons said that politicians and 

law enforcement officials could become credible 

spokespersons and gain respect and trust if their 

relationships with the community are improved. 

Although churches were considered positive 

influences, religious leaders were consistently 

placed in both positive and negative categories 

when being considered for spokesperson roles. 

According to the findings of this study, the 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
66 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

decision to use a religious leader should be made 

at the local level. Talking with representatives 

from the target community will better ensure the 

selection of the most effective spokesperson. 

Channels of Delivery 

The focus group participants cited several 

possible channels of delivery to effectively reach 

key target groups within the Black community. It 

is important to note however, that the selection of 

an appropriate channel of delivery is contingent 

upon a community’s character, culture, and 

resources. 

Also, selecting more than one channel of delivery 

can assist in the effective delivery of messages. 

Among these were: 

■	 Churches and other religious institutions. 

Churches were mentioned as major channels of 

message delivery, in that they play a vital 

political and social role within the community. 

Churches can disseminate messages and 

mobilize the community around every major 

issue affecting the congregation. Some 

churches, however must see the religious 

relevance of any message given to their 

congregation. 

■	 Personal interaction. Personal interaction was 

cited across all focus groups as another way to 

disseminate messages. The most effective types 

of personal interaction included participating 

in church-sponsored and school events; visits 

to local restaurants, barbershops, and beauty 

salons; and attending local sporting events. 

■	 Mass media. Radio and television were cited 

as the preferred sources of mass media 

information across all focus groups. Radio and 

television are particularly promising because 

market segmentation by race is fairly strong in 

many cases, which means that messages can be 

efficiently targeted to the Black population. 

Larger communities may be more effective at 

targeting the Black community, though, since 

they design and deliver messages on a local 

(i.e., metro area) level, whereas smaller 

communities may not receive locally targeted 

information via television or radio. 

■	 Radio. Radio was identified as an effective 

source of information across all focus groups. 

One Prince George’s County participant said 

radio is especially good because “we spend so 

much time on the road in this area.” 

■	 Television. Younger participants are avid 

viewers of music video channels, including 

MTV and BET, and hip-hop or other youthoriented talk shows. Television market 

segmentation is well documented, and it is a 

relatively straightforward process to target to 

specific markets. 

■	 Newspapers. Across all focus groups, 

community-based and ethnic newspapers were 

distinguished from mainstream publications. 

Daily general market newspapers were 

considered ineffective sources of information 

for the Black community, while Black-oriented 

papers often have strong readership. However, 

small communities may not have Blackoriented newspapers and so may not be able to 

utilize this market channel. 

■	 Billboards. Focus group participants 

mentioned strategically-placed outdoor 

advertising as another viable option to reach 

the Black community. Similarly, brochures and 

posters strategically placed may serve as viable 

communication channels. 

F. Implementation 

The implementation of a communications 

program targeting Black communities may also 

benefit from public relations professionals for 

assistance. Black public relations professionals 

tend to have more experience in creating and 

implementing effective campaigns to this target 

demographic group. Non-profit organizations 

may want to consider asking a local public 

relations professional to provide pro bono or 

voluntary assistance. Resources to locate local 

public relations professionals include the Public 

Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org), the 

National Black Public Relations Society 

(www.nbprs.org), the International Association of 

Business Communicators (www.iabc.org), or the 

National Association of Black Journalists 

(www.nabj.org). 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � A1

Appendix A 

22 RULES FOR SELECTING COUNTIES


Rule 1 

Each selected county will represent one 

of six size standards. 

If the Black population of the U.S. is classified into 

(roughly) six equal groups based on the size of the 

Black population where they live, the following 

breakdown emerges (please note that all 

population figures in this section refer to the Black 

population, not total population): 

■	 15.9 percent (5.5 million) live in just six major 

metropolitan counties: Cook County, IL 

(Chicago), Los Angeles County, CA, Kings 

County, NY (New York City), Wayne County, 

MI (Detroit), Harris County, TX (Houston), and 

Philadelphia County, PA. The Black 

populations range from 1.4 million in Cook 

County, IL to 620,000 in Philadelphia County. 

■	 16.7 percent (5.8 million) live in the next fifteen 

largest counties (ranked by Black population). 

These include four additional counties in the 

New York City area, three counties in the 

Baltimore–D.C. area, two each in the Atlanta 

and Miami areas, and four independent 

counties corresponding to the core counties of 

Dallas, Memphis, Cleveland, and New Orleans. 

The largest of these counties has 505,000 Black 

residents and the smallest has 277,000. 

■	 17.2 percent (6.0 million) live in the next group 

of 39 metropolitan-area counties across the 

country. The largest of these counties is 

Alameda County, CA (Oakland), with 268,000 

Black residents, and the smallest is Guilford 

County, NC (Greensboro) with 104,000 Black 

residents. Examples of other counties in this 

category include Richmond, VA, Charleston 

County, SC, Jefferson, KY (Louisville), Erie, NY 

(Buffalo), and Jackson, MO (Kansas City). 

■	 16.7 percent (5.8 million) live in the fourthlargest group of 79 small urban and suburban 

counties. The largest of these is Caddo Parish, 

LA (Shreveport), which has 103,000 Black 

residents, and the smallest is Lafayette Parish, 

LA (approximately 20 miles west of Baton 

Rouge), which has 46,423 Black residents. 

Examples of other counties in this category 

include Montgomery, PA (Philadelphia metro), 

Orange, CA (Anaheim and Santa Ana), 

Spartanburg, SC (in the northern part of the 

State), Pierce, WA (Tacoma), Monmouth, NJ (in 

the central part of the State), and Chesapeake, 

VA. 

■	 16.7 percent (5.8 million) live in 227 “small 

city” counties. The largest of these is Galveston 

County, TX, with 46,407 Black residents and the 

smallest is Mississippi County, AR (20 miles 

north of Memphis, TN) with 15,326 Black 

residents. Other examples in this category 

include Dane, WI (Madison), Colleton, SC (a 

suburb of Charleston), Ascension Parish, LA 

(southeast of Baton Rouge), Glynn County, GA 

(on the Atlantic coast), Craven, NC (also on the 

Atlantic coast), Gloucester, NJ (a suburban 

county of Philadelphia), and Stark, OH 

(Canton). 

■	 16.7 percent (5.8 million) live in the other 2,800 

counties throughout the U.S. About 1,000 of 

these counties have fewer than 100 Black 

residents, and 153 counties have Black 

populations of more than 10,000 but less than 

15,300. The largest of these counties is Copiah 

County, MS (south of Jackson), which has 

15,274 Black residents. Other examples of 

counties with more than 10,000 Black residents 

include Chester, SC, Walton, GA, Lafourche 

Parish, LA, Meriwether, GA, Liberty, TX, and 

Kaufman, TX. These counties are typically not 

associated with metropolitan areas, but are 

classic “small-town America.” 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
A2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Exhibit A-1 The Black populations of each region are: 

Six U.S. Black Population Groups by Exhibit A-2 Community Size U.S. Black Population by Region 

5.5 Million Live in 

Black Communities of 

600,000 or More 

5.8 Million 

275,000 to 

599,999 

5.8 Million 

15,300 to 

46,419 

5.8 Million 

46,419 to 

103,999 

5.8 Million 

103,999 to 

274,999 

5.8 Million 

Under 

15,399 

Rule 1 therefore required that one selected site fall 

into each of the above size categories. 

Rule 2 

The six counties will, in combination, 

reflect the geographic distribution of 

the Black population across the U.S. 

A regional approach was used to maximize 

flexibility. The U.S. Bureau of the Census defines 

U.S. regions as follows: 

■	 Northeast Region: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, 

PA, RI, and VT. 

■	 South Region: AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, 

LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, and 

WV. 

■	 Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, 

OH, SD, and WI. 

■	 West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, 

OR, UT, WA, and WY. 

Region Black Population % of Total 

Northeast 6,371,000 18.3% 

Midwest 6,409,000 18.4% 

South 18,679,000 53.6% 

West 3,377,000 9.7% 

Total 34,836,000 100.0% 

Based on these data, an initial rule was defined to 

require that three of the six study sites be located 

in the south, and one each be located in the other 

three regions. In light of other factors, the rule 

was later relaxed so that a community in the 

western region was not required. 

Rule 3 

Rules 1 and 2 were combined to 

optimize the combinations of 

community size and region. 

A review of the Black population by region and 

by community size revealed some strong 

patterns. For example, the South region contains 

84 percent of the communities in the smallest-size 

category, but only one of the six communities in 

the largest-size category. The study team 

conducted a small optimization process, and 

determined the combination of community size 

and regions that should be selected in order to 

maximize population coverage. 

Exhibit A-3 shows the Black population by 

community size and region. The optimized 

selection process produced rules that one site 

should fall into each of the six size/geography 

categories. Note that the categories selected also 

ensure compliance with Rules 1 and 2. (The rule 

requiring a western site was later relaxed.) 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � A3

Exhibit A-3 

Black Population by Size and Region 

Population Category Northeast South Midwest West Grand Total 

600,000+ 1,550,000 645,000 2,295,000 1,044,686 5,535,000 

275,000-599,999 1,704,000 3,750,000 376,000 0 5,831,000 

104,000-274,999 735,000 2,756,000 1,546,000 960,000 5,997,000 

46,420-103,999 1,392,000 3,119,000 663,000 657,000 5,830,000 

15,300-46,419 596,000 4,017,000 808,000 410,000 5,830,000 

Less than 15,300 394,000 4,391,000 722,000 307,000 5,813,000 

Total 6,371,000 18,679,000 6,409,000 3,377,000 34,836,000 

Rule 4 

The Black population of a selected 

county must be at least 10,000. 

This rule was put in place for practical purposes to 

ensure an adequate population pool from which to 

conduct focus groups. While this rule eliminated 

more than 80 percent of U.S. counties from 

consideration, it only eliminated about 11 percent 

of the Black population from consideration. 

Rule 5 

At least one site will be located within 

two hours’ driving distance of 

Washington, DC. 

This rule was defined to enable NHTSA 

headquarters staff to cost-effectively monitor the 

focus group process in at least one community. 

Rule 6 through 22

For each of the seventeen remaining 

data measures, the six sites shall 

represent a continuum of the data 

range across the U.S. 

For each of the seventeen remaining data 

measures, all U.S. counties were grouped into six 

separate and unique categories that reflect the 

data. For example, the data measure regarding 

employment growth included six categories that 

ranged from rapid growth to very slow growth, 

while the data measure regarding the Black 

proportion of the population included six 

measures ranging from communities with large 

proportions of Black residents to communities 

with low proportions of Black residents. 

A decision rule was set up as follows for each 

data measure: the six selected study sites should 

each fall into a different category for that specific 

data measure. 

Category definition for each data measure was 

an important part of this process. Counties were 

placed in one of six categories for each data 

measure via the following process. 

■	 The 3,141 counties in the U.S. were ranked 

from 1 to 3,141 according to their value for 

the particular data measure (for example, 

one of the data measures was the proportion 

of the local population that is Black, so the 

study team ranked all U.S. counties from the 

highest proportion of Black people in the 

population to lowest proportion of Black 

people in the population). 

■	 The Black population figure was obtained for 

each county. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
A4 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

■ Beginning at the top of the list, the study team ■ Beginning where the “well above average” 

added up the Black population of the highest- counties ended on the list, the study team 

ranked counties, working down from the top- began adding up the Black population of the 

ranked county, until one-sixth of the U.S. Black 

population (approximately 5.8 million people) 

next-ranked counties, moving down the 

rankings until yet another one-sixth of the U.S. 

was accounted for. These counties at the top of Black population was accounted for. This new 

the list were arbitrarily termed “top tier” 

counties and comprised one category. 

group, termed “above average” comprised the 

third category. 

Example

Developing Categories for the Data Measure 

“Percent of Population that is Black” 

Macon County, Alabama, has the highest 

proportion of Black people in the nation at 

86.7 percent, and Jefferson County, Mississippi, 

is second with 86.6 percent. Macon County’s 

19,937 Black people were summed with 

Jefferson County’s 7,260 Black people, which 

were summed with the third-ranked county’s 

Black population, and so on until 5.8 million 

Black people were included. This occurred 

after 172 counties were summed, ending with 

Thomas County, Georgia (43.5 percent Black). 

■	 Beginning where the “top tier” counties ended 

on the list and continuing down the list, the 

study team added up the Black population 

until another one-sixth of the U.S. Black 

population was accounted for. The counties in 

this second tier (termed “well above average”) 

comprised the second of the six categories. 

Example (continued) 

The county ranked below Thomas County, 

Georgia, was Greene County, North Carolina, 

where the Black population is 43.4 percent of 

the total population. Greene County’s 8,052 

Black people were summed with the 97,916 

Black people in Georgia’s Chatham County 

(also 43.4 percent Black), and so on, until 5.8 

million Black people were included (one-sixth 

of the U.S. Black population). This occurred 

after 176 counties were summed, ending with 

Bulloch County, Georgia (31.4 percent Black). 

Example (continued) 

The county ranked below Bulloch County, 

Georgia, was Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, 

where the Black population is 31.4 percent of 

the total population. Tangipahoa Parish’s 

30,885 Black people were summed with the 

63,547 Black people in Virginia’s Chesapeake 

City (31.3 percent Black), and so on, until 5.8 

million Black people were included. This 

occurred after 141 counties were summed, 

ending with Chatham County, North 

Carolina (23.4 percent Black). 

Note that LA has parishes instead of counties, and VA has 

both counties and independent cities that function as 

combined city/county governments. 

■	 Beginning where the “above average” counties 

ended on the list, the study team continued 

adding up the Black population until another 

one-sixth of the U.S. Black population was 

accounted for. This new group, termed “below 

average” comprised the fourth category. 

Example (continued) 

The county ranked below Chatham County, 

North Carolina, was Hamilton County, Ohio, 

where the Black population is 23.4 percent 

of the total population. Hamilton County’s 

196,403 Black people were summed with the 

4,106 Black people in Virginia’s King George 

County (23.2 percent Black), and so on, 

until another 5.8 million Black people were 

included. This occurred after 131 counties 

were summed, ending with Lawrence 

County, Alabama (17.0 percent Black). 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � A5

■	 Beginning where the “below average” counties 

ended on the list, the study team continued 

adding up the Black population until another 

one-sixth of the U.S. Black population was 

accounted for. This new group, termed “well 

below average” comprised the fifth category. 

Example (continued) 

The county ranked below Lawrence County, 

Alabama, was Mahoning County, Ohio, where 

the Black population is 17.0 percent of the 

total population. Mahoning County’s 42,912 

Black people were summed with the 3,814 

Black people in Texas’s San Jacinto County 

(16.9 percent Black), and so on, until another 

5.8 million Black people were included. This 

occurred after 200 counties were summed, 

ending with Seminole County, Florida (10.2 

percent Black). 

■	 Beginning where the “well below average” 

counties ended on the list, the study team 

grouped all remaining counties into the sixth 

and final category, termed “bottom tier.” 

According to the calculations in the previous 

steps, this category by default contained the 

final one-sixth of the U.S. Black population. 

Example (continued) 

The county ranked below Seminole County, 

Florida, was Indian River County, Florida, 

where the Black population is 10.2 percent of 

the total population. Indian River County’s 

42,912 Black people were summed with the 

3,176 Black people in Texas’s Hill County 

(10.2 percent Black), and so on, down to the 

county ranked 3,141st, which in sum included 

5.8 million Black people. A total of 2,321 

counties were included in this category. (1,013 

counties have no estimated Black population, 

and thus a total proportion of zero percent.) 

■	 The net result is that the Black population is 

divided into six equal population segments for 

each data measure. For the example shown, the 

following graph shows six segments of approximately equal size, one with high proportions of 

Black population, one with low proportions, 

and others at various gradations in between. 

One of the seventeen rules thus states that each 

of the six selected sites will fall into a separate 

category for this measure, ensuring a mix of 

communities in terms of the prevalence of the 

Black population in the community. 

Exhibit A-4 

Black Proportion of Population ­

Category Definition 

Bottom Tier ­

Less than 10.2 

percent Black 

16.7% 

Well Below 

Average ­

10.2 to 17.0 

percent 

Black 

16.7% 

Well Below 

Average ­

31.4 to 43.4 

percent 

Black 

16.6% 

Top Tier - More 

than 43.5 

percent Black 

16.7% 

Below Average ­

17.0 to 23.4 

percent Black 

16.8% 

Below Average ­

23.4 to 31.4 

percent Black 

16.6% 

This same process was used to categorize 

counties for each of the sixteen other data 

measures, and rules were set up to ensure a 

variety of communities for each of those other 

measures. One other example is shown below, in 

terms of local employment growth rates. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
A6 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Exhibit A-5 

Ten Year Local Employment Growth 

Rate - Category Definition 

Bottom Tier - Less 

than 0.44 percent 

growth or decline 

17.5% 

Well Below 

Average ­

0.44 to 6.34 

percent 

growth 

16.0% 

Well Below 

Average ­

18.81 to 

27.43 

percent 

growth 

17.1% 

Top Tier - More 

than 27.43 percent 

employment growth 

16.2% 

Below Average ­

6.34 to 12.96 

percent growth 

16.6% 

Below Average ­

12.96 to 18.81 

percent growth 

16.7% 

Note that a particular county will not always fall 

in the same tier for different data measures. For 

example, Macon County, Alabama is in the top 

tier in terms of the proportion of the population 

that is Black, but is in the bottom tier in terms of 

employment growth. Also, the terms “top tier” 

and “bottom tier” are arbitrary in terms of the 

model development; no judgments are necessary 

as to one end of the spectrum being more 

desirable for a community than the other end. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � B1

Appendix B 

ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSION GUIDE TEMPLATE


Discussion Guide: General 

Thank you for taking time from your busy 

schedule to talk with me about issues related to 

traffic safety in the Black communities within 

(COUNTY NAME) County. As outlined in my 

letter and in our follow-up conversation, I am 

working on a National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration study to determine the best ways 

of promoting traffic safety to predominantly Black 

communities. As part of this study, I am talking 

with key individuals, organizations and agencies 

throughout the county — inside and outside the 

traffic safety industry — to identify effective 

approaches in providing safety and safety-related 

services to Black communities. 

During our discussion today, I will cover several 

topic areas. In doing so, I’ll ask about your 

experiences promoting your programs within the 

Black community. I’d like you to share the 

strategies you have used; what has worked and 

what hasn’t; the most effective channels of 

communication; any challenges and barriers you 

may have faced, and certainly any lessons 

learned. 

To ensure that we capture your answers 

completely, I plan to audiotape our talk, is this 

okay with you? If so, then let’s proceed. (IF NOT, 

THEN BEGIN NOTETAKING.) 

■	 Could you tell me a little about how your 

organization is structured for providing 

services, particularly services to the Black 

community? 

■	 How does your organization interact with the 

Black community? (Probes: Do you work 

directly with community members; operate in 

partnership with other organizations; 

accomplish certain goals through contact with 

key community leaders?) 

■	 What particular strategies does your 

organization use to reach the Black 

community? Which strategies have been 

most/least successful? Why or Why not? How 

did you measure their success? 

■	 How important is community outreach in 

promoting educational initiatives in the Black 

community? What type of outreach do you feel 

is most effective? (Probes: events, such as 

health fairs; classes, forums or lectures.) What 

venue(s) would be most effective? (Probes: 

community centers; churches; schools or 

libraries; other) Why? (Probes: convenient; free 

parking; ample parking.) 

■	 What channels of communication have you 

found to be most/least effective in your efforts 

to promote programs to the Black community? 

(Probes: newspapers; television; radio; word of 

mouth; flyers; direct mail into homes, etc.) 

■	 Does your organization have any experience 

targeting specific groups? (Probe: racial/ethnic 

groups, age groups, gender, income levels?) If 

so, what approaches are used and have they 

been successful? Why or Why not? What 

would you do differently if you had the 

opportunity? 

■	 Please describe any resistance or barriers that 

your organization has encountered in its 

outreach efforts to the Black community 

(Probes: poverty, feelings of confinement, 

childcare). What steps were taken to eliminate 

or lessen the resistance you encountered and 

were they successful? What would you do 

differently? 

■	 Are there specific cultural characteristics that 

should be considered when working with the 

Black community? Are there socioeconomic 

characteristics or other factors that should be 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
B2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

considered? If so, why are these factors ■ Please characterize the degree of awareness in 

important? the Black community about traffic safety 

issues, in general. (Probe: Why do you feel this 

■ In implementing a program or initiative, has is the case?) What knowledge problems do you 

your organization used intermediaries to reach feel exist within the Black community with 

the intended audience? (Probes: children to regard to (ASK SEPARATELY) 

reach adults; wives to reach husbands, co­ driver/passenger/pedestrian-related safety? In 

workers, etc.) Were they successful in helping what segments of the Black community (age 

the organization achieve its desired outcome? group, gender, income level) do you feel these 

Why or why not? problems are most concentrated? 

■ From your experience, what approaches ■ How would you describe perceptions or beliefs 

should be generally avoided when working in the Black community concerning the 

with the Black community in (COUNTY enforcement of traffic laws? (IF NO 

NAME) County? In general, what approaches REFERENCE TO RACIAL OR ETHNIC 

should be used? DISPARITIES IS MADE, ASK THE FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS/PROBES.) To the best of your 

■ Who are the most trusted-messengers of health knowledge, does the community believe there 

and safety initiatives in the Black community are ethnic or racial disparities in the 

(RANK)? (Probes: healthcare professionals, enforcement of traffic laws? (Probes: “driving 

non-profit organizations, political leaders while black,” racial profiling) Please explain. 

(national or local), local personalities.) Are community concerns about this being 

addressed? If so, how? How would you 

■ What local or national health and/or safety recommend police agencies address such 

program or organization do you feel is perceptions and concerns? 

particularly effective at reaching the Black 

community with its messages? Why do you ■ From your experience/In your opinion, is there 

feel they are so effective? more or less use of seat belts in the Black 

community compared to other communities? 

■ Are laws related to motor vehicle use, safety Why or Why not? What do you feel is needed 

belts and safety seats generally well to make the case that restraint use is a serious 

communicated to and understood by members issue in the Black community? 

of the Black community? 

■ Do you think Black parents generally use child 

■ Are there strong traffic safety concerns within safety seats? Why or Why not? What do you 

the Black community or does traffic safety get feel is needed to make the case that child 

lost because of other needs? If so, please list restraint use is a serious issue in the Black 

those traffic safety concerns (RANK). If not, community? 

please identify the more pressing needs. 

■ Is access to child safety seats a problem? If so, 

■ Within the Black community, what are the for whom? Has your office spearheaded or 

major (ASK SEPARATELY) been involved in any child safety seat activities 

driver/passenger/pedestrian-related safety or promotions? Explain. 

problems? (RANK). What do you think is 

causing these problems? In which segments of ■ With regard to safety issues, what symbols, 

the Black community (age group, gender, institutions, delivery systems and themes do 

income level) do the greatest traffic safety you feel most/least resonate within the Black 

problems occur? community? Why? 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � B3

■	 How could the traffic safety community get 

(INDUSTRY NAME) more involved in its 

traffic safety efforts? 

We are just about finished, so I�d like to

conclude by asking the following:

■	 Can you recommend any state or local data 

sources with relevant statistics on traffic safety 

issues within the Black community? 

■	 As part of our efforts to learn more from 

community members, we will be conducting 

several focus groups in (COUNTY NAME) 

county very soon. Has your organization 

conducted this type of research? If so, how did 

you recruit participants? What would be the 

most effective way to advertise for 

participants? Can you suggest a convenient 

facility? 

■	 Is there anything you’d like to add or any 

questions you’d like to ask? 

Thank you for your time!

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � C1

Appendix C 

FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR�S GUIDE


All times are general guidelines. Each group will be different, 

depending on their particular 

interests and concerns. 

Moderator: All topics in italics 

are “time fillers” to be asked only 

if all other topics have been 

exhausted. 

Ground Rules (Allow One minute) 

The rules are simple: I’ll bring up a topic, and I 

want to get your thoughts and opinions. 

Sometimes I’ll ask a question and we’ll just go 

around the table and get everyone’s thoughts, 

and other times I’ll just wait for anyone to 

answer. 

We want everyone to participate. If you’re not 

talking, I’ll eventually notice and ask you for your 

opinions. On the other hand, if you’re the only 

one talking, please recognize that and give others 

a chance to participate. Feel free to respond to 

something that someone else says, and feel free to 

disagree, but please show respect for others, even 

if you disagree with their opinions. 

Finally, I may cut you off if you’re talking about 

something that’s a little too far from our topics. 

There’s no disrespect intended if I do this, but we 

have a lot to accomplish tonight so we need to 

stay focused. 

IceBreaker/ Personal Intros (Allow 10 

minutes) 

First, let’s briefly introduce ourselves. Let’s go 

around the table, and I’d like each of you to tell us 

who you are, and offer a little information about 

yourself: your first name, where you’re from, what 

do you do for a living or where you go to school, 

or anything else that you want to share. 

(Moderator: start with your own bio as a model in 

terms of content and time. Time your own intro to 

be about 30-45 seconds. As you go around the 

room, ask each person a short follow-up question 

to break the ice in terms of conversation and 

participation.) 

Identification of Drivers Versus NonDrivers (Allow 5 Minutes) 

Okay, we’re here to talk about transportation, so 

let’s talk first about how you get around. I’d like 

to start out by asking all of you how you get 

around from place to place. Do you drive? Walk? 

Ride a bike or a motorcycle? Get driven by 

someone else? Take a bus? Or maybe some 

combination? 

(Moderator: if someone doesn’t mention driving, 

ask if they ever drive. If not, ask who usually 

drives when they’re in a vehicle. Mentally note 

non-drivers from drivers.) 

Driving and Riding Background 

(Allow 10 Minutes) 

(For teens only – ask only at the end of the focus group 

if you’re short on time.) What challenges did you face 

in learning to drive? These might be problems getting 

someone to teach you, getting access to a car, learning 

about driving laws and customs, learning the process 

of getting a license, or any other challenge. Tell us 

about how you learned to drive. 

General Driving Issues (Allow 20 

minutes) 

You were given a list of common highway safety 

problems. We’d like to find out how much of a 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
C2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

problem you think these are in the local Black 

community. We’d like you to rank these problems 

with 1 being the most serious problem in the 

community and 16 being the least serious. 

(Choices will include drinking and driving, nonuse of seat belts, aggressive/reckless driving, cell 

phone use while driving, distractions such as 

eating, putting on makeup, shaving, etc., poor 

training of new drivers, bad road conditions or 

design, bad weather for driving, poorly 

maintained vehicles, speeding, running stop 

lights or stop signs, crowded roads, unsafe 

pedestrian walkways or crossings, unsafe or 

unsuitable cyclist pathways or crossings, non-use 

of child safety seats, misuse of child safety seats, 

and one blank that they can use to write in 

another issue). 

(Moderator: identify three or four issues that rate 

consistently high and add drinking and driving 

and seat belts regardless of where they fall.) Why 

do you think that people engage in those 

behaviors? 

Do traffic safety issues differ between the Black 

community and the overall community? Would 

you have ranked your cards in a different order 

if I had asked you how much of a risk they are 

to the overall community instead of the Black 

community? 

What knowledge problems do you feel exist 

within the Black community with regard to (ASK 

SEPARATELY) driver/passenger/pedestrian/ 

other transportation-related safety? In what 

segments of the Black community (age group, 

gender, income level) do you feel these problems 

are most concentrated? Who should be targeted 

within the Black community on issues such as 

drinking and driving, seat belts, safety seats, 

aggressive reckless driving, and driver training? 

(Moderator: ask this only if it’s not satisfactorily 

covered in the previous three questions.) What 

would you say are the cultural factors that may 

cause traffic safety-related problems for Black 

people in this community? These can be passenger, pedestrian, bicyclist or driver safety problems. 

Are traffic laws well known and understood in 

the local community? 

Drinking and Driving (Allow 10 

Minutes) 

Now I’d like to hear your thoughts on some 

specific issues about traffic safety. First let’s talk 

about drinking and driving. 

What does the term ‘drinking and driving’ mean 

to you? 

What do you think about the drinking and 

driving that occurs in this community? How 

would you suggest addressing it? Is it more of a 

problem in some segments of the Black 

community than others? Which segments? 

Pedestrian Safety (Allow 10 Minutes) 

Are there issues concerning pedestrian safety in 

this community? Do pedestrians tend to put 

themselves at risk? Do motorists tend to put 

pedestrians at risk? Are there problems with the 

road system that make it difficult for motorists 

and pedestrians to coexist? 

How would you address pedestrian safety 

problems in this community? (Moderator: tell 

them not to talk about specific intersections. They 

can cite generalities about intersection design or 

construction, but should not focus on specific 

locales unless it’s part of a broader theme.) 

Seat Belt USE (Allow 15 minutes) 

How often do you wear a seat belt when you 

drive? (Note to moderator: If non-drivers, ask “For 

those of you who don’t drive, do you wear your 

seat belts when you’re riding with someone else?”) 

(If not always) Why not? Are there some 

situations where you wear your seat belt? How 

do you make the decision to wear your belt or not 

wear it? For example, if you’ll be driving part of 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � C3

your trip in a situation where’d you normally 

wear your belt and part of your trip in a situation 

where you wouldn’t, what do you do? 

(If yes) Why do you always wear your seat belt? 

Do you remember when you made the decision to 

do that? Tell us about it. 

Is there a tradeoff to wearing a seat belt? What’s 

the downside? What are the odds that you’ll be 

worse off in a crash if you’re wearing a seat belt? 

A significant percentage of Black people in the 

U.S. do not wear seat belts on a full-time basis. 

Why do you think this is true? Do you think that 

it’s true in the local area? Why or why not? 

(Moderator: if asked, national use rates for Blacks 

are slightly lower than the national average.) 

Seat Belt Laws (Allow 20 Minutes) 

Is there a law about wearing your seat belt? If so, 

what is it? (Note to moderator: we need to find 

out the actual law beforehand.) 

When you arrived, you were given a threequestion survey to answer about seat belt laws. 

These questions were recently asked in a national 

survey of drivers. Let’s talk about those questions 

now, so please make sure that you have your 

survey form handy. 

First, let’s go around the table and see what 

everyone’s opinions were on these subjects. 

(Moderator: it might be helpful for this series to 

have the questions written on a flip chart, display 

board, or other display device. Read each 

question, and tally the responses on the chart.) 

I told you that these three questions are taken 

from a recent national survey, and we’d like to get 

your perspective on what that survey found for 

the Black community. Here are the results from 

the national survey. 

(Moderators: show answers from flip charts that 

are prepared in advance.) (Answer to first 

question: Blacks are more likely to support the 

laws, 94 percent versus 87 percent. 72 percent of 

Blacks favor them a lot and 21 percent favor 

them some. Nationally, 67 percent favor them a 

lot, and 20 percent favor them some. We have 

some minor rounding error in these figures.) 

What do you think about these findings? 

(Answer to second question: Blacks are more 

likely to support the laws, 68 percent versus 61 

percent.) What do you think about these findings? 

(Answer to third question: Blacks are more 

likely to believe that they’ll be ticketed, 54 

percent versus 43 percent) What do you think 

about these findings? 

How do you explain the fact that Blacks are more 

likely to support seat belt laws but are also more 

likely to believe that they will be ticketed as a 

result of those laws? 

Enforcement and Profiling 

Do you consider racial profiling or “driving while 

Black” to be an issue? (Probe: Do you feel that 

Blacks are more likely to be targeted for general 

driving violations by being Black?) 

We know that enforcement of traffic laws is an 

effective way to improve traffic safety. How do 

we deal with racial profiling while allowing 

police to enforce traffic safety laws? 

Child Restraint Use (Allow 10 Minutes 

– more for parent groups) 

Do we have any people in the group who 

transport children on a regular basis? If so, 

did/do you use child safety seats for your kids 

when they were young? 

Around the country, over 80% of child safety 

seats are not installed properly. There are places 

all across the country where people can go to 

get these seats checked. Where would be a 

good place to have this type of checkpoint in 

this community? 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
C4 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Is it common for Black parents to use safety seats 

for their kids? Why do you think that some 

parents don’t use safety seats in this community? 

How do people know what type of seat is 

appropriate for their child? 

When are kids ready to use seat belts instead of 

child-specific restraints? 

What are the good and bad aspects of using safety 

seats each and every time a child is in a vehicle? 

Has anyone here heard of booster seats? What are 

they? When should they be used? Do you use 

them (or have you used them)? Do you have any 

concerns about their safety? 

Local Leadership and Organizations 

(Allow 15 Minutes) 

I’m going to show you a list now of some of the 

types of people and professions who often lead 

traffic safety efforts in communities. (Show list on 

flip chart: local hospitals, doctors, nurses, 

paramedics, law enforcement agencies, schools, 

local non-profit organizations, religious leaders, 

coaches, political leaders). Do any of these strike 

you as particularly good or bad candidates to 

lead such efforts in this community? Is there 

anyone that you’d add to this list? (Moderator: 

identify patterns in responses when people 

present their selections. Probe the trust issue – 

are some organizations or professions more 

trusted by the Black community than others?) 

What types of organizations, companies, or 

groups do you tend to have contact with on a 

continuing basis that might be effective in 

delivering traffic safety messages? These might be 

public agencies such as schools, community 

organizations such as churches or recreation 

leagues, or even private companies such as 

grocery stores. 

Who do you think most influences people your 

age in this community? (Moderator: They can be 

general or specific, as long as we can generalize 

the findings to certain groups, occupations, etc. 

The answers may be prominent people or 

organizations, or they may be personal contacts 

such as ‘my wife,’ or ‘my boss.’ Explain this if the 

participants seem to be stuck on a particular 

theme.) 

What community gatherings have you attended 

in the recent past that might be effective in 

delivering traffic safety messages? These can be 

school meetings, church services, county fairs, or 

any other event where a group of people got 

together. Were there a lot of Black people there? 

Ads and Messages (Allow 10 Minutes) 

In general, when you think about any marketing 

or advertising that you’ve seen, what do you 

think has worked particularly well in the Black 

community? Why do you think it has worked? 

(Probes: These might include anti-smoking, antigang, affirmative action programs, traffic safety, 

or any other program aimed at increasing the 

health or vitality of the Black community.) 

What hasn’t worked and why? 

Have you ever seen or heard any messages that 

specifically encourage traffic safety such as seat 

belt use, non-drinking and driving, or other 

issues through the media or through any kind of 

public gathering? Were they targeted toward the 

Black population or to any other group? Were 

they meaningful to you? What messages or types 

of messages might Black people identify with? 

In conclusion, what are the most important things 

to do when trying to reach and influence the 

Black population with traffic safety programs? 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � D1

Appendix D 

FOCUS GROUP SCREENER 

Hello. My name is ___________________________, and I’m calling from Cordy & Company, a marketing 

communications firm. We are conducting a study for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

in your area about issues related to African Americans and traffic safety. We are inviting you to participate 

in focus groups that will be held during the week of ____________________. If you qualify to participate 

in the focus group study, you will be paid $35.00 in cash as compensation for your time. At no time during 

the focus group discussion will you be asked for money. May I ask you a few questions to see if you’re 

eligible for the study? 

( ) Yes CONTINUE


( ) No TERMINATE


We need to make sure we include the opinions of a representative mix of people in the area, so I just need 

to ask you a few questions pertaining to your background. 

1. Does anyone in your household work for any of the following companies? 

( ) Marketing or Public Relations


( ) Advertising


( ) Market Research


( ) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration


IF “YES” TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, TERMINATE 

2. In the past 6 months, have you participated in market research study or interview where you were 

paid for your time and for providing your opinion? 

( ) Yes TERMINATE


( ) No CONTINUE


3. What is your sex? 

( ) Male ( ) Female 

4. Which of the following categories includes your age? 

( ) Under 16 TERMINATE


( ) 16-19 CONTINUE GROUP 1 & 2


( ) 20-27 CONTINUE GROUP 3 & 4


( ) 28-44 CONTINUE GROUP 5 & 6


( ) 45-59 TERMINATE


( ) 60-79 CONTINUE GROUP 7


( ) 80 or Older TERMINATE


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
____________________________________________________________________________________________ 

D2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

5. Do you have children? Yes______ No______ If so what ages ______________________________ 

CONTINUE GROUP 8 

(Parents of children under age 4) 

Note: The target groups for the 8 focus group sessions are as follows: 

Male teens, age 16-19


Female teens 16-19


Young adult males 20-27


Young adult females 20-27


Adult males 28-44


Adult females 28-44


Senior citizens 60-79 (male and female)


Parents of children under age 4 

6. Which of the following ethnic categories best describes you? 

( ) White Caucasian TERMINATE


( ) Black/African American CONTINUE


( ) Hispanic TERMINATE


( ) Asian TERMINATE


( ) Native American TERMINATE


( ) Other TERMINATE


7. Do you drive a motor vehicle more than once a month? Yes______ No______ 

If you terminate for anything other than being Black, it would be efficient to ask ‘Is there anyone else in 

your household who meets the following criteria for eligibility in our groups and might be interested in 

getting paid for their opinions? We are looking for Black persons, age 16 – 44 or from 60 – 79 who drive 

more than once a month. We are also looking for any Black parent of children age 4 or under.” 

Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Address ___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Phone Number: Day (______) ________________________ Evening (______)______________________ 

To reach Cordy & Company, please call us at 1-866-CORDY- CO (1-800-267-3926). 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � E1

Appendix E 

MODERATOR�S CHECKLIST


Time Before Focus 

Groups Begin 

Task 

12 weeks ■ Set up 800 number for callers (timing depends on phone company 

responsiveness) 

■ Confirm sites, dates, time, ask about site catering policy 

10 weeks ■ Identify, obtain special services (e.g., child care, transcriptionist) 

9 weeks ■ Identify target population 

■ Design newspaper ad, recruiting flyers 

■ Design recruiting script 

■ Set up reservation tracking system (name, location, group, phone number) 

8 weeks ■ Submit ad to newspapers (The timing will depend to a great extent on the 

level and intensity of advertising efforts.) 

■ Post recruiting flyers 

■ Begin taking recruiting calls 

7 weeks ■ Design discussion guides 

■ Make travel arrangements 

4 weeks ■ Monitor recruiting progress, augment recruiting via random calls/letters, 

larger ad, more geographic coverage if needed 

■ Confirm equipment availability, test equipment 

2 weeks ■ Set up catering, child care 

■ Send out reminder letter with map to location 

1 week ■ Confirm special services (child care, transcriptionist, etc.) 

3 days ■ Compile equipment 

■ Prepare sign-in sheets 

■ Prepare name plates (table tents) 

■ Gather incentive money and put in envelopes 

■ Prepare outside signage for on-site directions 

1 day (Day 0 of Onsite 

Schedule) 

■ Call first-day attendees to confirm and remind 

(Day 1 of Onsite 

Schedule) 

■ Call second-day attendees to confirm and remind 

(Day 2 of Onsite ) 

Schedule 

■ Call third-day attendees to confirm and remind 

(Day 3 of Onsite 

Schedule) 

■ Call fourth-day attendees to confirm and remind 

Note that the schedule will be staggered for each site, since we won’t be conducting focus groups in all 

six communities simultaneously. Therefore, 12 weeks before the focus groups at the first location may be 

14 weeks before the focus groups at a subsequent location. We should discuss the optimum order of the 

groups among the six locations, too. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
E2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Onsite Schedule for Focus Group Team


Day Time Team Member 1 (Moderator) Team Member 2 (Analyst) 

Day 0 

(Sunday) 

■ Arrive in city 

■ Do preliminary inspection of site 

■ Scout out grocery store for supplies 

■ Arrive in city 

■ Do preliminary inspection of site 

■ Confirm that home office has made 

reminder calls 

Day 

(Monday) 

1 3:00 ■ Drop off analyst at site 

■ Purchase non-perishable supplies 

for the week, perishable supplies 

for the day (See equipment list.) 

■ Arrange room configuration 

■ Set up recording equipment, props 

4:30 ■ Set up check-in station (name tents, 

check-in list) 

■ Post outside signage, adding 

specific directions as necessary 

■ Order food/coordinate with caterer 

■ Set up support services (cups, 

napkins, silverware, etc.) 

■ Ensure that participant incentives 

are ready 

■ Test equipment 

■ Meet, set up transcriptionist, 

child care, etc. 

5:15 ■ Review discussion guide ■ Check in participants 

5:45 ■ Conduct Focus Group #1, 

distribute incentives 

■ Take notes of group, monitor 

equipment 

7:45 ■ Cleanup, set up food, support 

services for next group 

■ Check in participants, review 

discussion guide 

8:00 ■ Take notes of group, monitor 

equipment 

■ Conduct Focus Group #2, 

distribute incentives 

10:00 ■ Cleanup ■ Pack up equipment, label tapes 

If we conduct focus groups of teenagers and their parents, it may be helpful to conduct focus groups of 

those two groups simultaneously, which would require an adjustment to this schedule, along with extra 

recording equipment. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � E3

Onsite Schedule for Focus Group Team (cont’d) 

Day Time Team Member 1 (Moderator) Team Member 2 (Analyst) 

Day 2 

(Tuesday) 1:00 ■ Write Summary Bullet Report of 

Focus Group #2 

■ Write Summary Bullet Report of 

Focus Group #1 

■ Fax or e-mail both reports to 

Raines, Cordy, Ayres 

3:00 ■ Drop off analyst at site 

■ Check inventory of non-perishable 

supplies, pick up perishable supplies 

for the day (See equipment list.) 

■ Arrange room configuration 

■ Set up recording equipment, props 

4:30 – 9:45 ■ Repeat Day 1 schedule ■ Repeat Day 1 schedule 

Day 3 12:00 

(Wednesday) 

■ Check with Raines regarding 

Changes to discussion guide, 

topics of interest. 

■ Make changes as necessary 

1:00 – 10:00 ■ Repeat Day 2 schedule ■ Repeat Day 2 schedule 

Day 4 1:00 – 

(Thursday) 10:00 or 

11:00 – 

7:45 

■ Repeat Day 3 schedule, unless 

we’re conducting a senior citizen 

focus group. In that case, push the 

schedule up two hours and conduct 

the seniors’ group at 3:45 

■ Repeat Day 3 schedule, unless 

we’re conducting a senior citizen 

focus group. In that case, push the 

schedule up two hours and 

conduct the seniors’ group at 3:45 

Day 5 Morning 

(Friday) (or late on 

Day 4) 

■ Return home ■ Return home 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
E4 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

Equipment List – Carry from Home Base to Site 

� Video Camera and cables 

� Omni directional microphone for camera 

� Backup audio tape recorder 

� Extra Batteries for microphone, tape recorder 

� Enough videotape for 8 two-hour focus groups (may be purchased on site) 

� Enough audiotapes for 8 two-hour focus groups (may be purchased on site) 

� Two or three extension cords 

� Sign-in sheets for each focus group 

� Name tents for each focus group 

� Notepads for taking notes 

� Laptop computer for typing notes, e-mailing bullet summary reports 

� Paper/electronic copies of discussion guides 

� Contact information for site, caterer, transcriptionist 

� Shopping list (see next page) 

� Envelopes with incentive money 

� On-site schedule (see previous page) 

� Any paper/markers/props for focus group activities 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � E5

Shopping List – Buy on site 

Non-Perishables �Buy for entire week� 

• Disposable cups 

• Disposable plates 

• Napkins 

• Disposable silverware 

• Sodas (1 to 1.25 per expected guest) 

• Candy for light snacks 

Perishables �Buy each day� 

• Ice 

• Brownies/cookies for heavy snacks 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � F1

Appendix F 

TRAFFIC SAFETY PROBLEMS


Please rank these problems with 1 being the most serious problem in the local Black Community and 

16 being the least serious. 

_____	 Drinking and driving 

_____	 Non-use of seat belts 

_____	 Aggressive/reckless driving 

_____	 Cell phone use while driving 

_____	 Distractions such as eating, putting on makeup, shaving, etc. while driving 

_____	 Poor training of new drivers 

_____	 Bad road conditions or design 

_____	 Bad weather for driving 

_____	 Poorly maintained vehicles 

_____	 Speeding 

_____	 Running stoplights or stop signs 

_____	 Crowded roads 

_____	 Unsafe pedestrian walkways or crossings 

_____	 Unsafe or unsuitable cyclist pathways or crossings 

_____	 Non-use of child safety seats 

_____	 Misuse of child safety seat 

_____ Other issue _____________________________ 

What state do you live in?

_____ Illinois _____ Maryland _____ Mississippi 

_____ Missouri _____ New Jersey _____ South Carolina 

To be completed by focus group moderator. 

Group: 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � G1

Appendix G 

BLUE RIBBON PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS


Recommendation l

Increase dramatically the availability and 

accessibility of safety education, training, 

expertise, knowledge, special skills, credible 

research and information about health and traffic 

safety issues to African Americans and other 

ethnic minority populations. 

Recommendation 2

Increase dramatically the credibility, visibility and 

attention focused on the issue of seat belt use 

among African Americans, with particular 

emphasis on young African America males, 

through the expression of credible, positive, 

culturally infused health and safety values in 

media messages and literature distributed to all 

segments of the African American community. 

Recommendation 3

Increase and reinforce awareness in youth and 

educators of the nation’s youth about health and 

traffic safety at the earliest possible age, and incorporate health and traffic safety into the educational curriculum for grades pre K through 12. 

Recommendation 4

Create a program of research and evaluation that 

focuses on specific urban and rural African 

American populations with initiatives that include 

effective safety education, training, technical 

assistance and outreach programs. Such programs 

would seek to designate principal investigators 

and other leadership from Historically Black 

Colleges and Universities in a manner modeled 

by Meharry Medical College’s work documented 

in the 1999 publication, “Achieving a Credible Health 

and Safety Approach to Increasing Seat Belt Use 

Among African Americans.” 

Recommendation 5

Improve cooperation between African American 

communities and public safety and health officers, 

and provide enhanced community policing, 

training, management, staffing, technology and 

support in order to eliminate rogue behaviors in 

the enforcement of seat belt laws. 

Recommendation 6

State agencies and legislatures should be provided 

a clear, uniform guide for structuring and enacting 

comprehensive seat belt laws, including the best 

elements of laws already enacted, and provisions, 

policies and procedures for the collection, 

compilation and analysis of data on traffic stops, 

particularly in conjunction with incidents of rogue 

behavior by law enforcement officials. 

Recommendation 7

Create and distribute, through collaborative 

relationships, a credible and culturally infused 

comprehensive program of facts, safety education 

materials and examples of seat belt safety for use 

by community-based service and other organizations including churches, civil rights and volunteer organizations, schools, educators, parents 

and students. 

Recommendation 8

Establish a program nation-wide that boldly and 

broadly disseminates, in a culturally infused 

manner, child safety seats and credible information 

about child safety seat use, correct child safety 

seat installation, and for credible and culturally 

infused child safety seat technician training. 

Recommendation 9

Link insurers and the insured in cooperative 

incentive programs, partnerships and alliances that 

encourage and reward positive seat belt and child 

safety seat use. 

Recommendation 10

A comprehensive coordinated strategy of education, communication, and training regarding seat 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
G2 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

belt use and child safety seat installation and use 

should be developed and implemented for all 

new and used car dealers to implement for all of 

their customers, with particular emphasis on 

African American customers. 

Strategy Recommendations

To save lives and reduce injuries through an 

Increase in Seat Belt Use Among African

Americans 

Education, Training and 

Communications 

Recommendation l

Increase dramatically the availability and 

accessibility of safety education, training, 

expertise, knowledge, special skills, credible 

research and information about health and traffic 

safety issues to Afri-can Americans and other 

ethnic minority populations. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 At present, the gathering of data about traffic 

safety issues pertinent to the African American 

community is uncoordinated and cannot be 

easily accessed either by knowledgeable and 

concerned parties, or by resourcechallenged 

neighborhoods, cities and/or other local 

organizations and individuals wishing to 

initiate and enhance their health and safety 

improvement efforts. 

■	 There does not seem to be an effective and 

efficient coordination among the federal 

government’s traffic safety and health 

initiatives that are pertinent to African 

Americans, i.e. including, but not limited to, 

seat belt use, child safety belt use, driving 

while black or brown etc. This deficiency 

results in an inability of the average local 

organization, school, local government 

officials, and others to access comprehensive 

and practical information. 

■	 There is no central source of public 

information, action plans, expertise, contact 

lists and options, and data that is readily and 

easily accessible to and about African 

American organizations and individuals and 

health and safety matters. 

■	 There are a handful of viable, credible 

examples of African American organizations 

and individuals adopting the seat belt and 

child safety seat challenge. The product of 

these efforts is not being referenced or broadly 

shared, nor are the acquired skills being 

transferred, leveraged or translated to be 

linguistically appropriate. The African 

American community shares a common 

perception that such efforts are being ignored. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 The four historically black medical colleges 

(Morehouse Medical College, Charles Drew 

Medical College, Howard University Medical 

College and Meharry Medical College), African 

American advocacy, civil rights and volunteer 

organizations, churches, schools, health care 

providers, parents and student organizations, 

youth groups, media and professional organizations, and local and national government 

agencies should be actively recruited to be 

incubators of health and safety leadership. 

■	 An interagency secretariat can be designated to 

coordinate African American traffic safety 

issues within the federal government, and, in 

particular, within the United States 

Department of Transportation. 

■	 Congressional legislation with appropriations 

and an executive order from the President may 

be appropriate to ensure implementation. 

Health and Safety 

Recommendation 2

Increase dramatically the credibility, visibility 

and attention focused on the issue of seat belt use 

among African Americans, with particular 

emphasis on young African America males, 

through the expression of credible, positive, 

culturally infused health and safety values in 

media messages and literature distributed to all 

segments of the African American community. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � G3

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 The absence of credible positive messages 

contributes to the prevalent “don’t control me” 

and other selfdestructive behaviors and 

attitudes of teenagers and young adults. 

■	 Media messages often convey distorted and 

selfdestructive values and images of African 

American males, particularly young African 

American males, which inhibit the potential 

success of positive messages about African 

American health and safety, and undermine 

positive personal health and safety behavior. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 In all communications, present a credible, 

recognizable and positive image of African 

American motorists working together and 

being primarily responsible for their own and 

others health and safety. 

■	 Create a positive, productive health and safety 

image and presence in the media that is 

acknowledged, understood and identified with 

by young adults, youth and children. 

■	 Create a positive reference for young African 

American males among law enforcement 

officials in order to eliminate “Driving While 

Black or Brown” incidents. 

■	 Emphasize in communications the special 

needs of youth, unemployed, and underserved population. 

■	 Create a national media task force to encourage 

youth to get involved, particularly with local 

initiatives, to increase seat belt use and to 

provide funding and other resources to 

encourage, nurture, support and sustain this 

effort. 

Recommendation 3

Increase and reinforce awareness in youth and 

educators of the nation’s youth about health and 

traffic safety at the earliest possible age, and incorporate health and traffic safety into the educational curriculum for grades pre K through 12. 

Discussion

Issues: 

There is a lack of consistent, positive 

reinforcement of strong health and traffic safety 

messages in culturally infused and credible terms 

throughout the entire education experience: early 

childhood preschool preparation, elementary and 

secondary, higher education including advanced 

degree and post advanced degree programs. This 

is especially true for schools in urban and 

economicallychallenged areas, which suffer from 

limited resources and where: 

■	 African American and other ethnic American 

children and parents are a disproportionate 

share of the early childhood preschool, 

elementary and secondary education school 

population. 

■	 Education efforts directed at children are not 

credibly and consistently sustained and 

reinforced through both traditional and 

nontraditional message channels, including, 

entertainment and recreational industries; 

outdoor and other advertising; amusement 

parks, mascots, story books, cartoons, 

interactive driving simulation computer 

programs/games, screen savers, videotapes, 

health care/public safety professional on-site 

visits, sports and sports figures, music artists 

and music forms, other celebrities; and 

competitions, driver education points, 

scholarships, youth support programs, sports. 

■	 Youth peer pressure should be harnessed to 

convey and reinforce positive messages of 

personal responsibility about health and traffic 

safety before youth begin to drive. 

■ Health and safety education efforts are 

marginalized because of a pervasive lack of access 

to preventive care and instruction and the 

necessary resources to enable implementation. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■ Health care providers, educators, fire, 

emergency, law enforcement and safety officials, 

civil rights, religious and professional 

organizations, advocacy groups, grandparents, 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
G4 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

student groups, schools, and federal, state and 

local agencies can get involved to support a 

comprehensive and collaborative health and 

safety youth education initiative. In particular, the 

resources, expertise and authority of the United 

States Departments of Education, Health and 

Human Services and Transportation are needed to 

provide leadership. 

Research and Evaluation 

Recommendation 4

Create a program of research and evaluation that 

focuses on specific urban and rural African 

American populations with initiatives that 

include effective safety education, training, 

technical assistance and outreach programs. Such 

programs would seek to designate principal 

investigators and other leadership from 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities in a 

manner modeled by Meharry Medical College’s 

work documented in the 1999 publication, 

“Achieving a Credible Health and Safety Approach to 

Increasing Seat Belt Use Among African Americans.” 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 Data coordination appears to be nonexistent 

between the few existing separate African 

American health and traffic safety initiatives. 

■	 Each new inquiry and outreach effort 

necessitates reinventing the wheel with no 

appreciable increase in efficiency or benefit. 

■	 Key questions have not been researched and 

are unanswered such as: 1. What are the 

underlining factors and interrelationships that 

contribute to African Americans not wearing 

seat belts? 2. What is the impact of primary 

seat belt laws upon the African American 

Community?, 3. What is the full impact of 

child education about seat belt safety on 

efforts? 

■	 The absence of reliable and consistent Focus 

Group input. 

■	 The absence of credible African American 

clinical and other research input diminishes the 

credibility of all efforts. 

■	 The absence of a central repository of data and 

information on health and traffic safety issues 

as they impact seat belt use and African 

Americans. 

■	 Current efforts to gather, organize and provide 

such data by multiple federal agencies and 

other organizations are wellintentioned, but are 

too limited by budget priority, lack of credible 

cultural infusion and other factors to have both 

significant and sustained impact. 

■	 There is an ocean of opportunity to leverage 

even the existing scarce research about African 

American seat belt and child safety seat use 

across other ethnic populations, with 

linguistically appropriate resources, and to 

correct a common misperception that the 

African American community is somehow 

separate and apart from the American Family 

as a whole. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Provide answers to formidable questions prior 

to the issuance of new or revised policies. 

■	 Compile a credible, actionable body of 

culturally infused health and safety behaviorrelated knowledge. 

■	 Assure the transfer of all statistics, reporting 

and data to a common information repository 

located at Meharry Medical College. 

■	 Establish multidisciplinary research protocol. 

■	 Link the repository located at Meharry Medical 

College to credible culturally infused 

communitybased and other organizations. 

Improving Public Compliance With 

Seat Belt Laws 

Recommendation 5

Improve cooperation between African American 

communities and public safety and health officers, 

and provide enhanced community policing, 

training, management, staffing, technology and 

support in order to eliminate rogue behaviors in 

the enforcement of seat belt laws. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � G5

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 Racial profiling or “Driving While Black or 

Brown” incidents damage the public trust 

necessary to enable public safety officials to 

succeed in saving lives and reducing injury, 

through influencing youth, young parents and 

others to comply with seat belt laws. 

■	 Polarized attitudes and hostile law 

enforcement behaviors impede the adoption of 

primary seat belt laws and the use of seat belts. 

■	 Public safety and law enforcement 

professionals are burdened by the stress of 

their professional responsibilities, while having 

little sense of support from the total 

community. 

■	 African American and other ethnic American 

communities are extremely distrustful of 

providing law enforcement officials with more 

laws that have the appearance of providing 

legal excuses for rogue behaviors and practices, 

such as racial profiling. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Training and management of law enforcement 

officials should focus on changing attitudes 

through cultural education and community 

policing initiatives, and reestablishing trust by 

increasing dialogue and mutual respect. 

■	 Support for training of public safety and law 

enforcement officials should include: upgraded 

community policing and law enforcement 

techniques; community support efforts; more 

routine training and education, and 

management preparation and education. 

■	 National public safety groups, law enforcement 

professional organizations, national health care 

provider groups, national advocacy groups, 

state, federal and local government agencies, 

can provide leadership in the effort to 

eliminate rogue behavior by law enforcement 

officials. Denial of federal funds to law 

enforcement and other agencies presenting a 

practice and pattern of rogue behavior is a 

sanction worth evaluating. In particular, the 

authority, resources and expertise of the United 

States Departments of Justice and Treasury are 

needed to provide leadership. 

Recommendation 6

State agencies and legislatures should be 

provided a clear, uniform guide for structuring 

and enacting comprehensive seat belt laws, 

including the best elements of laws already 

enacted, and provisions, policies and procedures 

for the collection, compilation and analysis of 

data on traffic stops, particularly in conjunction 

with incidents of rogue behavior by law 

enforcement officials. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 The perception that additional primary seat 

belt laws will be neither comprehensive nor 

fair in their enforcement in light of the current 

incidence of “racial profiling” experiences. 

■	 The failure to implement provisions for the 

collection of local, county and state traffic stop 

data. 

■	 The perception that legitimate concerns about 

“Driving while Black or Brown” have been 

brushed aside by the majority population 

helps to engender opposition to primary seat 

belt laws. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Provide assistance and increase incentives to 

state legislatures interested in passing primary 

seat belt laws through a consistent and 

regularly updated nationwide review of 

proposed legislation, with recommendations 

that are based on fair and equitable existing 

laws. 

■ Actively seek the contribution and 

participation of local and national public safety 

groups, civil rights, religious, educational, student 

and professional organizations, health care 

providers, national advocacy groups and 

government agencies, among others in the 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
G6 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

framing of solutions aimed at eliminating the 

perceptions that the enacted primary seat belt 

laws will increase the propensity for police to 

abuse the law, resulting in increased racial 

profiling incidents. In particular, the authority, 

resources and expertise of the United States 

Departments of Justice and Transportation are 

needed to provide leadership. 

Programs That Support CommunityBased Partnerships 

Recommendation 7

Create and distribute, through collaborative 

relationships, a credible and culturally infused 

comprehensive program of facts, safety education 

materials and examples of seat belt safety for use 

by community-based service and other 

organizations including churches, civil rights and 

volunteer organizations, schools, educators, 

parents and students. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 Greater community appreciation for seat belt 

use policies and laws is lagging because of the 

unavailability of consistent, sustainable 

programs for education and program 

implementation. 

■	 Credible information and usable programs on 

seat belt use are not now reaching those 

community, civil rights, volunteer, church, 

school and professional organizations, among 

others, that could create and communicate 

culturally infused values, images and messages 

about seat belt use. 

■	 The public’s awareness of the accomplishments 

and contributions of African Americans to the 

process of increasing seat belt use in local 

communities is deeply flawed. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Local and national advocacy groups for 

African Americans and other ethnic minorities, 

civil rights, religious, educational, student, 

volunteer and professional organizations, and 

local, state and federal agencies can contribute 

to the establishment and support of sustainable 

communitybased partnerships. In particular, 

the authority, resources and expertise of the 

United States Departments of Transportation, 

Health and Human Services, Treasury, 

Education and Justice are needed to provide 

leadership in fostering strategies to achieve the 

potential of the opportunities. 

■	 Education programs that are distributed 

should share African American success stories, 

materials and contacts. 

Recommendation 8

Establish a program nation-wide that boldly and 

broadly disseminates, in a culturally infused 

manner, child safety seats and credible information about child safety seat use, correct child safety seat installation, and for credible and culturally 

infused child safety seat technician training. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 The lack of access to affordable child safety 

seats and credible, culturally infused and 

accessible communications regarding programs 

created to provide information and instruction 

about correct child safety seat use and 

installation has created a high level of 

frustration and disappointment among 

national and local African American leadership and communitybased organizations. 

■	 Intermediary nongovernment organizations 

currently involved in this issue, no matter how 

wellintended, are often perceived as lacking 

credibility, difficult to work with and 

ineffective by African American 

communitybased organizations and leadership. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Diffuse the dependency on large, nonurbanbased, nongovernment organizations through 

primary, direct, collaborative, culturally 

infused and credible linkages with national 

and local African American and other ethnic 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � G7

American nongovernment organizations, civil 

rights, religious, educational, student, 

volunteer, professional and advocacy groups 

and academic institutions, among others. 

■	 Enhance credibility, sensitivity and outreach 

efforts on the issues related to child safety seat 

use by communicating and working directly 

with African American and other ethnic 

American organizations and individuals. 

■	 Local and national advocacy groups, civil 

rights, religious, educational, student, 

volunteer and professional organizations, 

safety organizations and federal agencies must 

be enlisted to provide leadership on providing 

access to affordable child safety seats, 

information, installation and training. In 

particular, the United States Departments of 

Transportation, Health and Human Services, 

Education, Justice, the General Services 

Administration and the General Accounting 

Office can provide leadership in prioritizing 

the establishment of credible culturally infused 

community-based partnerships and coalitions. 

Recommendation 9

Link insurers and the insured in cooperative 

incentive programs, partnerships and alliances 

that encourage and reward positive seat belt and 

child safety seat use. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 Insurance companies have a vested interest in 

increasing use of seat belts and child safety 

seats, but they seem to be invisible or on the 

sidelines in urban communities. 

■	 While insurance companies are concerned 

about health and traffic safety, a common 

perception exists in the African American 

community that despite individual companies 

undertaking separate safety education 

programs, the industry is not a full participant 

in generating and resourcing, with 

transparency, credible and culturally infused 

preventive programs. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Encourage insurance companies to provide 

financial and other incentive rewards for 

achieving and maintaining seat belt and child 

safety seat use, along with a program of 

nonpolice related monitoring of use. 

■	 Encourage insurance companies to work with 

the insured motorist in providing education on 

health and motor vehicle safety. 

■	 Encourage insurance companies to provide 

financial rewards in claims resulting from 

motor vehicle crashes in which vehicle 

occupants were using seat belts. 

■	 Insurance companies and brokers, automobile 

companies, auto safety equipment manufacturers, auto dealerships, auto parts retailers, 

state insurance boards, elected and appointed 

public officials, schools, parents, national 

advocacy groups and others can provide 

leadership in urging the insurance industry 

to significantly increase its participation 

as a stakeholder. 

Recommendation 10

A comprehensive coordinated strategy of 

education, communication, and training 

regarding seat belt use and child safety seat 

installation and use should be developed and 

implemented for all new and used car dealers to 

implement for all of their customers, with 

particular emphasis on African American 

customers. 

Discussion

Issues: 

■	 Although automotive manufacturers, suppliers 

and dealers have a clear health and safety 

interest in increasing the use of seat belts and 

child safety seats, their commitment to reducing risks in this area rarely is communicated 

in a clear, consistent, culturally infused and 

credible manner to African American and 

other urbanbased ethnic communities. 

■ There is a common perception in the African 

American community that while individual 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
G8 HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES 

automobile companies initiate health and safety 

education and training programs, the industry, as 

a whole, treats African Americans with 

intolerance and clear disdain. This behavior from 

cells within the industry limits effective and 

credible communications on seat belt and child 

safety seat use. 

Suggestions for Implementation: 

■	 Encourage and provide incentives to new and 

used car dealers who communicate and 

provide education in health and safety in seat 

belt and child safety seat use. 

■	 Implement measures to require used car 

dealers to participate in local and national 

child safety seat and seat belt use health and 

safety educational and training initiatives 

because they sell a disproportionate number of 

cars to African American and other ethnic 

American customers. 

■	 Automobile companies, suppliers, safety 

equipment manufacturers, used and new car 

dealers, advocacy groups, the insurance 

industry, local and national government 

agencies can provide leadership on seeking 

maximum seat belt use through the strategic 

participation of new and used car dealers. In 

particular, the authority, resources and 

expertise of the United States Department of 

Transportation, United States Department of 

Justice and United States Department of 

Commerce are needed to provide leadership. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
HIGHWAY SAFETY IN BLACK/AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES � G9

Summary Conclusion 

It is the Panel’s position that, because seat belt use 

for African Americans is an urgent public health 

crisis, nothing should prevent America from 

reaching its goal of saving lives and reducing 

injuries through the increased use of seat belts 

and child safety seats. The crisis compels 

immediate strategic action. 

The Panel has determined that the seat belt use 

issue is not and cannot be readily separated from 

the other health disparity and atrisk behaviors in 

the African American community; nor can seat 

belt use be detached from the context of historical 

issues of credibility and fairness that African 

Americans have suffered for centuries. Low seat 

belt use is a vast opportunity fraught with 

complexity, which involves enormous 

consequences for safety, health and justice in the 

African American community. Enormous 

resources, incentives and positive reinforcement 

are required. 

The prospect of losing even one more life where 

seat belt or child safety seat use could have made 

a difference underscores the urgency of this crisis. 

The pain, agony and sense of loss that we all feel 

are reflected in the words of Blue Ribbon Panel 

member Reverend Wendell Anthony, Senior 

Minister, Fellowship Chapel and President, 

Detroit Chapter, National Association for the 

Advancement of Colored People: 

“Babies are dying and mothers are crying. The 

African American community suffers a great 

deal because there is a lack of utilizing car seats 

and seat belts in general.” 

Therefore, the strategies described herein are 

collaborative and applicable to other ethnic 

American populations. 

The Panel recommends that there be active monitoring of significant events coupled with a semiannual assessment or measurement of the progress made in implementing all recommendations. 

The Panel recognizes the Congressional Black 

Caucus’ position on issues of equity, efficacy and 

transparency in the “fair share” allocation of 

federal governmental and nongovernmental 

funds to address seat belt safety, between African 

American institutions, other ethic entities, and 

“mainstream” entities. Similarly, for historical 

accuracy and guidance, the panel recommends a 

review and report of how these types of funds 

have been distributed over the past five years and 

the plans for the allocation of these and similar 

funds for the years to come. Observing trends and 

patterns contributes to our nation’s capacity to 

anticipate problems and adjust and to prepare 

better solutions to them. 

The members of the Blue Ribbon Panel would like 

to thank its CoChairs for facilitating the opportunity to work on this critical task, and we hope 

that we have served our communities and our 

nation well in fulfilling the mandate handed to us. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION • NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION 
DOT HS 809 649

March 2004