1 ; 

Safe Communities i 

1 ~ 

3 ~ 

Planning the First Meeting 

The Next Meeting: Establishing a Coalition Structure ...................................................... 6 

Strategic Planning ...................... ...... ............................................................. 8 

Data Driven Planning 8 . .. Setting Pnont~es . ........................................... 10 

11 

11 

13 

14 

15 

Appendix A: Injury in Our Commun' 

Appendix B: Suggestions for Writing 

Appendix C: Sample Agenda for First CommunityiTown Hall Mee i 

Appendix D: Sample Safe Communities Program Goals and OQec 

Appendix E: Resources 1 
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS 

INTRODUCTION 

aybe you're the emergency depart- scrateses can be designed to address the cause 

ment nurse who worked the evening and thus reduce the number of injuries. 

shift when the trauma helicopter brought in 

three victims, two of whom were admitted to This guide is designed for concerned indivicritical care, one who was pronounced dead duals and community groups who are 

shortly after admission. Maybe you're the mail committed to reducing the motor vehicle injury 

camer who delivered the stack of condolence problem in their community We have learned a 

cards to the bereaved family Or perhaps you're great deal from traffic safety advocates and 

a parent, worried about your teenage son or public health officials about reducing motor 

daughter who will soon be driving. vehicle injury in he last twenty years. This 

guide is intended to serve as a guide to getting 

Whoever you are, and wherever you live, death the process started and organizing the effort to 

and serious injury from traffic crashes are a prevent and reduce injuries in your community 

problem that affects everyone, including you. 

Drivers and passengers, bicyclists, motor- WHAT IS A "SAFE COMMUNITY"? 

cyclists, pedestrians, school bus riders -we are 

all at risk. Motor vehicle injuries are the leading Safe Communities is a model used by commucause of all injury deaths, and the leading cause nities all across the country to identify and 

of death for people 01 every age from 5 to 29 address local injury problems. Safe 

years old. More than 40,000 otherwise healthy Communities allow citizens to pedict when 

Americans die in traffic crashes every year. and where injuries are most likely to strike 

Another four million end up in emergency next and take the best course of action to keep 

rooms. The motor vehicle injury problem costs them from happening at all. This manual 

our nation over $150 billion every year, nearly speaks specifically to those injuries caused 

ten percent of which is paid directly by tax by traffic crashes; however, the model can be 

dollars. And the emotional toll on individuals, used to address any local injury problem. 

families, and communities is unmeasurable. 

Safe Communities are defined by four essential - 

Yet, we know that motor vehicle injuries areno characteristics: 

accident. Like most medical conditions, these Use ofmultiple of data to identify injuries are predictable and, as such, can be community injury problems; prevented or controlled, Injury patterns vary by 

age group, gender, and cultural group. There 2. Citizen involvement; 

are also seasonal and geographic patterns to 3. Expanded partnerships; and 

injury Once the cause of injuries is identified, 4. A comprehensive and integrated injury 

control system. 
USING DATA FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES 

enables a Safe Community to look at the type 

and severity of injuries (fatal and non-fatal), the 

cost of treatment, and the impact on the 

community. By looking at data from a variety 

of sources, a Safe Community can also explore 

the reasons why the injury problem exists in 

their community Injury data can be obtained 

from state resources (Office of Highway Safety, 

Department of Health) and local resources 

(local law enforcement agencies, hospitals, 

emergency medical se~ces, physicians, public 

health agencies). Typically, when communities 

look at their injury data, they discover that 

motor vehicle injuries are a major issue for 

their community 

CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT means that local 

citizens and community organizations are 

actively involved in addressing the local injury 

problem. This is important because citizens 

ensure that local values and attitudes are 

considered during the process of identifying 

the injury problems and shaping successful 

solutions. A coalition of concerned citizens and 

community organizations provides the means 

for gaining local support for the program and 

for making sure that the Safe Community 

program continues to be a community-based 

effort. Focus groups can he used to assess 

community feelings about a topic or project. 

Town meetings and community forums can be 

used to solicit input and feedback from local 

leaders and the general citizenry. 

EXPANDED PARTNERSHIPS ensure that 

coalitions working to address the local injury 

problem work with others in the community 

who also have a stake in reducing the problem. 

Partnerships allowcommunities to develop 

collaborative strategies and share resources. 

Parmerships spread program ownership 

throughout the community and increase the 

opportunities for reaching target populations. 

Potential parmers include law enforcement 

personnel, public safety officials, public 

health departments, civic and advocacy 

groups, health care providers, emergency 

medical services, firefighters, employers, 

media representatives, businesses, schools, 

courts, transportation engneers, local 

government and concerned citizens. 

AN INTEGRATED AND COMPREHENSIVE 

INJURY CONTROL SYSTEM is a system of 

health care that includes three components: 

prevention, acute care and rehabilitation. 

People who work in prevention focus on 

reducing and preventing the leading causes of 

injury in a community People who work in 

acute care provide the medical care necessary 

to save a person's life. Acute care providers 

include the first responder at a crash scene, 

emergency room personnel, the surgeon who 

operates on a trauma patient, as well as the 

nurse who assesses the patient and provides 

bedside care. Rehabilitation providers help 

people re-enter a communityk daily routines 

with skills and capabilities for a productive life. 

Physical, respiratory and occupational 

therapists, vocational counselors, and social 

workers, help people learn to live with the 

long-term consequences of injury By linking 

these three components as active and essential 
partners, a.Safe Community can better design be time-consuming and requires excellent 

strateges to reduce the problem at many points organizational and management skills, but 

before, during, and after the injury has coalitions bring a tremendous amount of 

occurred to help solve the communityk injury credibility to an issue. The very act of 

problem. coming together - of partnering - strengthens 

the message. 

GETTING ORGANIZED: 

COALITION DEVELOPMENT Coalitions almost always start with an idea. An 

individual or an organization wants to see a 

Most problems faced by communities are too certain action take place and decides to 

complex, and resources are too limited, for one organize others with an interest in that issue. 

organization to address alone. For example, if Sometimes Safe Community coalitions begin 

we look at one of our best injury prevention when someone is needlessly killed or injured 

tools available - seat belts - we can see how and family members want to do something to 

many different people are needed to make them prevent such tragedies for others. 

work. Vehicle manufacturers install seat belts 

as standard equipment, yet people still need In some communities an appropriate group to 

to be educated about the importance of using work on motor vehicle injury prevention issues 

them. Public information and education efforts may already exist. It might be more sensible to 

need to be backed up with seat belt laws and get involved with an existing group and spend 

policies. Law enforcement officials need to your energies on action rather than on 

enforce seat belt laws (and wear belts them- organizing. For example, SAFEKids coalitions 

selves). Parents need to act as role models by focus on preventing childhood injury If a 

buckling up themselves and ensuring everyone SAFEKids coalition exists in your community, 

else in the car is also buckled up. The media they may be interested in partnering with other 

need to talk about the use of seat belts when groups to prevent traffic-related injuries to all 

they report traffic crashes. One organization populations. Another alternative might be a . > 

cannot accomplish all these tasks alone. A community policing organization. 

coalition, however, most certainly can. 

It is possible, however, that existing groups in 

When individuals work together, we call it your community may not be interested in 

teamwork. When groups work together, we fulfilling your mission or may not be able to 

call it collaboration and we refer to them expand their focus. Occasionally, differences 

collectively as a coalition. A coalition is usually among members can make finding the 

made up of concerned citizens and existing "common ground with existing organizations 

organizations or groups that have decided to challengng. If you are not able to identify 

work together in a structured way towards a opportunities to combine forces and share 

common mission. Building a coalition can resources, a new and vibrant Safe Community 

coalition may be just what is needed! 
Y ou have a sense of the problem m your 

community too many people are bemng 

seriously injured and k~lled as a result of 

motor vehlcle crashes You want to stop the 

carnage, but you cannot do it alone Where 

do you begmn? 

Safe Communities focus on solving injury 

problems in local communities. Thus, 

generating support for your intentions begins 

with a look at what is going on in your 

community. Who is being injured? How 

serious are the injuries? Why and where are 

these injuries occumng? And, how does your 

community compare to others in your state or 

region? Your State Highway Safety Office and 

your State Health Department can help you 

find the answers to these questions. Local EMS 

providers, hospitals and local law enforcement 

are also excellent resources for helping you 

create a picture of the traffic injury problem in 

your community An example of how you 

might arrange the injury data so that it is easy 

to undentand is included in Appendix A. 

Who else in the community is touched by this 

problem? Talk to others who are involved in 

health and safety groups in the community 

Think of five or six critical partners - people 

who share your concerns and are the "can-do" 

decision makers in the community Consider 

why each of these individuals might want to 

be involved in getting this effort started. Meet 

with each person individually to talk about 

. 

your concerns and your sense of why this 

particular person ihould join you in this effort. 

You might consider leaving behind some 

reading material (brochures are available to 

explain the Safe Communities concept). Your 

objective for the face-to-face meeting should be 

to secure a commitment from each of your 

critical partners to help you organize the first 

community meeting. 

Now that you have a picture of the traffic injury 

problem in your community, and you have 

brought together five or six critical partners to 

help get the effort undemap the next step is to 

bring the issue to the attention of the larger 

community A successful way to accomplish 

this is to call a community/town hall meeting. 

The purpose of this first public meeting is 

twofold: (1) to focus community members on 

the severity of the injury problem in your 

community and (2) to make community 

members aware of the need and the 

opportunity to do something about it. 

The small group of critical partners should plan 

the first meeting by considering the following 

issues: 

WHO should be invited? Think about who 

else is (or should be) concerned with the 

communityi injury problem. Consider: public 

health officials, trauma care providers, first 

responders, law enforcement, prosecutors, the 
judiciary, schools, parents, students, traffic from your state Highway Safety Office or state 

engineers, key industries and employers, Department of Health to address the group. 

community leaders, local businesses, and Other communities, particularly rural 

local government. Be sure to invite the media, communities, prefer to rely on their oun 

The media reports what they believe to be members to bring concerns to their attention. 

newsworthy, and can be your best resource In that case, choose an enthusiastic, wellfor building a sense of importance and urgency organized individual from among your critical 

in your community Suggestions for how to partners to spearhead the first meeting. 

write a letter of invitation are included in Consider a local law enforcement official, 

Appendix B. hospital head, or public health official. 

WHEN will the meeting be held? Allow WHAT MATERIALS will you need? Most 

enough time to get organized, but not so long people enjoy presentations that include a 

that your core group loses its momentum. combination of learning methods. Consider 

Decide if it would be easier for interested using a variety of audio-visual aids including 

people to attend a meeting during the day or slides, flip charts, overheads, video, computer 

during the evening. presentations, etc. Name tags andlor table tents 

are a convenient way for people to identify the meeting be held? It' best to [hemselves and to facilitate conversation. Be 

choose a neutral facility that will comfortably ,,, to have markers available, 

accommodate a large, participating audience. 

WILL YOU PROVIDE REFRESHMENTS? WHAT TIME will the meeting start and end? Ifs always a good idea to make people 

Allow enough time to accomplish Your tasks comfortable. Light snacks and beverages help, while keeping in mind that people are busy but can be costly A corporate sponsor may and too long a meeting will result in some folks ,cognize [he advantages of -food and 

having 10 leave earl% A good suggestion no fellowshipn and may be willing to help offset 

more than two hours. some of the costs. 

WHO WILL CHAIR the meeting? Some WHAT SHOULD THE AGENDA INCLUDE? 

communities respond well to meetings Keep in mind that the purpose of the first 

conducted by an outside expert who is not community meeting is to raise awareness of the 

involved in the problem and can present the iquly and to activate 

information objectively If that is the case in members to do something about it. i-hus, it is 

your community, consider asking someone best to keep the agenda simple. Allow time for 
both presenting information about the problem 

and for open discussion. Be sure to conclude 

with a call to action by setting up a follow-up 

meeting with a group of individuals and 

organizations in the community who are 

committed to organizing the Safe Community, 

A sample agenda is included as Appendix C. 

The first public meeting presents a golden 

opportunity to describe the motor vehicle 

injury problem in a manner that encourages 

people to relate personally to the issue. Allow 

dscussion to flow so that those in the audience 

begin to recall the actual events that are 

represented by the data. For example, if the 

data suggest that the most common cause of 

fatal crashes in the community is a vehicle 

hitting a fixed object, facilitate the discussion so 

that the participants start to ask questions 

about the events: did the crashes involve the 

same fixed object (ie, is the problem due to a 

specific hazardous location?); were the crashes 

primarily due to driver error (ie., did the 

crashes involve an inattentive, inexperienced or 

impaired driver?); did the crashes occur a 

significant distance from emergency services 

(perhaps the problem reflects a need for 

additional emergency personnel training)? The 

answers to the questions may not be readily 

available at this time; however, by focusing on 

actual events you will make the issue more 

concrete and relevant to those in the audience. 

When people can relate personally to the injury 

problem, they will begin to recognize a role for 

themselves in implementing the solutions. 

Once the discussion progresses to the point 

when people start to suggest specific solutions, 

obtain a commitment to action by encouraging 

the formation of the Safe Community working 

group or coalition. The Safe Community 

working group or coalition should be made up 

of individuals and community groups that 

represent the community at large and have an 

interest in both the motor vehicle injury 

problem and in the solutions. Draw from those 

present at the first community meeting and 

from those who may have expressed an interest 

in the issue but were not able to attend the first 

meeting. Be sure to include members of the 

target population (those at high risk of being 

injured). 

Teamwork is important to the success of any 

partnership. A communicative and compatible 

team will be more effective and accomplish 

more in the long run. It is difficult to manage 

an organization of any size without clear 

leadership and a protocol for making decisions. 

The decision-making structure can generally be 

informal; however, clearly defined guidelines 

will be helpful if the group has difficulty 
reaching consensus. In addition, working group 

or coalition members need to understand their 

roles and responsibilities. 

Certain decisions are best made early in the life 

of a Safe Community working group or 

coalition. Consider the following steps: 

I Designate or elect a chairperson and 

determine what.other executive officers may 

be necessary Suggestions ixlude a vicechair, secretav (or spokesperson) and 

treasurer. 

I Dec~de how membersh~ps wl1 be 

determmed and how long members 

wll remaln rnvolved 

I Speclfy the length and frequency 

of meetings 

I ~etermine the procedure for maklng 

decls~ons, eg , consensus, malonty 

vote, executive board decls~on 

I Determine roles and responsibilities 

members including whether one member 

will serve in the role of a coordinator (the 

person who will make sure everyone on tt 

I 

coalition is made aware of important issues 

and who will ensure that volunteers are able 

to follow through on their commitments). 

I Decide if business will be conducted as one 

group or if working sub-committees will be 

the norm. Organizations of more than a 

I 

dozen active participants usually rely on 

sub-committees to fully engage peopleh 

interest. It is important that subcommittees be created by the organization 

as a whole. Sub-committees can be 

established based on function (data 

workgroup, fund-raising committee, 

planning committee, public relations1 

communications committee) or by priority 

area (impaired driving, childhood injury 

prevention, safety belts). Members should 

be invited to join sub-committees based 

upon their expertise or their interest and 

desire to participate. 
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS 

ou've examined and presented a brief The Safe Community plan should be developed 

oveniew of the local injury problem to by the working group or coalition and written 

the community, and you've organized a in terms that are easily understandable. If you 

working group or initial coalition of concerned cannot describe what you will do, it will be 

individuals and organizations who have very difficult to get it done, and even more 

committed themselves to doing something to difficult to evaluate. 

reduce the injury problem. How does the 

group decide where to begin? DATA DRIVEN PLANNING 

STRATEGIC PLANNING Data are an injury prevention programk best 

guide. Data can identify what injury problems 

Planning provides the guide that outlines how a community is experiencing and can help 

you will get from where you are currently to generate financial and political support for an 

where you want to be in the Future. Planning injury prevention program. Data can guide the 

enables a Safe Community to stay focused on implementation of programs where they are 

injury prevention, to use data to drive the needed the most and can document what 

program, to involve community members in works to reduce the frequency and severity 

its injury prevention efforts, and to measure of injuries. 

its success. 

Injury prevention begns with an understanding 

Program planning beans with a comprehensive of the community's injury problems. The brief 

assessment of both the injury problem and the overview of the local injury problem developed 

community's capacity to address the problem by the first critical partners and presented at 

(resources as well as potential bamers). The the first community meeting provided a catalyst 

second stage of planning involves establishing for establishing the Safe Community coalition. 

goals, objectives, activities, time lines and The coalition will likely need to investigate the 

budgets. The third stage of planning is problem further to develop a greater underimplementation, which is when ideas are standing of the communityk motor vehicle 

turned into action. The final stage of planning injury problem. As with any health issue, 

is evaluation which involves reassessing the demographic and risk factor data should be as 

strategies that worked as well as those that specific as possible and should come from a 

were not successful. Evaluation then brings variety of sources to explain the who-whatyou back to the first step - assessment - as you when-where-why that you need to know 

plan the next phase of your community Some of the data the coalition should 

organizing effort. examine includes: 

The type, severity, and frequency of fatal 

and non-fatal injuries; 
I Persons at risk (age, gender, raciawethnic Obtaining data from multiple sources can 

makeup); involve an occasional roadblock. Data "owners" 

I hi^ location, time of day and year; may be reluctant to share their data-because of 

confidentiality issues or concern for how the 

Contributing factors such as alcohol, data will be used. It is helpful to be prepared weather, lack of (or improper use 00 to address these legitimate concerns before 

protective devices; meeting with those from whom you need to 

I Costs of injuries (emergency care, medical obtain the data. Be committed to using the data 

treatment, rehabilitation, property damage). in aggregate form only (no names or other 

identifiers), and be able to clearly explain how 

Identiiyrng sources of useful data can be a you intend to use the data. 

daunting task. Local data are usually collected 

by multiple agencies and submitted to a few For the purposes of program planning and 

central data collection points. Law enforce- evaluation, the coalition also needs to look at 

ment traffic crash reports, hospital admission why the injury problem exists. For example, the 

and discharge reports, emergency room data may indicate that a community is 

and emergency medical senices records experiencing a high rate of injury among young 

are excellent sources of local injury data. children who were not restrained in car 

Understanding the significance of the injury crashes. The coalition must then examine why 

problem in your community also involves the injured children were not restrained. 

comparing your data with others in the state Perhaps the problem is an issue of education or 

or nation. Central data collection points accessibility Perhaps the problem is due to a 

usually include Vital Records (statewide fatal cultural belief that a baby is always safest in a 

injury data), state EMS offices, insurance mother's arms. Understanding why the problem 

company reports (claims data), Department exists will determine the best strategy to use. 

of Transportation or Public Safety (statewide 

traffic crash reports), driver and vehicle Researchers and epidemiologsts affiliated with 

licensing agencies, statewide Trauma Registry community colleges and universities may be 

able to provide the coalition (or data 

workgroup) with expert assistance. Additional 

resources to help you collect, understand and 

use your data are included in Appendix E. 

THE FIRST SIX MONTHS 

GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES An objective is a specific, measurable statement 

of what is to be accomplished by a given point 

Setting goals and objectives is extremely of time. it always supports the goal and 

important to your success. The working group mission. An objective describes what you're 

can begin to establish goals and objectives going to do, how much of it youie going to do, 

which reflect the community's needs as and when you're going to do it. You should 

identified by the data. always be able to determine whether you have 

met your objectives, even if you haven't yet 

Goals provide direction, give meaning and accomplished your goal. 

purpose, and empower people to reach new 

levels of performance and productivity Goals Establishing goals and objectives does not have 

must be reasonably attainable; they do not have to be a complicated or overly academic process. 

to be easily attainable. A goal is a general Try using language you would use to describe 

statement of what is to be accomplished. It to your friends and neighbors what the Safe 

supports the mission to prevent or reduce Community coalition intends to accomplish. 

injulies in the community Some guidelines for An example of goals and objectives set by a 

effective goal setting include: Safe Community coalition are included in 

Identify broad areas needing improvement. *ppdx D. 

Involve coalition members. Goals set by one IMPLEMENTATION person will likely be met by one person. If 

you expect to reach your goals through Implementing activities to solve the communpartnerships with other organizations, itb a ity~ injury problem are the hands.on events, 

good idea to include those organizations in that support the safe community program establishing Your Safe Community goals, goals and objectives and serve to mobilize the 

Set no more than three to five goals. More entire community The working group may 

a more formalized coalition structure has been 

formed. Conversely, the working group may . Don't set goals too high. Coalition members 

select to implement a few activities to will be motivated to continue their efforts + 

demonstrate the potential of a formalized, when they experience success m achieving sustained coalition and to generate enthusiasm goals and objectives. and support. In either case, it is important for . . 

Keep In mnd that goals are "floors" not the worklng g~oup to keep in mnd the nature 

and breath of the ~mplementat~on effort "celln~s" - Goals can be re-evaluated and new. 

h~gher goals can be set if necessary 
It is unlikely that a single prevention activity 

will significantly reduce a complex injury 

problem. Therefore, effective programs rely on 

a combination of strategies that compliment 

and enhance each other and can change 

knowledge, attitudes, behavior, policies, and 

the environment to improve the injury problem 

in the community Most of these strategies fall 

into one or more of the following categories: 

education, policy, enforcement, engineering 

and economic incentives. 

Examples of actlvltles that mlght he included 

under each category follows 

EDUCATION - Education about injury risk is a 

gadual process: a person moves from 

understanding the message, to believing in it, 

and finally to consistently modifying their 

behavior. For example, a high school safety belt 

incentive program begins with a presentation 

on the life-saving effects of safety belts, 

followed by a five-week period of incentives 

provided to those who are observed to be 

buckled up, and ends with an increase in belt 

use among high school students. 

POLICIES AND LAWS - State laws, local 

ordinances, and policies established by 

government, schools, and businesses can be 

designed to restrict behavior that increases the 

risk of injury, or encourage behavior that 

reduces the risk of itjury A company policy 

that requires employees to buckle up when 

conducting company business is an excellent 

example of a policy designed to reduce the risk 

of injury by increasing safety belt use. 

ENFORCEMENT - Although usually deplcted 

as the role of law enforcement, enforcement 

strategies also Include any agency that establlshes andlor regulates rules for compliance 

For example, a convenience store that provldes 

consequences for employees who sell alcohol 

wthout checkmg ldent~ficat~on of the buyer IS 

an effective enforcement strategy to reduce 

access to alcohol by mrnors Other Important 

components Include prosecutors and judges 

who prosecute and adjudicate traffic cases 

ENGINEERING - Engineering strategies focus 

on creating a safer physical environment and 

on the use of protective equipment for personal 

safety Pavement markings, traffic control 

devices, bicycle and pedestrian paths are 

examples of engineering strategies designed to 

reduce the risk of injury. 

ECONOMIC INCENTIVES - Economic 

incentives use the cost savings realized through 

participation in prevention activities to modify 

behavior. For example, auto insurance 

companies that provide lower premiums for 

cars with anti-lock brakes can encourage 

families to purchase safer vehicles. Insurance 

companies that provide lower premiums for 

honor roll students can encourage young 

drivers to be more responsible. 

Many public and private sector organizations 

publish program planners, idea samplers 

and examples of "best practices" that can 

be useful tools for planning prevention 

strategies. Appendix E provides Further Safe 

Communities resources. 
MARKETING THE MESSAGE How you promote the activities coordinated or 

sponsored by the Safe Communities coalition 

Promoting the injury prevention effort becomes should be based on your target audiences' 

very important during the implementation beliefs, attitudes, and baniers to change. 

stage. While still in the working group phase, Learning about your target audience is 

extensive program marketing may not be something that should be an ongoing part of 

necessary However, once your program has planning. You should take every opportunity to 

evolved into a formal Safe Communities learn about your target audience, starting with 

coalition, program marketing becomes an identifying who they are (parents of young 

essential ingredient to keep both the coalition children, impaired drivers, high school 

and the issue on the community agenda. students, business leaders, etc.). Understanding 

Keep in mind that you will be promoting how your audience thinks is critical to success. 

three separate themes: the traffic safety What does your audience think about seat belt 

message, the Safe Communities coalition, policies or laws? What is their attitude about 

and the activities coordinated or sponsored impaired dnving? Who does your target 

by the Safe Communities coalition. Although audience think should be responsible for 

connected, each of these three issues may reducing injury and its related costs in your 

require a different marketing strategy community? The answers to these questions are 

often found in letters to the editor in local 

Most health and safety messages are not new, newspapers. You can alsoask your audience 

thus the coalition must consider innovative about their beliefs. For example, when 

ways to communicate the message by using designing an evaluation form for a presentation, 

new words andlor having the message come rather than asking if the speaker was well 

from a different source (such as one of your prepared, ask what the respondent thinks 

many partners). The Safe Communities about the problem, or what would encourage 

coalition should begin to establish itself as a the respondent to make the desired change. 

much needed and credible entity in the Focus groups, community fomm and town 

community Advertising the organizational hall meetings can also be used to obtain 

name and phone number promotes name feedback from your target audience. - recognition and ensures that community 

members know where they can go for resources. If a representative from the media is not already 

It also helps to have a spokesperson ready to a member of the coalition, this would be a 

respond to any news stories about the issues, good time to invite someone to join. It would 

legislation or reports about serious crashes. also be beneficial to include someone with a 

marketing or public relations background. This 

will assure that awareness is created about the 

effort and that all the good work that is 

planned and conducted gets promoted. 
Are you making a difference? Equally important, can you describe the difference you are 

making? Evaluation tracks how well a program 

is meeting its goals and objectives in terms that 

are meaningful to the community Therefore, 

preparing for evaluation is best done early in 

the planning process - even in the working 

group stage. 

For a Safe Communities program, success will 

ultimately be a reduction in fatal and non-fatal 

injuries and their associated costs. This is 

determined by loolong at the data you used to 

define the problem at the start of the Safe 

Communities program and comparing those 

measures to where the community is today A 

steady decline over a period of 4-5 years must 

occur, however, in order to attribute the 

reduction to the Safe Communities program. 

Therefore, short term measures of change 

should be tracked to let you know if your 

program is heading in the right direction. It is 

often the short term measures ol change that 

are most meaningful to both the community 

and your funding sources because short term 

measures of change are easiest to recognize 

and understand. 

TAKING THE PULSE OF THE 

COMMUNITY: TRACKING ATTITUDES, 

BEHAVIORS AND SOCIAL NORMS 

The Safe Communities coalition coordinates, 

sponsors andlor conducts various activities 

and projects in the community to reduce death 

and injury from traffic crashes. What is the 

commun~tyk response to these act~nt~es? 

Some questions to cons~der 

I Are more people bucklmg up and usmg 

chlld safety seats or bicycle helmets? 

I How many busmesses and government 

agencles have seat belt pollcles for the~r 

employees? 

I Does law enforcement enforce safery belt 

andlor chlld safety seat laws? How about 

motorcycle helmet laws? 

I Does law enforcement participate in other 

high visibility enforcement operations (for 

example, red light running, speed, impaired 

driving)? 

I Is the convlctlon rate for ~mpa~red dnving 

changng? 

I Are DUI arrests cllmblng or decreasmg? 

I Has there been a change in the number 

of senous crashes caused by alcohol or 

other drugs? 

The media are inclined to report that which 

they believe is newsworthy to their readers 

and listeners. Thus, how the media cover 

traffic safety concerns is often a reliable 

indicator of changes in the community 

Some questions to consider: 

I Are traffic safety issues, such as seat belts, 

airhags, child safety seats, graduated 

licensing, red light running, aggressive 

driving, speeding, or pedestrian safety 

receiving more attention in 'the local media? 
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS 

I Do newspaper articles mention whether 'Any of these questions can be used to measure 

safety belts, car seats or motorcycle helmets the progress being made in the community. 

were used when reporting about trafic How the program was implemented is also 

crashes? important: what was accomplished, were the 

I Does the local media mention whether or activities camed out as planned, was the target 

audience reached, what problems were not alcohol or other drugs were a factor 

when reporting about traffic crashes? encountered and how were they addressed? It 

is a good idea to keep track of the services 

W Does the local media mention whether or provided and the people reached, ~ivi,ji~~ up 

not speed was a factor when reporting the target audiences - children, teens, young about traffic crashes? adults, senior citizens, workplaces, drinking 

W Is your organization mentioned or quoted driven - makes it easier to keep track of how 

on a regular basis? many in each group received educational 

materials, attended presentations, requested I Do you see increased interest or receive assistance with policy development, etc. extra inquiries after your organization is 

mentioned in the news? SUSTAINING YOUR SUCCESS 

INVOLVEMENT do you sustain the effort so that the steady 

Successful coalitions are dynamic: new decline in fatal and non-fatal injuries and their 

members provide innovative ideas and a fresh associated costs continues? 

perspective. Successful Safe Communities rely 

on extensive community involvement and If you have been working on a more informal 

participation. Some questions to consider: hasis thus far, consider formalizing your 

I Are new members from a variety of organizational structure into a long-term 

professions regularly invited to hecome part sustained effort - a Safe Communities coalition. 

of the coalition? 

and will allow you to receive financial I Are new individuals from the community contributions by becoming a non-profit regularly invited to become part of the organization. It will also help you achieve a 

coalition? formal, permanent place in the community 

I Do coalition members consistently show up with a clearly-defined role. 

for meetings? 

I Do ueonle in the communitv volunteer to Safe Communities should be working to 1 L L 

help wth programs - i e Scout Troops, ach~eve community ownership whereby 

students, semce orgamzations, police and community members come to rely on the 

fire departments? resources provlded by the coaht~on, and 
community leaders are committed to providing 

ongoing support. Support may not always 

come in the form of dollars - it can be office 

space, equipment, personnel, anything that 

helps the coalition meet its goals. By tracking 

the money saved when injuries are reduced, 

coalitions can clearly show health care 

providers, local leaders, businesses, and the 

public that resources given to inju~y prevention 

produce a profitable return on the investment 

to the community 

Fmanc~al support can be generated from 

multiple sources and can be comblned to allow 

the coallt~on to control the~r actlvltles and 

budgets Examples of long-term fundmg 

sources Include 

8 fees for services 

I earmarked funds (mcludmg fines 

and surcharges) 

8 I-k~nd contnbutlons for goods an& 

or semces 

8 pro-bono and volunteer support 

8 grants and donat~ons from mult~ple 

funding sources 

8 sponsorsh~p by another organlzatlon 

mcludmg state and local government 

When requesting financial contributions, seek 

funding from a variety of sources in the 

community, especially from those organizations 

with whom you partner. When possible, 

request funds to support general operating 

expenses of the Safe Communities coalition 

rather than funds for specific projects. This 

allows the coalition to adapt to unexpected 

fluctuatwns in funding cycles and enables the 

coalition to be more flexible when budgeting. 

As more people and organizations become 

familiar with the goals and accomplishments of 

the program, opportunities for long-term 

support become apparent. The coalition will 

need to consider what type of organization it 

will become. Some Safe Communities coalitions 

are most effective as a program within city or 

county government. Some coalitions opt to 

become part of a larger non-profit umbrella 

organization. Safe Communities can also 

become an independent non-profit organization 

by applying for 501(c)(3) tax status. Each of 

these options holds certain advantages. It 

would be wise to consider these options early 

in the life of the Safe Communities coalition. 

Safe Commumtles requlre personal 

commitment and hard work, but the effort pays 

off m preventing tragedy and reducmg health 

care costs Hundreds of communltles across 

the natlon are expenenclng the sat~sfact~on of 

making a difference 

WELCOME TO THIS PARTNERSHIP! 
THE FIRST SIX MONTHS 

Begin with a look at all deaths and hospitalizations resulting from injury that occurred in your state 

in a given year or two. This will give you a picture of which types of injulies occur most frequently 

and which are most severe. Injury and death data are available from your state Health Department 

(Vital Records or Vital Statistics). Data regarding hospitalization from injury should be available 

from your state Trauma Registry. 

HOSPITALIZATIONS 

If you discover that motor vehicle crashes account for the greatest percentage of deaths and 

hospitalizations from injury (which will likely be the case), your next step is to take a closer look at 

the traffic crash picture in your own community It is helpful to compare your community to the 

rest of your state. The following crash data should be available from your local police department, 

EMS office or your Stale Highway Safety Office . 

. . 

* Some communities may prefer to use populauon-based rates lnstead of percentages (~e , number affected 

per 100,000 populanon) 
DETERMINE THE AUTHOR OF THE LETTER 

The invitational letter should come from the person who would pique the most interest and get 

the most participation from the community. The letter could come from the mayor, an emergency 

department physician, a seat belt sunivor or the family member of a victim. If you are not that 

person, consider writing the letter for that person. If they agree to support your efforts, they will 

need only to sign the letter. 

DETERMINE THE TONE OF THE LETTER 

The letter of invltatlon should reflect the accepted communlcatlon style in your community Some 

communities will respond better to a more personalized letter with an explanation about why the 

recipient is being asked to become involved. Some communities respond more favorably to a more - 

formal, general letter of lnvitatlon 

PROVIDE FACTUAL INFORMATION 

Present some specific information about the injury problem in your community in a way that will 

spark the reader5 interest: 

"What do you think is the most pressing health problenfor young people in our community? Ifyou ask aur Emergency 

Department staf, they will likely tell you 'motor vehicle crashes'. More than-people are injured or die eachyear 

Jrom trafi crashes in our community fie good news is that most crashes and serious injury can be prevented" 

COMMUNICATE EMOTIONAL IMPACT 

A personal story is often very effective You may declde to refer to specific crashes or sites in 

the commumtv 

"Our community was deeply saddened by the loss ojhve h~gh school students earl~er ths yea?; traged~es that could 

have been prevented " 

EMPOWER THE READER 

Let the person receiving the letter know that their involvement is critical to seeing positive results 

in your community: 

"Many ofus are already involved in this issue, but we all need to come together; to look at our community as a whole, 

and to see how we can make a dfference in saving lives in our community." 

CONVEY A SENSE OF URGENCY 

Rally people iogether to act now: 

"We would never tolerate random acts of violence against our children. We can no longer sit by and watch our 

children be harmed in motor vehicle crashes, mistakenly believing this is an inevitable part of lqe. By working together; 

we can strengthen our efforts to prevent crashes and reduce the severity of injury in those that do occur" 

GIVE DETAILS OF WHEN AND WHERE THE MEETING WlLL BE HELD, AND WHAT WlLL BE DISCUSSED 

This critical information should be highlighted in some way You may want to ask for an RSVP 3 i." ,* or plan to make a follow up phone call to increase attendance and give the reader a sense of 

participation. 
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE AGENDA FOR FIRST 

COMMUNITY/TOWN HALL MEETING 

A. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS 

B. WHAT IS A SAFE COMMUNITY? 

C. A REVIEW OF THE DATA - HOW SERIOUS IS THE INJURY PROBLEM 

IN OUR COMMUNITY? 

The fact sheet on "Injury in Our Community" (Appendix A) is an excellent tool to use to 

present the data to community members so that it can be easily understood. 

D. DEVELOPMENT OF INITIAL ACTION PLAN 

E. OBTAIN A COMMITMENT TO ACTION 

Identify individuals and organizations who are committed to establishing a Safe 

Community These people will become the Safe Communities coalition; thus, it is 

important to make sure the community is well represented by this group. Strive to include 

community leaders, individuals and organizations with an interest in both the problem 

and the solution, resource providers, and members of the target population (those at high 

risk of being injured). 

E SET THE NEXT MEETING DATE, TIME, LOCATION, AND TENTATIVE AGENDA. 
MISSION: The Safe Community is a coalition of concerned citizens committed to reducing 

death and injury from traffic crashes in our community. 

GOAL #I: To reduce the mcldence of Impaired dnving 

OBJECTIVES: 

1 The re-arrest rate for impa~red dnvers wll be reduced from our current rate of 15% to 

10% wthm the next year 

ACTIVITIES: 

A. We will monitor all impaired driving arrests and convictions 10 identify sentencing 

standards currently used by the courts in our community 

B. We will develop and implement the Victim Impact Panel for courts to use as a sentencing 

option for all impaired driving offenders. 

2 The number of alcohol-related crashes caused by underage dnnkmg dnvers ulll be 

reduced by 10% wthm the next year 

A We mll revlew all alcohol-related crashes caused by underage dnnklng dnvers In our 

community on a monthly basis 

B We wll offer the Parent-to-Parent Drug Prevention Workshop four timeslyear for parents of 

youth convicted of alcohol-related offenses 

C We m11 offer four educat~onal programslyear to high schools in our community (Trauma 

Nurses, Mock Crash, Mock Tnal, Ghost Out) 

D We w11 develop and Implement the V~ctim Impact Panel for the courts to use as a 

sentencing option for all juvenile alcohol offenders 
GOAL #2; To Increase the use of occupant protection demces 

1 The use of safety belts by dnvers and nght front seat passengers WIII Increase from our 

current rate of 44% to 50% wthm the next year 

A We will conduct an annual safety belt observation survey of 3500 

dnvers and nght front seat passengers m May 

B. We will offer the following educational programs to students in all 

schools in our community: Little Convincer safety belt incentive 

program for Kindergartners, 100-mile Challenge for Middle School 

students, Safety Belt Competition for High School students. 

C We w111 develop and implement a Safety Belt Sumvor Program for all community 

res~dents who have had senous Injury prevented because they buckled up m a crash 

2 The use of chlld safety seats (CSS) for chlldren under age 6 wlll be mcreased from our 

current rate of 68% to 78% wlthln one year 

ACTIVITIES: 

A. We will provide CSS training for child care providers oncelyear. 

B. We will monitor and track all CSS citations written in our community 

on a monthly basis. 

C. We will implement a CSS loaner program for low income families. 

D. We will develop a "check list" for pediatricians and family practice 

physicians to use for assessing use of CSS during well-child visits. 
SAFE COMMUNITIES SERVICE CENTER 

NHTSA Region VI 

819 Taylor Street, Room 8A38 

Fort Worth, TX 76102 

telephone 817-978-4423 

fax 817-978-8339 

BUILDING SAFE COMMUNITIES NEWSLETTER 

Education Development Center 

55 Chapel Street 

Newton, MA 02458-1060 

telephone 617-618-2351 

fax 617-527-4096 

AVAILABLE FROM THE SAFE COMMUNITIES 

SERVICE CENTER 

Safe Commun~t~es Tak~ng It To the Streets 

A marketing brochure descnbing the Safe 

Cornmumties model, benefits to communities, 

and how to get started 

Safe Communities Folio Package: A technical 

information folio offering insights about 

implementing a Safe Communities program. 

Inserts provide details about coalition-building, 

partnering with others in the community, 

evaluating and monitoring programs, and 

much more. 

For coples of these matenals or to recelve a 

free matenals catalog, you can also contact 

NHTSA Headquarters at 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

Media and Marketing Division, NTS-21 

400 7th Street. 5.W 

Washington, D.C. 20590 

fax 202-493-2062 

Matenals and traffic safety data may also be 

ohtamed on-l~ne www.nhtsa.dot.gov 
/ DOT HS 809 105 

I 1 August 2000 

US Depnrment 

of Tra~portOnon 

Ndiond Highway 

haflic Safely 

Adrninirtmtion