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Supporting Materials

Share the Road Research Study Final Report

The Executive Summary of the Share the Road Research Final Report, completed in June 1999 is presented below. You can also view the full report - Final Report.

The Share the Road Safely Program Research Study Final Report documents the independent study and review of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety's (OMCHS), Share the Road program called the No-Zone Campaign. The report provides an analysis of the scope of similar programs, identifies gaps, establishes a clear need for a Share the Road umbrella program/coalition, identifies strategies for establishing a coalition, and provides recommendations for future coordination and expansion of the Campaign and partnerships. The report is organized into five chapters:

• Introduction
• No-Zone Campaign Evaluation
• Similar Share the Road Program Review
• Share the Road Coalition Analysis
• Recommended Actions for Improving the No-Zone Campaign.

The purpose of the No-Zone Campaign is to help reduce car-truck crashes, injuries, fatalities, and property loss. The Campaign was launched in 1994 in response to Congress's request, in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), that the FHWA "educate the motoring public about how to safely share the road with commercial vehicles."

Educating motorists on techniques to share the road safely is an important safety issue. In recent years, more than 400,000 crashes involving large trucks result in more than 5,300 deaths. The principal Campaign goal is to increase motorist awareness of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) limitations. The No-Zone represents areas around trucks and buses where vehicles are not visible to truck and bus drivers, thereby increasing the risk of a crash. The Campaign has achieved the following accomplishments:

• Hundreds of law enforcement, educator, insurance, truck industry, and state government partners deliver No-Zone messages throughout the country at such places as highway rest areas, schools, conventions, conferences, driver education classes, state fairs, and shopping malls. Over two-thirds of the 50 states and District of Columbia report active involvement.
  
  
• The need for a Share the Road Coalition was established at a meeting of 28 key stakeholders at the Lifesavers 16 Conference in March 1998. At a second meeting in October 1998, coalition goals were identified and commitments were made. More than 35 organizations currently participate in coalition-building activities.
  
  
• Share the Road information is included in drivers' manuals in 34 states and there is continuing effort to include Share the Road information in all state drivers manuals.
  
  
• An award winning web site that receives about 40,000 hits per month has been developed to provide information and materials for both stakeholders and the public. The No-Zone message was also presented on radio and television; on billboards; and in journals, magazines, and newspapers nationwide.
  
  
• Highly successful No-Zone demonstrations that provide the public with an opportunity to sit in a truck cab, meet professional drivers, and experience motor carrier visibility limitations will be expanded through promotion in a "tool kit" outreach packet. Also, a No-Zone toll-free number to provide access to available materials and information is being established.
  
  
• More than 4,400 No-Zone decals appear on large trucks and buses nationwide. Carriers voluntarily place No-Zone decals to show their commitment to highway safety by taking these messages on the road, and to special events and meetings.
  
  
• Plans to develop a high-tech customized Share the Road tractor-trailer featuring state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment to disseminate various highway safety messages are under way. The plan will indicate a strategy for widespread media coverage and private sector involvement.
  
  

An extensive search for similar programs to the No-Zone Campaign was conducted to determine if other organizations have a Share the Road public outreach programs similar to the No-Zone Campaign. The study was conducted to identify similar programs based on their stated goals, outreach efforts, promotional materials, and target audiences. Highway safety leaders at 381 organizations were identified and contacted via telephone and mail to determine, through screening and analysis, whether the organization had a Share the Road program similar to the No-Zone Campaign. Of the 381 organizations that were contacted, 357 organizations responded to the study and 20 organizations were identified as having programs similar to the No-Zone Campaign. Other important conclusions that were drawn from the study include the following:

• More than one-third of the responding programs use No-Zone Campaign material.
  
  
• About one-fourth of the organizations do not have a similar program but are interested in participating in a Share the Road program.
  
  
• More than 50 organizations requested additional information on the No-Zone Campaign.
  
  
• Most of the identified similar programs are characterized as having a limited outreach scope.
  
  

The No-Zone Campaign is a popular and well-received campaign. The Campaign provides FHWA the opportunity to expand its network of non-Federal partners and educate the public. Based on the findings from the Share the Road Campaign Research Study, the following activities are recommended to advance the No-Zone Campaign:

• Update the Campaign's near- and long-term goals
• Encourage Resource Centers to coordinate their outreach with OMCHS state offices
• Assess No-Zone activities
• Develop partner recognition process
• Establish relationship with interested highway safety organizations
• Increase private sector involvement
• Create community pilot programs
• Link No-Zone decal and demonstration programs
• Redistribute latest television PSA
• Explore options for wider placement of No-Zone messages
• Develop and distribute new print PSAs showing the No-Zone
• Include Share the Road information in all state drivers manuals
• Place Share the Road information in all driver education textbooks
• Establish No-Zone programs in high schools
• Encourage Share the Road Coalition activities
• Develop a Share the Road education workshop for safety conferences
• Develop a Share the Road newsletter
• Improve the No-Zone web site.

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