Road Safety Messages Research Articles

On the Road Safety: Gender Differences in Risk-Taking Driving Behaviors Among Seniors Aged 65 and Older.

Background/Objectives: Life expectancies have increased in most countries, leading to a higher accident rate among older drivers than their younger counterparts. While numerous studies have analyzed the decline in cognitive abilities and physical limitations as contributing factors, there are other considerations. For instance, younger male drivers tend to take more risks than younger female drivers. However, there is a lack of research and evidence regarding the role of gender in risk-taking among individuals over 65. Given this gap, our current study aims to investigate the relationship between gender and risk propensity in this particular age group. The primary goal was to determine if driving experience affects the gender gap in risk attitude; Methods: We studied risk behavior in both car drivers and pedestrians. Our sample included 200 individuals (101 women), all over 65, with the same weekly driving times. After a brief demographic and anamnestic interview, they completed the Driver Road Risk Perception Scale (DRPS) and the Pedestrian Behavior Appropriateness Perception Scale (PBAS) questionnaires. They also provided information about traffic violations and road crashes; Results: Our research revealed that older male drivers continue to tend to risky behavior, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve risk awareness, especially among older men; Conclusions: Our findings suggest that road safety messages should specifically target male drivers as they are less likely to view responsible driving actions, such as observing speed limits, as desirable.

Going beyond Chat: Designing Connotative Meaningful Line Stickers to Promote Road Safety in Thailand through Participatory Design

Road accidents are a leading cause of death in Thailand, with increasing fatalities. Despite road safety campaigns during holidays, consistent communication is lacking in daily life. This research aimed to create Line application stickers, a top chat platform for Thailand, using the participatory design (PD) approach. PD was implemented in two steps. Firstly, 100 participants outlined character types, moods, tones, and communication objectives. They recommended lively animal characters with diverse texts, such as greetings, work, travel, and emotions. Then, through a focus group, the tortoise was identified to represent cautious drivers who follow traffic rules, the rabbit to represent fast and risky drivers, and the zebra to represent vigilant and disciplined traffic police officers as characters for Line stickers. Subsequently, using the semiotics approach, 40 Line stickers were designed, and embedded with denotative and connotative road safety messages. Secondly, feedback from the focus group, integral to the PD process, led to refinements. After launching, a survey of 50 users showed “Benefits Received”, “Text and Messages”, and “Meaning” dimensions received “Very Satisfied/Strongly Agree” ratings. The “Character” dimension received a “Satisfied” rating. The results for “Benefits Received” can also be analyzed in the context of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) theory, which revealed that K and A were at the highest level, while P was at a high level. This suggests that the Line stickers designed in this study effectively conveyed road safety messages to the receivers. This research constitutes the pioneering exploration within the realm of Line stickers concerning road safety, signifying the originality and unique contribution of our research to the existing body of knowledge in this domain. The PD process in this research can serve as a guideline for creating safety-promoting media in diverse fields.

Enhanced Ant Colony Optimization for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks Using Fittest Node Clustering

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are a rapidly evolving field at the intersection of intelligent transportation systems, emphasizing the need for a stable and scalable VANET topology to accommodate growing vehicular densities. The intricate challenge of route selection calls for advanced clustering protocols to bolster road safety and message routing. This research introduces a novel approach to intelligent clustering routing protocols, leveraging heuristic-based solutions built upon an enhanced ant colony optimizer (ACO) framework. The study unfolds in two stages: the creation of a dynamic search space model and the election of cluster heads (CHs). The innovative dynamic aware transmission range parallel Euclidean distance (DA-TRPED) technique establishes a dynamic search space using the parallel Euclidean distance (PED) concept. This approach evaluates vehicular nodes by estimating PED values, reducing the search process’s complexity. Subsequently, an intelligent cluster head is selected by enhancing the dynamic evaporation factor (DEF) within the ACO technique. The experimental validation of the DA-TRPED technique takes place in NS2 simulations, demonstrating superior performance compared to conventional ACO. This enhancement is evident in metrics such as packet delivery, packet drop, throughput, end-to-end delay, and the lifetime analysis of clustered nodes. The proposed approach holds promise for optimizing VANETs, enhancing their stability and scalability while promoting road safety and efficient message routing.

Impact of SMS Text Messaging Reminders on Helmet Use Among Motorcycle Drivers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundRoad traffic injury is a pressing public health issue in Tanzania. Increasing helmet use among motorcycle drivers can help reduce the burden due to road traffic injuries in the country. Helmet adherence can be supported through mobile health interventions.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the comparative impact of two different types of SMS text messaging reminders on motorcycle helmet use.MethodsParticipants were 391 commercial motorcycle taxi drivers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Participants were randomized into three groups, each receiving a different set of messages: (1) social norming messages aimed at emphasizing society’s positive stance on helmet wearing, (2) fear appeal messages that emphasized the dangers of riding without a helmet, and (3) control group messages, which included basic road safety messages unrelated to helmet use. Every participant received the control messages. Adherence to helmet use was evaluated by self-report through surveys conducted at baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks.ResultsAt 6 weeks, the odds of self-reporting consistent helmet use were estimated to be 1.58 times higher in the social norming group than in the control group (P=.04), though this difference was not significant after accounting for multiple testing. There was little difference between fear appeal and control group recipients (odds ratio 1.03, P=.47). Subgroup analysis suggests that both fear appeal and social norming message types might have been associated with increased helmet use among participants who did not consistently wear helmets at baseline (odds ratio 1.66 and odds ratio 1.84, respectively), but this was not significant (P=.11 and P=.07, respectively). Among those who were consistent wearers at baseline, the social norming messages performed better than the fear appeal messages, and this difference reached traditional significance (P=.03), but was not significant after accounting for multiple testing.ConclusionsThe use of SMS text messaging reminders may improve helmet use among motorcycle drivers when framed as social norming messages. Given that nearly half of the drivers in our sample did not consistently wear their helmets on every trip, strategies to increase consistent usage could greatly benefit public safety.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02120742; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02120742

Targeting Smartphone Use While Driving: Drivers’ Reactions to Different Types of Safety Messages

Only a few previous studies analyzed the effectiveness of road safety messages targeting smartphone use while driving and only several of them used messages from an ongoing road safety campaign. Thus, contributing to the field, this study aimed at testing the effectiveness of two types of social messages (threat appeal and threat appeal together with safe behavior role modelling) targeting smartphone use while driving. Ninety-three drivers were randomly assigned to two experimental (n1 = 26; n2 = 37) and one control (n = 29) groups. Each experimental group was presented with one 30 s length video message to reduce or stop smartphone use while driving. Messages differed in terms of threat appeal and modelling of safe behavior. The control group was presented with a 30 s length video clip showing neutral driving related content. The results revealed that threat appeals (alone or together with a safe role model) resulted in less positive emotions when compared to the control group’s reported emotional reactions. The message with threat appeal only also resulted in more negative emotions compared to the control group. With regards to behavioral intentions, road safety messages used in this study had minor effectiveness: the threat appeal message reduced the intentions to use smartphones while driving, only when previous behavior has been controlled. In sum, messages targeting smartphone use while driving were effective at least to some extent in changing drivers’ emotions and intentions not to be involved in targeted behavior, but the effect was minor and threat appeal only showed higher effectiveness.

Communication on Road Safety in Cameroon: Representation in the Press and Government Strategy

Road safety is a major concern in Cameroon, due to the multiplicity of road accidents resulting in the loss of human lives and the deterioration of road infrastructures. In 2019, the year marking the end of the United Nations decade of actions for road safety, the number of deaths on Cameroonian roads was 937. In this article, we have selected to examine the theme of road safety in the Cameroonian press and to look at awareness-raising strategies on the same subject. Our objective is to highlight the importance of communication in solving road safety problems. We therefore asked ourselves the following questions: How is the topic of road safety dealt with in the media? In combination with awareness campaigns, are the representations conveyed through the press sufficient to contribute to a change in road users behaviour? The option of studying both the representations of road safety that we have chosen has enabled us to show how the co-production of this public problem can be explained through the interrelations between the media and institutional fields. We initially postulated that communication achieves its objective in road safety campaigns when it integrates mixed strategies including campaigns aimed at road users, information for the general public through the press and social marketing campaigns aimed at changing behaviour. After a content analysis of articles published on road safety in three newspapers and an analysis of the messages disseminated in the posters and flyers produced during awareness campaigns, we found that awareness-raising through the media is not enough on its own. We therefore conclude that it is important to combine marketing techniques, citizen education and awareness raising aimed at changing user behaviour in road safety communication strategies. The target strategy is also important because each road safety message is addressed to a specific target group that plays a specific role

Location-based reverse data delivery between infrastructure and vehicles

<abstract> Reverse data delivery is one of the key operations in vehicular ad hoc networks which allows data delivery from roadside units (infrastructure) to vehicles. In the past, a number of data dissemination schemes have been proposed by researchers for the vehicular ad hoc networks to tackle the problem of data forwarding from vehicles and roadside units to data concentration points or Access Points (APs). In contrast, schemes for reverse data forwarding which allows a data concentration point to apprise the on-road vehicles about any eventuality or developing hazardous conditions are very few. This paper proposes a reverse data forwarding scheme which utilizes the characteristics of the road networks to inform passing vehicles of important information related to any accident, crash, or hazardous road conditions. The proposed scheme takes into account the geographical proximity factor by considering a localized sub-region/segment in the greater road network which is most adversely affected by the occurrence of some unfortunate road event. For its implementation, the scheme is dependent on DSRC-enabled roadside equipment to relay road-safety messages from AP to vehicles. In case if the passing vehicles are not fitted with DSRC on-board units, the scheme has the capability to directly interact with the variable-message signs on intersections with the objective of reaching as many vehicles as possible to increase the chances of message delivery. Simulation results using a small road segment confirm that the proposed scheme is more effective when the localized sub-region is smaller or in other words when more vehicles in the vicinity of the accident location are provided with pre-warning messages. </abstract>

The Reliability of Routing Protocols as an Important Factor for Road Safety Applications in VANET-based Autonomous Cars

The autonomous cars are considered as a tremendous disruptive innovation in the coming years. They enable a driving automation system to replace human drivers to control the vehicle with better recognition, decision and driving skills and ultimately enhance the road users’ experience and traffic safety. They can communicate with other cars as they are ready with the Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication technology based on Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs). One of the objectives of V2V communication is for the safety of all road users. Adequate reliability of routing protocol is subject of concern and must be taken into account to reach an immense standard of road safety accurately and timely. Having no reliability the critical road safety messages will be useless; consequently, the accident that might happen is unable to prevent or avoid. The purpose of this research is to investigate and analyze the quantitative measure of reliability. The reliabilities of a reactive single-path AODV and a multi-path AOMDV routing protocols that comply with road safety requirements in various traffic conditions are studied. The traffic conditions that may impact the internetworking of autonomous cars include node density, size of road area and speed of the nodes. The methods used in this study are based on simulations by using Network Simulator version-2 (NS2) as a network simulator and Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) as a mobility simulator. The simulation results show that both routing protocols, a single-path AODV and a multi-path AOMDV, satisfy the road safety requirements in some conditions. AODV is better in packet delivery, whereas AOMDV has a better performance on average end to end delay. This study is expected to contribute to the determination of the appropriate protocol for use in road safety applications under certain traffic conditions. In conclusion, the reliability of routing protocol is an essential factor to consider in the operation of VANET-based autonomous cars so that the safety and comfort of road users can be guaranteed.

Belief in fate and self-efficacy in road safety advertising based on guilt: An explanation based on negotiable fate

This study examines the effectiveness of using guilt in road safety advertising among young populations characterized as having high levels of belief in fate, and refutes the positive relationship between belief in fate and health message ineffectiveness, by introducing the notion of negotiable fate. This type of coping implies that when belief in fate increases, persuasion increases and this relationship operates through self-efficacy perceptions. That is, when exposed to guilt-based road safety messages, belief in fate generates self-efficacy perceptions, which motivates drivers to focus on the problem instead of denying it, leading to a higher persuasion. The current research constitutes a first empirical test of the relationships between belief in fate, self-efficacy, and compliance with guilt-based road safety communications. We also test a moderation-mediation model proving that the mediator role of self-efficacy is reinforced with the use of higher levels of guilt in the message. Results can provide guidance for non-profit organizations and public agencies on how to develop future policies to promote safe behaviors among young drivers who have high belief in fate.

Development, testing, and evaluation of road safety poster to reduce jaywalking behavior at intersections

Jaywalking is a traffic violation that contributes significantly to vehicle–pedestrian crashes at intersections. Although public education campaigns have been widely used in road safety, relatively little research has been conducted to understand the underlying process or mechanisms that influence their effectiveness for pedestrian safety, especially jaywalking behavior. This study aims to develop, test, and evaluate on-road pedestrian safety posters that are based on proven behavioral change approaches with demonstrated evidence to reduce jaywalking at intersections. A pedestrian safety poster targeting jaywalking was developed using several theoretical constructs from well-established behavioral change models and a questionnaire survey was administered to pedestrians to gauge their perceptions of the poster. Results showed that the communication had a significant positive effect in changing respondents’ adaptive intentions. The poster was subsequently installed at two signalized intersections in Melbourne, Australia, and the before (without) and after (with) proportions of jaywalkers were observed. Our results showed a significant decrease in the proportion of jaywalkers after the installation of the poster. This study showed that properly designed on-site road safety communication could change pedestrian behavior. It further highlighted the importance of using a well-established conceptual framework in the development and testing of road safety messages.

Road safety compliance among motorcyclists in Kawempe Division, Kampala, Uganda: a cross-sectional study

Motorcyclists are vulnerable road users in Uganda and 21.7% (3912/18,016) experienced crashes in 2012. This study determined the prevalence of and factors associated with compliance to selected road safety measures (helmet use, retro-reflective jackets use, riding permit and carrying one passenger) among commercial motorcyclists in Kawempe, from April to June 2014 using interviewer administered questionnaires. Total compliance was 0.9% and 24.4% to at least 3/4 measures. Compliance by measure was; 7.6% retroreflective jackets, 28.8% riding permits, 69.4% helmet use and 86.1% carrying one passenger. The associated factors were; knowing that (training before one starts to ride prevents crashes, Adjusted-odds-ratio (AOR) = 2.38 (1.36–4.19), maintaining the motorcycle in good condition prevents crashes, AOR = 0.34 (0.15–0.77) and padding reduces impact of road traffic injury, AOR = 0.37 (0.15–0.89)). Prevalence to compliance is very low. Road safety messages should highlight the importance of all road safety measures to improve compliance.

Public education messages aimed at smartphone use among young drivers: A mixed methods exploration of their effectiveness

The main aim of this study was to concept test nine public education messages; with three different messages targeting each of three salient underlying beliefs in accordance with the Step Approach to Message Design and Testing (SatMDT) framework. The underlying beliefs were: (1) believing you are a good driver would encourage a young driver to monitor/read and respond to social interactive technology while driving; (2) slow-moving traffic would encourage a young driver to monitor/read and respond to social interactive technology while driving; and, (3) friends and peers would approve of a young driver monitoring/reading and responding to communications on their smartphone. Consistent with the SatMDT, the testing aimed to establish which three messages (each targeting a different underlying belief) young drivers reported as being the most effective. A mixed methods approach was utilised to provide an in-depth examination of individuals’ thoughts and feelings about the messages, with such responses assessed via an individual self-report survey and focus group discussions/interviews. Participants (N = 33; 19F, 14 M) were aged 17–25 years, had a current driver’s licence, owned a smartphone, and resided in the Australian state of Queensland. Means for each of the survey items were compared across message concepts to determine which ones were rated highest. Focus group discussion/interview responses underwent a data-led thematic analysis. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyses were integrated to identify three messages that were deemed the most effective, one for each of the three underlying beliefs. Each of these three messages elicited positive emotion and modelled positive behaviour. This research highlights the importance of concept testing message content with the target audience. The results support current research that suggests road safety messages modelling positive behaviour and eliciting positive emotions may be especially persuasive for young drivers.

Réception de messages en sécurité routière : de l’empathie virtuelle aux réponses empathiques et cognitives

D’une part, nous avons examiné le lien entre le trait de personnalité d’empathie virtuelle et les réponses empathiques suscitées à l’égard de six messages en sécurité routière axés sur la menace et produits tant au Québec qu’en France. D’autre part, nous avons exploré la manière dont les réponses empathiques interviennent dans le traitement de l’information, de même que l’influence du contexte de production sur l’intensité des réponses empathiques et sur le type de pensées générées. L’analyse des données a permis de mettre en exergue l’influence du contexte de production sur la capacité de projection dans le scénario publicitaire, les publicités québécoises ayant engendré les plus fortes réponses empathiques.

Reckless driving promotion and prevention: priming effects

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how reckless driving scenes in action movies affect young male drivers’ perception of reckless drivers and proposes a targeted social marketing strategy to counteract this effect.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested through a 2 (reckless driving scenes vs control) × 2 (road safety advertising vs control) online experiment with 151 young male drivers.FindingsReckless driving scenes in action movies prime a positive image of reckless drivers which impacts young male drivers’ attitudes and reckless driving intention. However, a road safety message specifically addressing the positive image of reckless drivers efficiently counteracts this effect.Research limitations/implicationsA few studies have experimentally tested the impact of reckless driving promotion on young drivers’ attitudes and intention, but none have analysed this impact in terms of the development of a positive image of reckless drivers. In addition, this study emphasises that a targeted message based on social norms can cancel the effect of reckless driving promotion and have a beneficial impact on the most risk-prone drivers.Practical implicationsSocial marketers working in the field of road safety can improve the efficacy of their social marketing programmes by taking into consideration the positive image of reckless drivers promoted by the media.Social implicationsPractitioners should develop interventions and targeted messages that help young drivers cultivate a less idealised and masculine social image of reckless drivers.Originality/valueThis paper enhances the awareness of the effect that the media’s positive depiction of reckless drivers can have on the youth and proposes a strategy to counteract this effect.

Self-reported speed compliance and attitudes towards speeding in a representative sample of drivers in Australia

BackgroundVehicle speed is a major contributor to road trauma, both in terms of increased crash risk and injury severity. In Australia, approximately one third of fatal crashes occur in speed zones of 100km/h. This proportion has remained the same, despite the reduction in the number of road fatalities over the past decade. To drive further reductions in speed-related crashes, an improved understanding of the underlying determinants of speed choice is required. MethodA community attitude survey designed to understand speed behaviour and attitudes towards speeding was distributed to a large (N=5179) representative sample of drivers in Australia. Participants provided information regarding their normal speed choices across four different speed zones (40, 50, 60 and 100km/h), beliefs about the risks and enforcement of speeding behaviour as well as technology to reduce speeding. ResultsAlmost half of the sample (47%) reported exceeding the speed limit in 100km/h zones, although only a small number of these drivers (<0.5%) did so by 11km/h or more. Age and sex were related to speed limit non-compliance. Males were more likely to be classified as mid-level speeders, defined as being up to 10km/h over the limit, and excessive speeders (11+km/h over the limit). Younger drivers were also more likely to be non-compliant. When compared to compliant drivers, non-compliers perceived less risk of a serious crash, reported greater likelihood of exceeding the speed limit when they believed they would not be detected, and reported a higher level of social acceptability of speeding. Only one-third of the sample reported prior knowledge of intelligent speed assist (ISA) technology, however, once explained, the majority agreed it would be personally useful (64%). Speed non-compliers were somewhat less likely to support the usefulness of ISA than speed limit compliant drivers. ConclusionThese findings can be used to target appropriate interventions and road safety messages, aimed at reducing speeding behaviour. Measures designed to address perceived social acceptability of speed behaviour, the increased crash risk associated with speeding, and the threat of detection are recommended.

Road Safety Message Providing Methodology for Considering the Elderly Walking Behavior

Road Safety Message Providing Methodology for Considering the Elderly Walking Behavior

Young drivers’ engagement with social interactive technology on their smartphone: Critical beliefs to target in public education messages

The current study forms part of a larger study based on the Step Approach to Message Design and Testing (SatMDT), a new and innovative framework designed to guide the development and evaluation of health communication messages, including road safety messages. This four step framework is based on several theories, including the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The current study followed steps one and two of the SatMDT framework and utilised a quantitative survey to validate salient beliefs (behavioural, normative, and control) about initiating, monitoring/reading, and responding to social interactive technology on smartphones by N=114 (88F, 26M) young drivers aged 17–25 years. These beliefs had been elicited in a prior in-depth qualitative study. A subsequent critical beliefs analysis identified seven beliefs as potential targets for public education messages, including, ‘slow-moving traffic’ (control belief − facilitator) for both monitoring/reading and responding behaviours; ‘feeling at ease that you had received an expected communication’ (behavioural belief −advantage) for monitoring/reading behaviour; and ‘friends/peers more likely to approve’ (normative belief) for responding behaviour. Potential message content targeting these seven critical beliefs is discussed in accordance with the SatMDT.

Advertising implications and design of messages

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of personality traits on the perception of key message characteristics in road safety advertising. Design/methodology/approach – The advertisement uses visual imagery and imagery methods to examine key message characteristics. An online survey questionnaire was used to obtain responses of 947 driver perceptions with various personality traits; and the data are explored using multiple linear-regressions. Findings – The findings of the research indicate the importance of using key message characteristics based upon established scientific theory to developing messages, more particularly in road safety and other social marketing campaigns. The role of personality traits and its relevance also appear to be of primary importance and can be used to segment the market; guide message designs and development, as different personality traits are found to be significant for different message characteristics. Research limitations/implications – This research varies from preceding efforts as it examines the influence of personality traits on drivers’ perceptions of messages using established scientific theory, and bridging the gap in the research between two main paths of research with reference to fear-based messages: the process that influences an individual response to key messages; and the influences of personality trait differences on message perceptions. Originality/value – This study extends the knowledge in several essential areas and offers a set of recommendations to assist marketers in developing effective message strategies and segmentation based on personality traits. Besides advancing theory, this study enhances the understanding of how to develop more effective road safety messages that will save lives and prevent injuries.

Performance Benefits of Connected Vehicles for Implementing Speed Harmonization

This paper reports on the combined microsimulation and small scale demonstration evaluation of the freeway performance effects of a specific connected vehicle implementation of speed harmonization (The Prototype). The microsimulation testing was performed on a 10 mile stretch of freeway in San Mateo County, California. The small scale field demonstration was performed with 10 equipped vehicles on 17 miles of the I-5 freeway in Seattle, Washington.The microsimulation analysis evaluated the effects of the Prototype speed harmonization algorithm on shockwaves, queues, throughput, speed variation, travel time, and reliability, for different response rates for vehicles on the facility. The “response rate” is defined as the combination of the percent of the vehicle fleet with connected vehicle capabilities, the percent of connected vehicles that successfully receive the speed recommendation in a timely manner, and the percent of drivers who having received the recommendation also choose to comply with the recommended speed.Results from the simulation analysis found that the Prototype is likely to significantly reduce the magnitude of the speed differences (shockwaves) between vehicles, even at the 10-percent response rate. This is considered to benefit safety by reducing the probability of collisions where free-flowing traffic meets the back of a queue. The trade-off for the improved safety is that the Prototype increases the geographic impact of existing bottlenecks on freeway speeds by expanding the upstream distance that is affected by congestion.The small scale field demonstration evaluated the performance of a cell phone based application for communicating vehicle status and receiving recommended speeds and advanced queue warnings using a combination of the cellular network and roadside dedicated short range communication devices via a DSRC antenna installed in the vehicle. The small scale demonstration also evaluated the ability to detect queues via a combination of installed loop detectors in the road and basic safety messages transmitted by the connected vehicles.The small scale field demonstration showed the feasibility of connected vehicle data capture and dissemination functionality using both cellular communications and Dedicated Short Range (DSRC) communications. It demonstrated that the Prototype has the communication speeds, communication reliability, and computed processing speed to support speed harmonization application functionality in an operational traffic environment.This paper is based upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under contract number DTFH61-12-D-00044. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Highway Administration.

Understanding Media Exposure among the Ethnic Malay in Malaysia for the Purpose of Communicating Road Safety Messages

In the last ten years about 7,000 people, mostly from the ethnic Malay, are killed on Malaysian roads annually. The road safety campaigns are carried out to create awareness among Malaysians, but communicating to the multi-lingual society is no mean feat. This study attempts to determine the media exposure among the Malays, as they are the most vulnerable group of road users. Such understanding would allow messages to be delivered effectively. A nationwide survey to determine media exposure among the all ethnics was carried out. The study shows that ethnics in Malaysia, including the Malays, generally preferred media of their respective mother tongue.