Drive With Care

Drive With Care is an integrated campaign to stigmatize and stop reckless driving, using marketing, enforcement and street design. The behavior of motor vehicles is the primary factor in the safety and comfort of bicyclists and pedestrians on shared roadways. Crosswalks and bike lanes are not safe when motorists are speeding or driving recklessly. The Healthy Streets Campaign aims to calm shared public roadways to the point where the safety of more-vulnerable users is guaranteed. Given the extent of reckless driving in our society, this seems daunting. But there is a proven formula. Public space should discourage reckless driving by design. There should be a high probability of fines for illegal behavior. And negative behavior should generate a guaranteed negative stigma.

Healthy Streets initiatives at the local level can benefit from backup support at the regional level. A regional or national social marketing campaign aimed at reckless driving can affect motorist behavior that escapes the radar of law enforcement. This effort would make responsible, attentive driving the social norm and stigmatize reckless driving. Coupled with regional or national sharing of best practices for design and enforcement techniques, this program can make an impact while amplifying the effect of other local initiatives.

The Healthy Streets Campaign is pulling together community, law enforcement, and political leadership to share local and international best practices in design and enforcement. Resources and partners for a regional or national anti–reckless driving media campaign are being recruited.