NJDOT announces Safety Public Awareness Program to address dangerous driving behaviors and promote safety as a way of life
Impactful messaging asks motorists to consider the consequences of unsafe driving
NEW JERSEY – New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Monday announced the launch of its statewide Roadway Safety Public Awareness Program, a comprehensive effort aimed at addressing dangerous driving behaviors and promoting safety as a way of life.
The program, which will run through the end of the year, will deliver safety messaging on billboards, radio stations, digital platforms, and social media.
Public engagement efforts are part of NJDOT’s ongoing commitment to improving roadway safety for everyone who uses and relies on New Jersey’s transportation systems, including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and people with mobility assistance needs.
The creative concepts are designed to resonate with roadway users on a personal level, underscoring the very real and potentially tragic consequences of distracted driving, speeding, and driving under the influence.
“Unsafe driving behaviors have far-reaching consequences, often ending in tragedies that could have been prevented,” Governor Murphy said. “Too many motorists have developed bad habits behind the wheel – and that is costing lives. This public awareness program is one way to remind people we have a shared responsibility to keep one another other safe on our roadways.”
“People know they shouldn’t text and drive, speed through work zones, or get behind the wheel while intoxicated – but too often, they do it anyway,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “That’s why this program is less about educating and more about creating an emotional connection that encourages real behavior change. We want safety to become a way of life, and hope this can be the start of a movement to respect our fellow roadway users, because one bad decision behind the wheel can cost someone their family member, friend, or loved one.”
The program uses two creative approaches to convey the safety messaging:
- The “What If” approach speaks directly to motorists, asking them to consider the potentially fatal consequences of their unsafe driving behaviors.
- The “Respect” approach, which will start running in October, aims to change underlying attitudes like indifference and apathy, and restore respect and civility on our roadways.
