Public Relations -- Media Relations

OUR PART Coalition

Situation

Each year, more than 40,000 people die in motor vehicle accidents, and hundreds of thousands more are seriously injured. In fact, car crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States for ages three to 33. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regularly implements nationwide campaigns to reduce the number of traffic-related fatalities, but NHTSA's Southeast Region wanted an ongoing program in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee that would raise awareness to the dangers of speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving unbuckled.

Challenge

c21 was charged with creating a continual campaign that would complement NHTSA's objectives, but that would be distinctive enough to receive its own media and community attention. On national, regional and state levels, NHTSA consistently releases information on vehicle safety to the public. This campaign needed to stand on its own amidst these multiple messages.

c21 Solution

c21 created the OUR PART Coalition to bring together members of the medical community in the fight to help consumers "recognize and end the epidemic of needless deaths due to careless driving." Because these community members see the consequences of reckless driving first hand, they are vital resources in educating the public. We recruited members from hospitals and universities throughout NHTSA's Southeast Region to reach out to the public through speeches, editorials and other media interaction.

Results

Members of medical communities in each of the eight Southeast Region states have joined NHTSA and OURPART in the fight to end needless motor vehicle deaths. Articles distributed by the Coalition on topics ranging from booster seats to holiday safety to motorcycle helmet laws have been featured in more than 15 media outlets throughout the region, including The Tennessean, Florida Today, and Doctors Health Journal. As active community members, the Coalition regularly engages in local outreach to spread the message of driving safety. Additionally, this campaign recently won a Golden Flame award for feature writing from the International Association of Business Communicators.