Guide to Implementation of the Toward Zero Deaths National Strategy on Highway Safety (2022)

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6-1 6. Communications Products 6.1 Overview and Background Because TZD requires intentional planning, a diverse set of team members and stakeholders, and consistency, effective communication is essential to achieving success at all stages of implementation. To support such implementation of the TZD national strategy, several communication resources were developed. These are intended to guide agencies through the practical steps of communicating the meaning of TZD, its underlying strategies, and how these strategies can be implemented through the development of an effective program. These resources include the How-To Guide: Implementing the TZD Strategic Communication Plan, a template PowerPoint presentation, a set of three online tutorials, and a selection of other practical tools. 6.2 How-To Guide: Implementing the TZD Strategic Communication Plan The Strategic Communication Plan for the National Strategy on Highway Safety provides a detailed framework for implementing the national TZD strategy at the national, state, and local levels. The plan identifies target audiences (potential partners) and key messages (global talking points) that can be used to educate these potential partners about the impact of traffic crashes and the critical importance of a zero-fatalities goal, along with strategies and tactics for engaging them in TZD implementation. During this project, our team developed the How-To Guide: Implementing the TZD Strategic Communication Plan. Its purpose is to identify those elements of the TZD Strategic Communication Plan vital for promoting adoption and sustainability of the TZD approach at the state and local levels. Sprinkled throughout the guide are examples of how agencies are putting the plan elements into practice to engage partners. This guide also offers direction for identifying and targeting potential partners and for effectively tailoring communication messages that will motivate partners to implement the TZD strategies. It concludes by discussing how to use ambassadors—individuals who are well trained and armed with an engaging story—to effectively carry the TZD message out into the community to garner support, spark enthusiasm, and bolster the ranks among potential partners and the public. The elements and implementation examples included in the guide were identified through in-person or telephone interviews, focus groups (conducted via conference call) with state and local stakeholders, online research, and a review of previously published reports and documents. A key theme that emerged from the focus groups is the need for more and better communication between those tasked with leading a state’s TZD effort and its external stakeholders and partners. TZD implementation is not a solitary task: it takes an army of traffic safety professionals from across the four Es—engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency services—along with individuals from many other disciplines in both the public and private sectors to get the job done. Communication is vital to the effort, and the guide seeks to reinforce that. The How-To Guide: Implementing the TZD Strategic Communication Plan are available online at www.trb.org by searching “NCHRP Web-Only Document 324”. 6.3 Online Tutorials To aid in developing the channels of communication that are essential to effective TZD program development and implementation, a set of three online video tutorials was created. These tutorials, which can be found on the national TZD website within the TZD Toolkit, cover the following topics: • Engaging the Public Sector in Your TZD Program • Engaging Government Agencies in Your TZD Program • Engaging the Private Sector in Your TZD Program Online tutorials are available online at www.trb.org by searching “NCHRP Web-Only Document 324”.

6-2 6.4 Other Resources Several other resources were created through this project to help spread the TZD message. • Sample press release • Two newsletter articles of varying length for stakeholders to include in their publications • Talking points for safety champions More details are available in Section 7.4 of this report.