Involving the right group of people is key to successful collaboration. The goal should be to form a stakeholder group composed of appropriate individuals from diverse groups who have an interest in the specific traffic safety problem to be addressed. 

Some examples of who could be included during initial discussions: 

• Local advocacy/community coalitions – These groups are formed in direct response to a problem within their community, and often are made up of citizens directly affected by the safety issue. They can be independent or can be part of a faith-based organization or community center. They could also be focused on a particular mode of transportation such as bicycles, motorcycles, or pedestrian advocacy coalitions. 
• Civic organizations – If appropriate for the location of the problem, civic groups could be included to help reach a larger demographic. Some examples could include college or high school clubs, sororities, or fraternities; local sports leagues; veterans’ organizations (VFW, DAV, American Legion); or community recreation centers. 
• Elected officials – Government representatives often receive calls about traffic safety issues and bring the problem to the attention of law enforcement. Elected officials can be very helpful in your outreach efforts around the planned initiative. 
• Leaders of community associations – These individuals are knowledgeable about the concerns in their neighborhoods and can be a good resource in forming a stakeholder group. 
• State highway safety agencies – The State Highway Safety Office is an excellent partner in crafting traffic safety initiatives and strategies. Reach out to the Law Enforcement Liaison for your area. 
• State Department of Transportation and/or municipal public works agency. 
• Partner law enforcement agencies if conducting a multi-agency effort. 
• Public health departments, liquor control board, fire departments, EMS and emergency care nurses and doctors, food and beverage industry leaders. 
• National traffic safety organizations such as MADD, SADD, AAA, and the National Safety Council.

It is advisable to hold a kickoff meeting as the first step in the community partnership process. Regardless of whether meetings are in person, virtual or hybrid, draft and distribute an agenda in advance. Include a clear description of the risky driving problem, as well as recent events and relevant data on the negative effects being experienced by the community. Examples of previous effective community partnership efforts might also be helpful. 

When planning the kickoff meeting and determining its location and time of day, consider ways to maximize community availability. Create meeting material that is accessible for all participants. If necessary, prepare printed copies of documents in advance. When applicable, offer documents in multiple languages and arrange for the services of an interpreter. In preparation for your strategy meeting consider the following: 

• Communicate a purpose-driven strategy, focused on a specific safety issue. 
• Detail a strategy that is multi-faceted, with multiple phases: 
  • Media – Promote coverage that includes input from community stakeholders on the problem and the shared plan to address the solution. 
  • Education – Part of the initiative could be to hand out information and/or hold public awareness meetings. Consider a period where warnings are issued instead of citations to educate the public and spread awareness. Be open to including community leaders in this effort. 
  • Enforcement – Ensure enforcement is primarily focused on the risky driving behaviors that are resulting in the unsafe traffic condition. 
  • Evaluation – Specify the goal(s) of the initiative during the planning stage and identify what outcomes will be used to measure success. Define success in clear, achievable terms. 
• Invite feedback from community members, hear their comments and explore alternatives as a group, and allow them to be part of the solution. Consider comments, ideas and strategies from this advice that can carry over into daily traffic enforcement efforts. Shared responsibility and decision making will increase the likelihood of success. Incorporate suggestions in future meeting agendas. 
• Schedule a wrap up meeting to share results and evaluate the initiative with input from all involved. Follow up over time to determine whether another event would be beneficial.

High visibility enforcement should be conducted in locations that are chosen based on data. Enforcement should be in areas that are easily visible to the motoring public and indicate a specific enforcement need due to crashes. Using geo-mapping to identify “hot spots” – areas of high incidence of crashes – will help you target locations where your enforcement can reduce crashes and traffic violations. 

Choose a high-volume traffic area to assist with the visibility of your enforcement efforts. People will see you addressing the traffic law violations. This helps create general deterrence and voluntary compliance with laws.
High volume areas can be hazardous places for making traffic stops. Ensure that the area where enforcement is occurring is safe for both the law enforcement officer and the person who has been stopped.

Since the goal of an HVE campaign is to be seen, efforts to be visible should not be one-dimensional. Choose some or all of these visibility elements to enhance your enforcement: 

• Road signs: electronic message boards, pop-up road signs, billboards, etc. 
• Specially marked patrol vehicles 
• Magnetic HVE signs on patrol vehicles or window clings 
• Specially marked breath alcohol testing mobiles or other command vehicles 
• Specially marked vests 
• Flyers/brochures or business cards handed out to motorists

Prior to conducting your HVE program, ensure that all officers who will be deployed are current on their training and certifications. Conduct refresher training as required. Courses that should be delivered to all officers participating in your HVE may include: 

• Equity and implicit bias training 
• Pursuit training 
• Standardized Field Sobriety Testing training 
• Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement training 
• Drug Recognition Expert training 
• Vehicle contact and de-escalation training  
• Speed measuring devices training

Measuring effectiveness will be different for each individual agency and type of enforcement. If you are working with a funding source such as your State Highway Safety Office, they will have specific information they want you to report. Check your funding requirements for guidance. 

Collect data to highlight goals that are being accomplished, identify gaps, and help you evaluate the overall effectiveness of your program. 

Remember: HVE is designed to change unlawful traffic behaviors and reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities. It is not a strategy designed to increase arrests; in fact, it may yield decreased citations over time.

What to Measure

When planning your HVE program, it is important to include evaluation early in your process so that you can collect data before your event. This data will be used to measure the change in the behaviors of the motoring public after your HVE has concluded.

Process (Qualitative) Evaluation

The qualitative evaluation is a look at the success of meeting your HVE program activities—did you do what you planned to do? It looks at activities conducted that may have resulted in a change of behavior. Questions answered in a process evaluation may include: 

• Was the program fully implemented? 
• Was the strategic plan followed? 
• If a multi-jurisdictional approach was used, did all partner agencies fully participate? 
• How many partner organizations visibly and vocally supported our program? 
• Was the publicity plan executed: did you send out the planned number of press releases, make the desired number of followup calls, and brief as many editorial boards as planned?
• How many interviews were conducted? 
• How many articles were published? 
• Did the public take available material (flyers, stickers, etc.)? 
• Was feedback from the community incorporated in your strategy?

Outcome (Quantitative) Evaluation

Quantitative evaluations look at numbers, data, and statistics to measure the impact of the program. Some common measures include: 

• Number of contacts with individuals 
• Number and type of citations or arrests 
• Decreases in crashes, injuries, and fatalities 
• Increase in seat belt use 
• Observational studies (number of people wearing seat belts, number of vehicles left in bar parking lots, etc.) 

Remember, the ultimate goal is not to increase the number of arrests or citations, but to change unsafe driving behaviors.

Surveys

Surveys can be particularly useful in measuring the effectiveness of media and publicity. Surveys can be conducted in many ways: focus groups, interviews, mail or email questionnaires, Internet survey instruments such as Survey Monkey, etc.
Questions that may be asked to determine the effectiveness of your media and publicity campaign: 

• Did the message reach the target audience? 
• Does the public know the tag line? 
• Did the public pay attention to the message? 
• Does the public believe there was an increase in enforcement? 
• Does the public perceive a greater risk of receiving a citation or being arrested? 
• Did the public change their behavior because of the media messages?

 Putting Your Evaluation to Work

Based on analyses of data from previous deployments, you will be able to: 

• Adjust your enforcement strategy, including location, time of day, and day of week 
• Adjust your marketing and publicity to better reach your target your audience 
• Determine the need for additional training 
• Reallocate budget and resources 
• Announce the success of your HVE program and thank the community for its support
   

Paid Media 

Advertising you purchase on TV, radio, and print. Paid advertising gets the attention of the target audience to support your enforcement efforts. 

Earned Media 

Publicity you get for free, such as press events, news reports, and articles. Earned media keeps your message active in the community. Earned media for HVE programs includes: 

• Press releases and pre-/post- press events 
• Letters to the editor; op-eds 
• Local radio and TV interviews 
• Posters, flyers, brochures 
• Meetings with editorial boards 
• Stakeholder letters 
• Social networking 

Template earned media material is available at www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov. 

Social Media 

Social media is a term that defines the various activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and communications through words and pictures, and can expand the opportunity to reach your audience in real time. An agency can post information on social media (Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.) describing its HVE program, promoting voluntary compliance of traffic laws, reporting results, sharing common excuses for violating the law, etc. 

There are several advantages to using social media over traditional media options: 

• It is immediate. Messages are provided in real time. 
• It is short. Messages are limited to a small number of characters, so it does not take a lot of time to develop (as does a press release). 
• It can go viral. “Fans” can forward your message to their “friends”, greatly expanding its reach.  

There are several venues for social media, some of the more popular ones are: 

• Facebook 
• YouTube 
• Instagram 
• X (formerly Twitter) 

Consider streaming your press and media events on social media platforms. This expands your reach and enables the public to see the entire event, as opposed to a clip that gets chosen for a news broadcast.

The goal of publicizing your HVE is to make the motoring public aware of your enforcement efforts and to create deterrence. When the perceived risk of getting caught by law enforcement goes up, the likelihood that people will engage in unsafe driving behaviors goes down. 

Use some or all of these items to help publicize your enforcement activities: 

• Billboards 
• Electronic message boards 
• Road signs 
• Business marquees 
• Posters 
• Community meetings

Opportunities to engage the public in your HVE programs through an aggressive media campaign are limitless—whether press releases or events, television or radio interviews, or through the variety of social media. All it takes is a little imagination and creativity. 

Begin to develop your sustained media strategy with assistance from NHTSA’s Communications Calendar. The calendar, updated annually, provides key dates for HVE efforts across a range of traffic safety programs, as well as primary and secondary target audiences based on national data. During dates identified on the calendar, most law enforcement agencies conduct HVE efforts to blanket the country with enforcement. Template material including press releases, talking points, and posters for each event listed on the calendar are available on the website to make it easier for agencies to participate.

Tips to Get You Started

Always let the press know when you are running a high visibility enforcement operation or any special event. Even if they just covered your last enforcement effort a month ago, they may be looking for something to fill space or airtime. The media loves a good story. 

• Top 10 DWI Most Wanted Offenders. Post the 10 most wanted DWI offenders and hold a press conference alerting the public of your enforcement or warrant sweep to get them off the road. Invite the local prosecutor to join the event. 
• Standardized Field Sobriety Test Workshop. Invite media to observe and record an alcohol workshop to demonstrate how well trained your officers are. 
• New Information. Issue a press release for each of the following. Always include photos to enhance the release. 
  • Every time an officer completes significant training or achieves a significant accomplishment. 
  • When your agency purchases new equipment. 
  • When your agency engages a new partner, rolls out a new public service announcement, or issues a checkpoint handout. 
• Courts in School. Partner with the local high school and traffic or DUI courts to conduct a mock trial for an assembly. 
• Top Brass Hits the Streets. Plan a live news event at a checkpoint, with the police chief or sheriff working the checkpoint. 
• Dedicated Checkpoint. Dedicate a checkpoint in memory or honor of a victim/survivor. Invite the victim’s or survivor’s family members to attend the checkpoint roll call.  
• Creative Multi-Jurisdictional HVE Efforts. Invite the press to joint operations with neighboring jurisdictions, park, or marine police, to focus on the fact that enforcement will be in full force on the roadways, on waterways, and at parks. 
• Recognition and Awards. Whether a plaque, certificate, or handshake, be sure to issue a press release identifying your top performers and key partners. Invite the press to all award ceremonies and follow up with a photo and press release. 
• That's Outrageous! You may have seen it all, but the public hasn’t. Write a release about a driver with repeat impaired driving arrests, a wrong-way driver on the freeway, a texter who hit someone, a speeder who caused a neighborhood blackout by hitting a utility pole...you get the idea. The more you keep them coming, the more the community understands the problems and your efforts. 
• Roll Call Briefing. Invite the media to attend your roll call briefing prior to your HVE enforcement or checkpoint. Offer ride-alongs if your agency policy permits them. Be sure to rotate roll call to include each agency in a multi-jurisdictional effort.

Old Events with a New Twist

Do not allow your press events to become stale. Rather than having media events in the same room with the same podium, or outside with the same building in the background, hold your events at meaningful times and places. Press events can be held at the site of a recent crash that caught the attention of the community or outside of a hospital where recent crash victims were treated.  

Work with event organizers in your area to hold a media event at large community gatherings, and tailor the messages to relevant traffic safety topics. Some examples of events to consider would be St. Patrick’s Day and Oktoberfest celebrations (impaired driving), car races and drag races (speeding, distracted driving and occupant protection), and outdoor concerts or festivals (multiple traffic safety topics).  

Be creative and use the activities in your community to aid in spreading your highway safety messages and informing the community about your HVE campaign.

Many elements in the timeline identify key activities for developing a sustained strategy across a variety of traffic safety programs. Establish a strategic plan with the input of all involved stakeholders, partners, and agencies. Your HVE strategic plan must be fluid to accommodate individual enforcement efforts or changes within any given deployment (e.g., type of enforcement, time of year, weather conditions, staffing levels, community needs). 

Use local data to target your sustained enforcement as well as your enhanced deployments for specific enforcement such as speeding or impaired driving. As an added boost, coordinate your efforts with campaigns already scheduled through your State Highway Safety Office or NHTSA. A good starting point is NHTSA’s calendar. 

Once you’ve laid the groundwork, each HVE effort can be planned and conducted in a relatively short timeframe, generally reducing your planning time to a few short weeks.

Laying the Groundwork, 9-12 Months Before the Program

• Identify stakeholders and partners. Enlist their support and assistance.
• Convene a meeting of all stakeholders and partners who will be involved. If you will be conducting multi-jurisdictional efforts, it is important to invite all agencies and their stakeholders and partners.
• Assess personnel who will be conducting the enforcement to ensure they have necessary training, legal updates, policy information, etc.
• Alert prosecutors and court personnel of the HVE program

 6-9 Months Before the Program

• Plan enforcement strategies (types of enforcement and deployment operations, e.g., sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols). If you will be conducting multi-jurisdictional enforcement, include all agencies.
• Plan visibility strategies and elements, make sure your signage and equipment (e.g., HVE vests, road signs, vehicle magnets, etc.) are available, clean, and in good repair.
• Plan media and publicity.
• Identify data you will need for your evaluation.

3-6 Months Before the Program

• Choose launch date. 
• Meet with all law enforcement agencies, stakeholders, and partners to define and agree upon the roles and responsibilities of each. 
• Create a Directed Activity Mission, Memorandum of Understanding, or similar agreement, detailing the program. 
• Plan your media strategy and enlist partner support. 
• Identify, through data, the primary focus for the press event (e.g., youth enforcement, impaired motorcycle operators). 
• Notify prosecutors and court personnel of the dates of your program and the possibility of increased workloads. 
• Order any new signage or equipment that may be required, as well as additional copies of brochures, business cards or other educational information that you plan to provide to motorists during the program. 
• Ensure that any necessary training has been scheduled.

1-3 Months Before the Program

• Ensure that all educational material has been printed and delivered. 
• Work with volunteers and partners to make arrangements for them to provide assistance as needed. 
• Select the location for the press event. Rotate the location and host if you are conducting multi-jurisdictional efforts to ensure that all players are equal partners. 
  • The location should relate to the key message (“hook”) for the HVE. 
  • Ensure that the location is large enough to accommodate all props (e.g., breath alcohol testing mobiles, new equipment) and demonstrations. 
  • If your media event will be held outside, be sure to have an alternative location in case of inclement weather. 
• Confirm the availability of all speakers; obtain bios. 
• Prepare press kits, including a list of speakers with bios, talking points, national and local data, etc. 
• Arrange for audio equipment if needed (podium, microphones, speakers, etc.) 
• Reserve props for the press event (e.g., breath alcohol testing mobiles, new breath test equipment). 
• Complete all officer training, refresher training, and legal updates.

2-4 Weeks Before the Program

• Brief assigned staff on all aspects of the program 
  • Locations and times 
  • Educational material (e.g., business/post card explaining the HVE program) 
  • Reporting requirements and forms 
• Begin sending media advisories and press releases to local media. 
• Encourage partners/stakeholders to submit letters to the editor or op-ed articles to the local media in support of the HVE program.

1 Week Before the Program

• Send an email media advisory to the local media, inviting them to the press event. 
• Invite key media to participate in the program beyond the event, either at a checkpoint or through ride-alongs, as allowed by departmental policy. 
• Remind prosecutors and court personnel of the upcoming HVE program. 
• Conduct a volunteer orientation meeting, advising volunteers of all agency policies or regulations that apply to their role in the HVE program (obtain signed waivers as necessary).

3 Days Before the Program

• Change the location of the event if weather forecasts predict inclement weather. 
• Contact all speakers to re-confirm location/time of the press event. 
• Confirm that all props are available for the event. 
• Confirm audio equipment is available. 
• Contact media and confirm the event time and location, particularly if either has changed.

Day of the Program

• Conduct the press event. 
• Be available, with stakeholders/partners, for media interviews. Provide photo opportunities for the media that relate to your “hook” or enforcement efforts, such as car seat demonstrations, checkpoint enforcement road sign, or even something as simple as a marked squad car or officers in uniform.

During the Program

• Provide drivers with a business/post card explaining the reason for the program and thanking them for their cooperation. 
• Post daily results (if known) on the agency’s website and social media accounts (Facebook, X, etc.). 
• Be available for media interviews.

After the Program

• Immediately distribute a press release reporting the results of the program. 
• Schedule a wrap up meeting to share results and evaluate the initiative with input from all involved. 
• Arrange interviews with local media to thank the community for their cooperation and support, noting that their community is safer. 
• With partners, plan a recognition event for all agencies, officers and stakeholders who participated in the program.

Each HVE effort will be individualized and require a different level of planning. A two-week long impaired driving crackdown, or multi-jurisdictional deployment, requires more planning than a single-agency, one-night blitz after a college football game. The key is to have a solid, but fluid, long-term strategic plan. 

After the strategic plan has been adopted, your HVE operations, strategies, and elements can be planned and implemented rather quickly. The following list includes the minimum requirements for planning a brief HVE effort: 

• Identify the type of enforcement (saturation patrol, checkpoint, speed, alcohol, etc.). 
• Identify the location(s) and times of enforcement based on data. 
• Identify strategies and elements to enhance the visibility of your enforcement. 
• Notify prosecutors and court personnel of the HVE activity. 
• Engage assistance from partners and stakeholders 
  • Submit press releases and letters to the editor, 
  • Obtain volunteer assistance at a checkpoint (check your agency policy).
• Send a media alert to local newspapers and radio, inviting their participation in the press event and making yourself available for interviews. 
• Issue a press release and post the HVE activity on Facebook and X. 
• Immediately following the event, issue a press release reporting the results of the HVE activity and thanking the community for their support.