Please describe the main road safety challenges/problems you have addressed or are addressing.
We are addressing the problem of mobile phone use whilst driving. It is a problem that we have noticed in our area and one we hope to raise awareness of. You are 24 times more likely to crash when you are sending a text message whilst driving. We hope children will remind their parents to stop using their phones whilst driving and see that they are putting lives at risk every time they do so.
What are your objectives?
1. To raise awareness of the dangers of driving whilst using a mobile phone among our students, parents and wider school community.
2. To reduce mobile phone use whilst driving in our town, county and country.
3.To promote our car sticker in as many ways as possible, to as many people as possible!
4.To get support from local businesses, politicians and clubs in our area in promoting our campaign.
Evaluation
What has been the effect of the activities?
We decided to tackle mobile phone use whilst driving and based our campaign on this issue. (In previous years we had worked on wearing seat-belts and crossing the road safely.) We didn't survey our parents beforehand but we have received great feedback from them saying it has really made them think twice about using their phones. Nearly all parents from our school have the car sticker displayed proudly on their cars. Some staff members have switched to hands free sets in their cars since this campaign. Our students tell us that they now tell their Mams & Dads to get off the phone whilst driving as it is dangerous. The children had so much fun with this campaign that they are already asking when they can do more things for the Road Safety Authority. They are so much more road safety conscious and eager to get involved. We sold all 500 stickers in the first round and are in the process of ordering another 1,000.Also being awarded the Supreme Award at the Leading Lights Ceremony was such a honour and huge recognition for our campaign. Within the school we are constantly evaluating our project and trying to further promote our car sticker campaign, working closely with students, teachers & parents.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
We invited local media to the launch of our car sticker campaign. We featured on local radio LMFM as part of National Road Safety week and appeared in local newspapers. We asked local shops and petrol stations to help us promote our sticker. We constantly update our school website and post on the RSA Twitter and Facebook page. We set up a stall in the town's busiest shopping centre and sold our car stickers to the public. The feedback was very encouraging and positive. After winning a Leading Light award in the Education Category, this put us in the national spotlight and we were featured on the national RTE news (radio and television). We were presented with our prizes on the day by Minister for Transport Shane Ross. It meant a wider audience for our car sticker.<br>
How many people did you reach/have you reached?
Who carried/carries out the evaluation activities?
When did/will you carry out the evaluation?
Please list the indicators you use to measure success
All our car stickers selling out and being displayed proudly on vehicles in our town.
Winning the Supreme award at Ireland's Leading Light Road Safety Ceremony.
Raising awareness of road safety among our students and staff in a fun and creative way.
Feed back from the public and parents telling us how car sticker has changed their driving habits.
Please describe the evaluation tools you use (i.e. surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.)
Interviews/feedback from parents and the public who bought our car sticker.