Pedestrian safety - Global Road Safety Partnership

Evaluating pedestrian safety programmes
How groups advocate depends partly upon the personal styles and skills of their
leaders, as well as their political connections. Whatever the skills and strengths of
the core group, the following six principles apply to most pedestrian safety advocacy
efforts (8,10):
1. Make a long-term commitment: Change is rarely achieved overnight, and
even in the best-performing countries it has taken years to achieve a decrease in
pedestrian traffic fatalities. Advocacy for policy change on behalf of pedestrian safety
entails seemingly endless hours of effort, including service on advisory committees,
tracking and evaluating projects and plans, providing comments and testimony,
and advocating for changes to standard operating procedures such as street design
standards and crossing marking policies. Persistence and commitment in the long
term are required for success.
2. Prioritize focal areas: Take a strategic approach by identifying and focusing on
a few key priorities at once. Setting priority areas requires a good assessment of the
road safety and political situation in the local setting (see Module 3). Instead of
engaging in a broad range of activities that may not always yield results, it is better
to target advocacy efforts carefully, to make the best use of the limited time and
resources, in favour of the greatest potential gains. Advocacy groups must be realistic
about what their staff and partners can achieve, and take on a limited number of
projects each year, especially in the first years of operation.
3. Promote evidence-based solutions: It is critical to ensure that efforts are based
on the best scientific evidence. Nongovernmental organizations should engage in
an ongoing dialogue with road safety experts in order to stay informed about the
latest knowledge and practice from the field and use that understanding to enhance
ongoing research and activities. In certain settings, the best scientific evidence may
contradict the common understanding, and nongovernmental organizations can play
a role in resolving this conflict.
4. Utilize existing resources: It is helpful to make use of existing materials and
resources in order to avoid duplication of effort. Many organizations offer materials
that can be used to support national and local road safety initiatives. These should be
tailored for relevant audiences and translated into appropriate languages.
5. Build an advocacy network: It is vital to engage with partners. Few nongovernmental
organizations are able to succeed without the support of partners from
government, academia, the private sector, foundations or agencies such as the police,
fire department and medical services. They also gain by reaching out to other nongovernmental
organizations to coordinate messages, support one another’s activities
and generate resources. The importance of engaging with partners, promoting similar
actions and speaking as a community with one voice cannot be overstated.
6. Review progress regularly: While most advocacy efforts contribute to general
awareness raising, targeted advocacy can most effectively contribute to concrete
and measurable change. Even when an organization lacks the capacity to monitor
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