Caltrans "Slow for the Cone Zone"

Anne Staines has been the strategic leader of Caltrans’ “Slow for the Cone Zone” highway work zone safety campaign since it began in 1999. Strategies have included targeting new teen drivers through driver’s education classes, online sweepstakes and events; and reaching new Hispanic drivers through Spanish language media.

She created the campaign’s partnership approach, which is a major source of added value for the program. Anne created over $21 million in partnership value since 2000. Partners include: CHP, CMV, OTS, MADD, RADD, AAA, CA Assoc. Of Student Educators, Alive at 25, Impact Teen Drivers, and traffic reporters for both major radio traffic networks, Just Tires, and Driving Schools Association of Calif.

For the latest campaign (2008) ProProse developed the teen outreach “Street Skills” program, targeting new teen drivers. Messages encouraged teen drivers to (1) pay extra attention and concentrate on the road – especially in cone zones, (2) merge early, and (3) slow down. The campaign built on the concept that the teens believed they are already great drivers and that they simply needed to prove their ‘street skills.’ ProProse came up with the concept of an online sweepstakes campaign to get the attention of teen drivers. Taking “Street Skills” on the road engaged teens and educators with in-person outreach using a fun safety fair format. To turn the project into a driver-safety educational experience, we brought in several traffic safety partners and secured support from school administrators and educators.

"Street Skills" results included:

• The statewide eight-week tour consisted of 49 events and an ambitious 8-week schedule
• Approximately 93,000 enrolled students at the schools visited by the tour were exposed to the pre-event and in-classroom messages and on-campus events
• The campaign website received 10,423 visits and 8,585 absolute unique visitors.
• Nearly 6,000 teens took and passed the online safety quiz
• 925 kits, full driver safety educational resource, were of created and mailed out high school driver’s education teachers and private driving schools.

Awards: The “Street Skills” tour won a Gold Award from the Sacramento Public Relations Association 2008 CAPPIES Awards and a Crystal Award from the International Association of Business Communicators.

Results: This award winning campaign proved that more than 110 Californians’ lives were saved over 5 years versus the number who would have died if California had continued to follow national trends.