Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) recently announced some alarming news. According to CDOT, 2016 was the deadliest year on state roads in the last 15 years. Statistics released by the organization show more than 600 people died in a combination of bicycle, motorcycle, auto and pedestrian crashes.

What makes this news even more upsetting is that many of the deaths were preventable. CDOT claims hundreds of these fatalities involved distracted drivers and motorists not wearing seatbelts.

To help make 2017 a safer year on our roads, CDOT claims it will to continue using public safety campaigns to educate others on the importance of seatbelts and avoiding distracted driving. However, public safety campaigns on these subjects have existed for years. It begs the question as to whether these educational campaigns can become more effective. Many public safety campaigns rely on billboards, but social media may prove more useful.

Should Public Safety Campaigns Place More Reliance on Social Media?

Law enforcement and transportation organizations are starting to realize the value of social media for carrying out their educational campaigns. In some cases, social media posts from these organizations have reached tens of thousands of people.

After the popular app Pokémon Go was released, the Texas Department of Transportation created a Facebook post that went viral. The post was shared over 77,500 times, and received more than 6,300 comments and 51,000 reactions. Ironically, the post mentions a desire to avoid launching a public safety campaign. It still shared a message addressing a major public safety issue, and reached hundreds of thousands or millions in the process.

CDOT has also attempted to create social media buzz for its public safety campaigns. Last year’s “Killer Habit” and “Fred Estrian” campaigns are good examples. The latter campaign featured short videos on crosswalk and intersection safety that could be shared on social media. CDOT has also used Snapchat to educate teenagers on seatbelt safety. Time will tell whether these programs are becoming more effective at reducing traffic deaths.