National traffic safety campaign materials: how to use them locally
Pick NHTSA campaigns that fit your data, adapt them safely and add a local ask
Picture a county health educator in January. The board wants a safety campaign by spring. The budget is small. The calendar is blank. A national campaign, with ads, posts and press materials already made, is a few clicks away.
Ready made materials can save months of work, but a downloaded poster is not a campaign. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that stand alone public service announcements (PSAs) tend to air rarely, reach few people and do little [7]. The media campaigns linked to a 13% drop in alcohol related crashes were well funded, pretested, widely seen and paired with enforcement [7].
This guide shows how a campaign strategist uses national materials. You’ll learn what NHTSA offers, how to choose and time campaigns, how to adapt them without bending the facts and how to add a local ask. It ends with a 12 month calendar and a one week rollout plan.
What NHTSA's Traffic Safety Marketing site offers
NHTSA runs Traffic Safety Marketing (trafficsafetymarketing.gov) to connect states, local governments and other safety partners with campaign materials [1]. Think of it as a shared creative department for the whole country.
Topics. The site covers 15 topics [1]. Behavior topics include distracted, drunk and drug impaired driving, speeding and seat belts. Others focus on bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians, teen drivers, older drivers, child safety and school buses. The rest cover Move Over, rail grade crossings and vehicle safety.
Two versions of many campaigns. Several topics offer both a social norming campaign and an enforcement campaign [1]. Social norming messages, such as Speeding Catches Up With You, run year round and appeal to what peers think and do [5]. Enforcement messages, such as Speeding Slows You Down or Click It or Ticket, stress legal consequences and belong only in periods backed by extra patrols [4]. NHTSA’s distracted driving page urges partners to use the right version at the right time [5].
What’s in a package. Contents vary, but a full campaign package often includes [4, 5]:
- Talking points and sample news releases, some with before and after versions
- Still and animated social media graphics, with post text ready to paste
- Video ads in 30-, 15- and 6 second lengths, plus radio spots
- Web banner ads, event banners and text for electronic road message signs
- Infographics or flyers on some topics, plus campaign research such as concept testing
Languages. Most packages come in English and Spanish [4, 5]. NHTSA’s Social Media Playbook says its Spanish posts are “transcreated,” meaning adapted to fit the culture rather than translated word for word [1].
Planning tools. The Planning Calendars page has a clickable calendar, printable and fillable PDF calendars for 2026 and 2027, and an events calendar of related observances [3]. You can also sign up for email alerts about coming campaigns [1].
How to download what you need
- Open Safety Topics, pick a topic, then pick the social norming or enforcement campaign.
- For social posts, use Copy Text to paste the wording into your platform. Or download the text, the graphic or a ZIP file of everything [4].
- Download talking points and news releases as Word files. NHTSA encourages you to add local facts and figures [4].
- Some videos are marked available by request. States and territories can ask NHTSA to add a state tag and logo at the end. NHTSA asks for at least 3 weeks [2].
Know the usage rules before you add your name
NHTSA’s guidelines for its graphics and media set clear limits [2]:
- Graphics: Use them as downloaded, with no editing, cropping, stretching or new designs built from them.
- Videos and digital ads: No edits or trims of any kind. Only the state retag process adds a closing tag.
- Talking points, releases and post text: These are editable templates. If you change them, you take on legal responsibility for making sure the wording fits state and local law.
- Logos: Don’t remove the NHTSA logo or the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) seal from downloads. Don’t add either one to your own materials without written permission.
- No endorsement: Using the materials doesn’t mean NHTSA endorses or is affiliated with your group.
- Photos: NHTSA image library photos may be used for traffic safety outreach, but not in ways that suggest government endorsement or commercial gain.
The guidelines don’t address adding your own logo to an NHTSA graphic. Since graphics must stay unaltered, put your name and local details in your own post text, flyer or news release beside the national piece. When unsure, ask NHTSA through the site’s contact page.
Other groups set their own terms. NHTSA reminds users to follow the rules of any third party owner [2]. Read the terms before you reuse anyone’s materials.
Start with local risk, then pick one or two campaigns
The national calendar has something almost every month. Chasing all of it spreads a small budget thin. Audiences tune out, too. A strategist picks 1 or 2 priorities from local data and goes big during the matching national windows. Our guide to using local crash data to choose priorities walks through the analysis.
Then match the details, not just the topic. In 2024, 76% of pedestrian deaths happened in the dark, NHTSA reports [5]. If your crashes follow that pattern, lead with NHTSA’s materials on walking and driving after dark rather than general crosswalk tips.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| If local data show… | Use this national package | Best national window | Example local ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone use in many crashes | Don’t Drive Distracted. Eyes Forward. (year round); Put the Phone Away or Pay (enforcement) | April | Turn on driving mode before the car moves |
| Alcohol impaired crashes on nights and weekends | Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving (year round); Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (enforcement) | August through Labor Day; December holidays | Save the local safe ride number tonight |
| Drug impaired driving | If You Feel Different, You Drive Different (year round); Drive High, Get a DUI (enforcement) | April 20; July 4; Labor Day; December | Ask a pharmacist whether your medicines affect driving |
| Unbelted deaths | Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. (year round); Click It or Ticket (enforcement) | May to June; Thanksgiving | Belt check at the plant gate or school lot |
| Speeding | Speeding Catches Up With You (year round); Speeding Slows You Down (enforcement) | July | Report a speeding hot spot to the city |
| Motorcyclist deaths | Motorcycle Safety, including Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over | May | Sign up for a rider course |
| Pedestrian deaths | Pedestrian Safety | October | Report dark streetlights |
| Child passenger injuries | Car Seats, Boosters & Belts | Child Passenger Safety Week, September | Car seat check date and place |
| Teen driver crashes | Teen Driver Safety | Teen Driver Safety Week, October | Sign a parent teen driving agreement |
| Rail crossing crashes | Rail Grade Crossing (Stop. Trains Can’t.) | September | Book a rail safety talk |
Package names from NHTSA’s Safety Topics pages [1, 5]. Windows from NHTSA’s 2026 and 2027 calendars [3].
Pair enforcement messages with real enforcement
High visibility enforcement (HVE) means short, intense, well publicized periods of extra traffic enforcement, typically about 2 weeks for seat belts [6]. NHTSA’s Countermeasures That Work guide gives short term seat belt HVE its top rating of 5 stars [6].
Publicity and patrols work as a pair. NHTSA’s speeding page says its enforcement campaign is for areas where HVE is actually happening, backed by more police on the road [4]. NHTSA adds that HVE works best when police start within days after the ad buy launches [4].
Three timing facts shape your plan:
- Lead time. An HVE program, including media placement, takes 4 to 6 months to plan [6].
- Fade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviewed 15 studies. Belt use rose about 16 percentage points during HVE programs, then dropped about 6 points afterward [6]. Gains outlast the wave only partly, so plan repeats.
- Three beats. NHTSA’s HVE model calls for announcing the enforcement, carrying it out and then telling the public what happened [8].
Before you post an enforcement message, ask your police department or State Highway Safety Office (SHSO):
- Is your agency joining the national wave, and on what dates?
- Where will extra patrols focus?
- May we name your agency in our news release?
- Will you share results, such as stops and warnings, for a follow up release?
If the answer is no, use the social norming version. Implying patrols that aren’t happening weakens the threat and costs trust.
Adapt without distorting the message
Localizing helps. NHTSA’s Social Media Playbook says posts tailored to an audience get much more engagement [1]. It suggests adding your city or state name, local crash or traffic stop data and ties to local events [1]. The skill is knowing what can flex and what must stay fixed.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Safe to localize | Keep exactly as is |
|---|---|
| Your town’s name, events and landmarks in post text | NHTSA graphics, videos and ads |
| Local crash numbers, labeled with source and year | National statistics as NHTSA states them |
| A local call to action and contact | The core behavior, such as buckle up or ride sober |
| Local messengers, such as a police chief or ER nurse | Logos on downloaded files |
| Other language versions made by native speakers | The meaning of the message in every language |
Data. Never round, update or blend a national number on your own. If you add a local figure, name its source and year. Keep it apart from national figures.
Language. Start with NHTSA’s Spanish versions when Spanish fits. For other languages, use a qualified translator who is a native speaker. Have a second native speaker check the work. Then test it with a few community members. Keep the action and numbers identical across versions.
Tone. Don’t add crash photos, gore or shame. NHTSA’s guide warns that fear appeals can backfire and increase risky behavior [7]. Our guide to traffic safety messages that change behavior covers message design in depth.
Give every campaign a local call to action
National ads end with a national message. Your job is the last mile: one behavior plus one local resource people can use this week. A simple formula is do this + here + by when.
- Car seats: Get your car seat checked Saturday, September 25, 9 a.m. to noon, at Fire Station 3. NHTSA’s car seat page points families to inspection stations and to Safe Kids Worldwide’s technician search [9].
- Impaired driving: Before the party, save [local ride service]’s number. Main Street bars will call you a ride.
- Teen drivers: Sign a parent teen driving agreement at permit night. CDC offers a 2 page printable agreement through its Parents Are the Key program [10].
- Pedestrians: Report dark streetlights on Route 9 through the city’s 311 app.
- Rail crossings: Book an Operation Lifesaver safety talk for your school or club. The group takes presentation requests online [13].
Make the ask countable with a short link, a QR code or a sign up sheet. That way, you can tell what worked. Our guide to measuring whether a campaign worked explains how.
Other official sources of ready made materials
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Source | What you’ll find | Good fit |
|---|---|---|
| CDC, Parents Are the Key [10] | Parent teen driving agreement, teen “danger zones” information, resources for pediatricians | Parent nights, teen programs |
| Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Work Zone Awareness Week [11] | 2026 week ran April 20 to 24, with Go Orange Day on April 22; poster and fact sheet | Work zone and road crew messages |
| Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Our Roads, Our Safety [12] | Tips for sharing the road with trucks and buses, kid and teen zones, shareable graphics, brochures, a campaign calendar | Freight corridors, teen drivers |
| Operation Lifesaver [13] | See Tracks? Think Train! Week (September 21 to 27, 2026): posters, billboards, PSAs, a month of social posts; safety talks on request | Towns with rail lines |
| National Safety Council (NSC) [14] | For April’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month: posters, a social media kit and a workplace policy template after a safe driving pledge; some extras for members only | Employers |
| GHSA directory of state offices [15] | Links to every state’s highway safety office | State campaigns, enforcement dates, grants |
Your SHSO is the most useful call you can make. It can tell you whether local police will join a national wave and whether a state tagged video exists.
The national campaign calendar for 2026 and 2027
These are the windows NHTSA published for 2026 and 2027 [3, 4]. Dates shift every year, so check the current year’s calendar before you book anything.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Campaign (type) | Topic | 2026 dates | 2027 dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk | Drunk driving | Feb. 8 | Feb. 8 to 14 |
| St. Patrick’s Day: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving | Drunk driving | March 17 | March 11 to 17 |
| National Distracted Driving Awareness Month | Distracted driving | April | April 1 to 30 |
| Put the Phone Away or Pay (enforcement) | Distracted driving | April 6 to 13 | April 5 to 12 |
| 4/20: If You Feel Different, You Drive Different | Drug impaired driving | April 20 | April 14 to 20 |
| Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month; National Bicycle Safety Month | Motorcycles; bicycles | May | May |
| Click It or Ticket (enforcement, around Memorial Day) | Seat belts | May 11 to 31 | May 17 to June 6 |
| Fourth of July impaired driving messages | Drunk and drug impaired driving | Around July 4 | June 28 to July 4 |
| Speed campaign with national paid media | Speeding | July 6 to 31 | July 5 to 31 |
| Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over; Drive High, Get a DUI (enforcement) | Impaired driving | Aug. 19 to Sept. 7 | Aug. 11 to Sept. 5 |
| Child Passenger Safety Week; National Seat Check Saturday | Child passengers | Sept. 20 to 26; Sept. 26 | Sept. 19 to 25; Sept. 25 |
| Pedestrian Safety Month | Pedestrians | October | October |
| Teen Driver Safety Week | Teen drivers | Oct. 18 to 24 | Oct. 17 to 23 |
| National School Bus Safety Week | School buses | Oct. 19 to 23 | Oct. 18 to 22 |
| Halloween impaired driving messages | Impaired driving | Oct. 25 to 31 | Oct. 25 to 31 |
| Thanksgiving belt and impaired driving messages | Seat belts; impaired driving | Nov. 23 to 29 | Nov. 22 to 28 |
| Older Driver Safety Awareness Week | Older drivers | Dec. 7 to 11 | Dec. 6 to 10 |
| Winter holidays social norming | Impaired driving | Dec. 1, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2027 | Dec. 1, 2027 to Jan. 1, 2028 |
| Winter holidays Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (enforcement) | Impaired driving | Dec. 16, 2026 to Jan. 1, 2027 | Dec. 15, 2027 to Jan. 2, 2028 |
Dates from NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Marketing calendars and campaign pages, accessed October 2026 [3, 4]. Check the current year’s calendar.
Sample 12 month local campaign calendar
Here is how a hypothetical rural county might plan November 2026 through October 2027. Its data point to 2 priorities: unbelted pickup occupants killed at night, and people killed while walking after dark. In other months, it simply shares national posts and saves its budget for 2 peaks.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Month | National anchor | Local move |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2026 | Thanksgiving belt messages, Nov. 23 to 29 | Share national posts; ask police about joining the May 2027 Click It or Ticket wave |
| Dec. 2026 | Winter holiday impaired driving messages | Share national posts; start belt campaign planning, since HVE needs 4 to 6 months |
| Jan. 2027 | Calendar prompt: review your year round plan | Confirm police dates; recruit belt observers; ask the SHSO about state tagged videos |
| Feb. 2027 | Super Bowl message | Localize talking points and releases; recruit an ER nurse and a coach as messengers |
| March 2027 | St. Patrick’s Day message | Pretest posts with 5 to 10 pickup drivers; line up the feed store and the plant as partners |
| April 2027 | Distracted Driving Awareness Month | Belt counts during NHTSA’s baseline window, April 19 to May 2; book paid social ads |
| May to June 2027 | Click It or Ticket, May 17 to June 6 | Peak 1: run the one week rollout plan; follow up belt counts June 7 to 17 |
| July 2027 | Speed campaign | Release belt results with police; thank partners |
| Aug. 2027 | Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over | Share national posts; walk the dark corridors with residents and note streetlight outages |
| Sept. 2027 | Child Passenger Safety Week | Share national posts; finalize pedestrian materials on walking and driving after dark |
| Oct. 2027 | Pedestrian Safety Month | Peak 2: night visibility tips for walkers, yielding and speed messages for drivers, streetlight reporting |
Built by Drive With Care from NHTSA’s 2026 and 2027 calendars, Click It or Ticket survey windows and HVE planning guidance [3, 4, 6]. Check the current year’s calendar.
A one week rollout plan
Use this for the first week of a campaign peak, such as Click It or Ticket. Finish localizing and pretesting at least 2 weeks ahead.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Day | Task | Who leads |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Confirm patrol dates and facts with police; run the “adapt it right” checklist; send the pre campaign news release and a partner kit with post text, graphics and your local ask | Coordinator |
| Day 2 | Hold a short media event where the problem happens, with a police leader and a health voice; post your first localized content | Coordinator, police |
| Day 3 | Push through partners: schools, employers, clinics, faith groups and newsletters; ask the road agency about message sign text | Partners |
| Day 4 | Start paid social ads aimed at the audience your data name; answer comments and questions | Communications lead |
| Day 5 | Send a weekend reminder that repeats the local ask and event details | Coordinator |
| Day 6 | Host the in person action, such as a belt check, car seat check or safe ride sign up | Volunteers, partners |
| Day 7 | Log reach, shares and local ask counts; set a date for the results release with police | Coordinator, data lead |
This plan follows NHTSA’s three beat HVE model: announce it, do it and report it [8]. For the bigger picture, see our guide to building a community traffic safety program.
Frequently asked questions
Can any group use NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Marketing materials?
The site serves states, local governments and other traffic safety partners. Most files download straight from each campaign page [1, 4]. Follow NHTSA’s usage guidelines, which bar edits to graphics and videos [2].
Can we put our logo on NHTSA graphics or videos?
NHTSA’s guidelines say graphics and videos must stay unaltered. Its video retag process is for states and territories [2]. Put your name on your own post text, flyers and news releases instead.
Can we run Click It or Ticket if our police aren’t doing extra patrols?
NHTSA designed its enforcement campaigns for periods with stepped up enforcement [4]. Without real patrols, use the year round Buckle Up. Every Trip. Every Time. materials instead.
Are the materials available in languages other than English?
Most packages come in English and Spanish. NHTSA’s Spanish social posts are adapted for culture [1, 4]. For other languages, work with native speakers and test with community members.
How far ahead should we plan for a national campaign?
For a campaign tied to police enforcement, start 4 to 6 months out, which is how long NHTSA’s guide says HVE takes to plan [6]. For a social media only push, 4 to 6 weeks gives you time to localize and pretest.
Do national PSAs work on their own?
Rarely. NHTSA’s guide finds stand alone campaigns and public service announcements unlikely to work. But well funded campaigns paired with enforcement can work [7].
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Let local data pick 1 or 2 campaigns, and time them to the national windows. Use enforcement messages only when real enforcement is happening. Keep NHTSA’s materials and facts intact. Give every piece one local ask people can act on this week.
Related articles
- Traffic safety messages that change behavior: a practical guide
- How to build a community traffic safety program that lasts
- How to use local crash data to choose community safety priorities
- Measuring traffic safety campaign results: how to know it worked
- Student led traffic safety campaigns: a peer to peer guide for schools
Sources and further reading
- 1National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Traffic Safety Marketing home page, Safety Topics page and Social Media Playbook. No dates shown; accessed October 3, 2026. trafficsafetymarketing.gov, safety-topics and playbook
- 2NHTSA, Traffic Safety Marketing. Guidelines for Using NHTSA Graphics and Media Assets and Video Ad Retag Requests. No dates shown; accessed October 3, 2026. trafficsafetymarketing.gov/guidelines-using-nhtsa-graphics-and-media-assets and video-ad-retag-requests
- 3NHTSA, Traffic Safety Marketing. Communication Calendars, including the 2026 Communications Calendar (posted August 2025), 2027 Communications Calendar (posted April 2026) and 2027 Events Calendar (posted May 2026). Accessed October 3, 2026. trafficsafetymarketing.gov/communication-calendars, 2026 calendar (PDF) and 2027 calendar (PDF)
- 4NHTSA, Traffic Safety Marketing. Enforcement campaign pages: Click It or Ticket, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, Put the Phone Away or Pay and Speeding Slows You Down. Accessed October 3, 2026. click-it-or-ticket, drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over, put-phone-away-or-pay and speeding-slows-you-down
- 5NHTSA, Traffic Safety Marketing. Topic and social norming pages: Distracted Driving, Speeding Catches Up With You, Pedestrian Safety (2024 data), Motorcycle Safety, Car Seats, Boosters & Belts and Rail Grade Crossing. Accessed October 3, 2026. distracted-driving, speeding-catches-up-with-you, pedestrian-safety, motorcycle-safety, car-seats-boosters-seat-belts and rail-grade-crossing
- 6NHTSA. Countermeasures That Work, Seat Belts and Child Restraints chapter: “Short-Term, High-Visibility Seat Belt Law Enforcement.” Online edition, accessed October 3, 2026. nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/…/enforcement/short
- 7NHTSA. Countermeasures That Work, Alcohol-Impaired Driving chapter: “Mass-Media Campaigns.” Online edition, accessed October 3, 2026. nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work/…/other-strategies-10
- 8NHTSA. High Visibility Enforcement (HVE) Toolkit. No date shown; accessed October 3, 2026. nhtsa.gov/enforcement-justice-services/high-visibility-enforcement-hve-toolkit
- 9NHTSA. Car Seats and Booster Seats. Accessed October 3, 2026. nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/car-seats-and-booster-seats
- 10Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Parents Are the Key to Safe Teen Drivers (updated August 4, 2025) and Parent-Teen Driving Agreement (updated July 27, 2025). cdc.gov/teen-drivers/parents-are-the-key and driving-agreement
- 11Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Work Zone Management Program. National Work Zone Awareness Week (2026 event). Accessed October 3, 2026. ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm
- 12Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Our Roads, Our Safety. Accessed October 3, 2026. fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads
- 13Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Home page and See Tracks? Think Train! Week (2026). Accessed October 3, 2026. oli.org and oli.org/…/see-tracks-think-trainr-week
- 14National Safety Council (NSC). Distracted Driving. Accessed October 3, 2026. nsc.org/road/safety-topics/distracted-driving
- 15Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). State Highway Safety Offices. Accessed October 3, 2026. ghsa.org/about/shsos
This article reflects the safety priorities of traffic safety communications and public health campaign planning. It is general education, not legal or professional advice for any program or person. Campaign dates, materials, usage rules and laws change, so check NHTSA’s current calendar and guidelines and your state highway safety office. Reviewed October 2026.
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