The goal of Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEPs) is to induce motorists to drive safely. To achieve this goal, the STEP model combines intensive enforcement of a specific traffic safety law with extensive communication, education, and outreach informing the public about the enforcement activity. First used in Canada, the evolution of STEPs has brought us the high-visibility enforcement campaigns popularised by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) Click It or Ticket seat belt program. Therefore, throughout this guide, the terms high visibility enforcement campaign and STEP are used interchangeably. In 2004, Congress directed NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)to work together to educate drivers of passenger vehicles on how to share the road safely with commercial motor vehicles. In response to this directive, these agencies worked with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) to develop and fully evaluate a demonstration project based on the STEP model. This guide is intended for State highway safety, law enforcement, and other professionals who work in the field of commercial vehicle safety. It provides guidelines for implementing a STEP to reduce unsafe driving behaviours among drivers of commercial and passenger motor vehicles. It draws on examples and lessons learned from the successful high-visibility enforcement campaign known as TACT (Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks), which was developed in Washington State.
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