Evaluation Plan for the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) Program in Kentucky [2010]

Green, Eric R. · 2010 · ROSA P / University of Kentucky Transportation Center

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Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) program in Kentucky, a concentrated education and enforcement campaign designed to improve safety around commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Conducted by the University of Kentucky Transportation Center in cooperation with the Kentucky State Police and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the study serves as a follow-up to a 2007 pilot program. The primary objective was to determine if targeted media campaigns and enforcement blitzes could alter driver behavior—specifically regarding following distance and passing—and subsequently reduce CMV-related crashes. The evaluation focused on two new study corridors: Interstate 75 in central Kentucky (Lexington area) and Interstate 65 in the Elizabethtown area. The methodology employed three distinct measurement tools to assess public awareness, driver behavior, and roadway safety. First, telephone surveys were conducted before the campaign and during three enforcement phases to gauge public awareness and self-reported behavioral changes. Second, traffic data were collected using Nu-Metric NC-200 portable traffic analyzers, which utilized Vehicle Magnetic Imaging technology to measure vehicle count, speed, classification, and headway (following distance) for over 676,000 vehicles. Third, crash analysis compared data from the year prior to the campaign, the original TACT campaign period, and the current evaluation period across study and control corridors. The campaign itself involved three phases of media advertising (radio, TV, signage) and enforcement blitzes involving multiple law enforcement agencies. The findings indicate mixed results across the three metrics. Public awareness increased significantly; survey results showed statistically significant increases in respondents reporting they had heard about leaving space for trucks via radio, TV, and road signs, and more respondents indicated they had changed their driving behavior around trucks. However, traffic counter data did not provide conclusive evidence of changed driver behavior regarding tailgating. While larger vehicles consistently maintained greater following distances than smaller vehicles, the overall tailgating rates fluctuated without a clear trend attributable to the program, potentially due to weather conditions or the presence of police affecting driving habits. Crash data revealed a consistent drop in crashes in the original TACT corridors (which had two years of exposure), particularly for truck-related crashes. In contrast, the new study corridors saw a small increase in crashes, though truck-related crashes decreased slightly. The study concludes that driver safety improved, particularly in areas with extended exposure to the TACT campaign. The authors note that while the media successfully raised awareness, changing driver behavior remains difficult without direct enforcement consequences, as fewer than 1% of respondents reported receiving a ticket for tailgating. The significant reduction in crashes in the original corridors suggests that sustained enforcement and education efforts are effective, whereas the lack of behavioral change in traffic data highlights the limitations of measuring subtle shifts in driving habits through headway metrics alone.

Key finding

The TACT program achieved statistically significant increases in public awareness and self-reported behavior changes, and resulted in a significant drop in truck-related crashes in corridors with extended program exposure.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Sample size: 2308

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• public messaging
• exposure measurement

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes