GHSA Produces Multicultural Guide for Safety Highway Safety Offices Publication Funded by State Farm Will Assist States in Reaching Diverse Communitie

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has announced the availability of a new publication, "Closing the Circle: A Multicultural Primer for State Highway Safety Offices." The resource was developed by GHSA with a grant from State Farm. The report is very timely as the nation is quickly becoming more diverse. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Department, multicultural groups that now represent about one third of the population are expected to become the majority in 2042 and grow to 56 percent of the population in 2050.

The new tool outlines various guidelines that will help State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) in their outreach to multicultural groups both at the state and local level. The publication is intended to help highway safety practitioners identify ways to understand the cultural and language barriers that exist with multicultural groups and facilitate the developments of effective traffic safety messages and programs. The publication details successful examples of states working with diverse partners to implement effective traffic safety programs. Additionally, a variety of tools and resources are documented to assist SHSOs.

The fifty-page publication was developed by Elizabeth Vermette of the Vermette Group and GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha with the assistance and expertise of an Advisory Committee.

Advisory Committee Members:
Pamela Alexander, Ford Motor Company Fund
Christine Burkett, Iowa Governor's Traffic Safety Bureau
Irwin Goldzweig, Meharry Medical College
Richard Fimbres, Arizona Governor's Highway Safety Office
Joy Hungate, The Century Council
Leslie Moe-Kaiser, State Farm Insurance Companies
Vicki P. Knox, MADD
Marianne Trussell, Florida Department of Transportation