COMMUNICATIONS FOR ROAD SAFETY CAMPAIGNS ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT POLICY : STUDYING DURING THE YEAR 2011 – 2020

Abstract

Objectives of the research article were: 1. examine the social, economic, and political contexts influencing the SMCR communication components in government-led road safety campaigns during 2011–2020, and 2. analyze the SMCR communication processes of these campaigns in terms of formats, content, and methods. The study employed a qualitative research approach, utilizing in-depth interviews, content analysis, and comparative analysis. Research instruments included in-depth interviews with 38 key informants, non-participant observation, and documentary research from various sources. Data were analyzed through data reduction, data display, interpretation, and synthesis based on academic reasoning.

The findings revealed that 1. In the social context, many road users perceive road safety as a distant issue and believe that failing to follow traffic rules does not pose a life-threatening risk. The economic context shows that road accidents are a major cause of death and disability, generating more than 500 billion baht in economic losses annually. Politically, there is a lack of unity and integrated efforts among government agencies, with campaigns mostly limited to the New Year and Songkran festivals, indicating that national leaders do not prioritize road safety sufficiently; and 2. Regarding the communication process for road safety campaigns, “message senders” identify human factors as the main cause of accidents. The “messages” used in campaigns are event-based and limited to festive periods, lacking continuity. The “communication channels” include radio, print media, television, online platforms, public media, and interpersonal communication, but are mainly used only during festivals. Although “message receivers” access information from multiple channels, the lack of continuous communication fails to effectively change behavior, largely due to cultural attitudes that still view road safety as a distant concern.