The National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR) releases new Legislative Resources page

We invite you to use this page in your work against the dangerous but reversible impact distracted and unsafe driving has on our communities. Along with clear and concise advice for how to get the attention of decision-makers, this page provides research and data from independent sources to describe the magnitude of the danger and how camera technology is helping to reduce traffic collisions and improve driver behavior.

TIPS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH LEGISLATORS

Be respectful:

  • Arrive early.
  • Prepare your presentation to fit the allotted time. Be brief and explicit.

Be well informed:

  • Know the issue well enough to speak confidently on it, but phrase the argument in your own words
  • Know the legislator, i.e. his/her party, membership on committees, rank on committees, stand on issue and his/her general disposition.
  • Be familiar with the legislator’s district. Are crashes there rising or falling, what is the reaction in the community?
  • If you are speaking on behalf of an organization, know the organization’s background, position and relationships it maintains with other groups.
  • If you are speaking as a concerned citizen, present yourself objectively; be aware of your own personal prejudices or biases.

Arrive with data:

  • Bring copies to share with legislator while you speak.
  • Be prepared to leave fact sheets behind for the legislator to review.
  • Include your contact information with the papers you leave behind.

Timing: The best time to speak with a legislator is …

  • Just before a vote
  • Immediately following action by the legislator in support of your cause.
  • When a particular piece of legislation is pending before a committee,
  • When a bill is about to come before the full House or Senate.