The primary objective of the Street Smarts public education campaign is to decrease the occurrence of traffic-related accidents and injuries across the County of Santa Cruz. Functioning as a pivotal component of the County of Santa Cruz Vision Zero policy, Street Smarts has evolved over several successful years of traffic safety campaigns.
Since its inception, the Street Smarts traffic safety campaign has grown beyond the City of Santa Cruz, extending its reach in August 2019 through collaboration with the County of Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, and neighboring cities such as Watsonville, Scotts Valley, and Capitola. The overarching mission of Street Smarts is to mitigate traffic-related incidents and injuries throughout the entire county, catering to drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
A core element of our collaborative approach involves the strategic repetition of traffic safety messages through various media channels. Street Smarts' bilingual public service announcements are currently accessible online and have been aired on prominent radio stations such as KAZU, KSCO, KZSC, KLOK, and KSES. These messages have also been disseminated through print publications, displayed on street poles, yard signs and in front of schools, and on City of Santa Cruz vehicles, alongside yard signs. Seven bilingual videos are currently running with captions at the Capitola and Watsonville DMVs until August 2024.