Entry Category
Most Effective Use of Social Norms
Name of Intervention/ Program
Level Up: Motorcycle Safety Training Campaign
Background and Situation Analysis
Washington State has a goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on state roads by 2030, called Target Zero. Motorcycle safety is an important part of this goal. In Washington, 3% of all registered vehicles are motorcycles yet motorcyclists make up 19% of all fatalities on Washington highways. In the U.S., three out of four fatal motorcycle crash victims have no record of completing a training program, but research shows that properly licensed (having an official motorcycle endorsement on your license) and well-trained motorcycle riders make fewer errors, crash less, and are least likely to experience serious injury or death on the road. In 2021, the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) recorded a concerning trend in the number of improperly licensed riders (those with a suspended or expired license, or no license at all) involved in fatal motorcycle accidents: from 2017-2020 they averaged 13% but had risen to 19% in 2021. To complement other motorcycle road safety activities like “Motorcycles Use Caution” signage in high-risk urban areas, DOL saw a clear need to encourage Washington motorcycle riders to take a training class, which often leads to an endorsement. In 2024, DOL partnered with the agency to develop a behavior change campaign that could help decrease motorcycle fatalities by raising the awareness of the importance of motorcycle training and getting riders to find a training center, sign up, and participate.
Priority Audiences(s)
The campaign development process included data analysis, mining insights from a qualitative study and secondary research. Primary data from DOL regarding motorcycle ridership, training participation, as well as crashes and fatalities showed that from 2017-2020, 57% of fatal motorcycle crashes occurred in urban areas, but in 2021, this jumped to 68%. A consistent 53% of all fatalities were riders over the age of 40 and 31% above the age of 55.
This data pointed us to focus on the priority audience of riders, age 40+, in highly dense urban areas.
Behavioral Objectives (maximum 250 words) *
The campaign goal was to decrease the number of motorcycle fatalities on Washington highways in 2024. The campaign objectives included:
- Objective 1: Increase the number of riders taking motorcycle training by 7% from 2023-2024.
- Objective 2: Raise awareness during peak riding season (May-November 2024) about the importance of training and drive 100,000 people to the website where they can learn more and sign up for a course.
- Objective 3: Spur 200 riders who have never taken a motorcycle training course to sign up for a free $100 training voucher.
Description of Strategy/Intervention
The team reviewed findings from a recent qualitative study funded by a partner agency to understand Washington motorcyclists’ perceptions, attitudes and beliefs around motorcycle safety.
Insights included that ‘gear’, ‘training’, ‘being visible’, ‘focused’, and ‘driving defensively’ are all things that come to mind when riders think about motorcycle safety, however, messages about ‘training’ specifically were found to be less motivating, believable, and relatable than riding sober, creating safety on the road, and wearing safety gear.
Also, while many motorcyclists are willing to take a training, they are not the riders we needed to reach. To maximize impact, our message needed to reach and resonate with riders who are least likely to take a training and most likely to experience a traffic fatality.
Using regional and national studies, other motorcycle safety campaigns, and literature about motorcyclist subcultures, the team mapped the likely mindsets of the riders we needed to reach.
The first mindset, dubbed the ‘Liberation Pioneer’, is the rider you might picture on a Harley-Davidson. The core reason these people ride is to seek a break from societal expectations—they’re drawn to the idea of challenging conventional boundaries. When it comes to safety, they trust their instincts and experience.
The second, the ‘Thrill Buff’, is a rider you might picture on a fast sport bike. They ride to experience the intense sensory thrill of riding, speed, and freedom, and are likely to believe skill and control keep them safe.
The team also uncovered a key identity barrier. For some riders, training carries an unintended social cost: enrolling in a skills course risks signaling they lack experience, confidence, or competence. In a subculture where self-reliance and skill are highly valued, training could feel less like an opportunity for growth and more like an admission that a rider has something to prove.
To craft the best message that will motivate riders to take a training, the campaign needed to appeal to riders drawn to the idea of challenging conventional boundaries and who seek the thrill of riding—by showing training will 1) enhance skills and control, and 2) empower them to navigate challenges instinctively. It also needed to use social norming to position training as a positive behavior embraced by skilled and serious riders—a marker of growth, confidence, and mastery, rather than a remedy for inexperience or lack of skill.
Campaign messaging was relatable and empowering, associating training courses with “leveling up your skills” and “taking your skills to the next level”. Messaging and campaign creative utilized social norming like, “Join the 12,000 Washington riders that level up their skills every year” and partnered with a local motorcycle influencer to reinforce skills training as a social norm within the rider community.
Implementation
The campaign targeted riders over the age of 40 in counties with the highest recorded motorcycle traffic fatalities, and within lower-density counties, the campaign was focused in highly dense urban areas. Tactics included:
- Website: Campaign materials drove riders to a campaign website where they could read more about training benefits and find a training center and course. While supplies lasted, the website offered a $100 training voucher as an incentive to the first 200 riders to sign up, knowing cost could be a barrier.
- Direct Mail: Nearly 50,000 postcards were mailed to Washington motorcycle riders, encouraging them to take their skills to the next level by visiting the website to find a training center and course. It reminded riders that taking a course can lead to an endorsement and included the $100 voucher offer.
- Influencer Partnership: The team partnered with local influencer Gabrielle Collier (@eros.moto), who produced multiple Instagram Reels, Stories, and In-Feed posts that highlighted the importance of motorcycle training for honing skills, being prepared for emergencies on the road, and how to sign up for course. Her content reinforced training as a social norm within the motorcycle community.
- Advertising: The ad campaign drove reach, message frequency and engagement through Google Search, reaching people actively searching for information about taking a motorcycle skills course in Washington, and by driving website clicks through Display Network ads that targeted motorcycle riders in highly dense urban areas, as well as on Facebook and Instagram where ads had empowering messaging (“training takes riders from ‘novice’ to ‘expert’ or ‘squid’ (a motorcycle term) to ‘legend’). Social ads and posts had high and positive engagement.
Evaluation Methods and Results
The campaign exceeded all objectives, and ultimately helped decrease motorcycle fatalities in Washington state, which dropped by 20% in 2024, compared to the previous year.
Objective 1: Increase the number of Washington riders taking motorcycle training by 7% from 2023-2024.
Result: Year-over-year (2023 to 2024), WA DOL recorded a 10.5% increase in rider training participation.
Objective 2: Raise awareness during peak riding season about the importance of training and drive 100K people to the website where they can learn more and sign up for a course.
Result: The campaign drove 151,000 visits to the website by 109K unique users in the peak season.
Notably, 9,277 clicks with the page indicated high interest as visitors explored motorcycle training centers. More than 1,600 riders on the postcard list added their endorsement (4%) and 970 took a version of motorcycle training (2%).
Objective 3: Spur 200 riders who have never taken a motorcycle training course to sign up for a free $100 training voucher.
Result: Two weeks after launching, all 200 $100 vouchers had been distributed to riders. Five months after launch, 29 riders had already redeemed their voucher and participated in a motorcycle training course.
The campaign’s success spurred opportunities for the team and DOL to co-present campaign results at the Washington Traffic Safety Commission’s Summit in Spokane and the State Motorcycle Safety Association’s National Motorcycle Training Summit in 2025. The News Tribune in Tacoma, WA published a story about the decrease in Washington motorcycle fatalities and our approach with this behavior change marketing campaign.
Entry Number: 29