Student Name
Student Number
AMB260 Public Relations Theory and Practice
Assignment 2: Issue Brief & 8 Research Items
Queensland Police Service: The Use of Public Relations Strategies to Reduce Mortality Rates of Young Citizens
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3
Problem/Opportunity Statement 4
Current Situation 4
Target Publics 7
Organizational Responses 10
Theoretical Analysis 11
Ethical Consideration 13
Executive Summary
Road accidents brought about by different means of transportation are one of the leading causes of the increasing death tolls in the Queensland community. Road deaths and accidents presents a total of 329 road fatalities, which have been recorded in the year 2005 (2006), and without the warning and preventive practices and actions to be done, the number of road deaths will continue to increase in the coming years. Such actions must be executed and reinforced by the Queensland Police Service, which is the body responsible for the provision of police services in Queensland, including traffic and road safety of the citizens in the community. The Service also aims to protect all citizens from the different agents in the environment that would present hare or damage to the well-being, integrity, safety, and way of life of the citizens. In this regard, the Service’s capability to use its power on public relations must be reinforced in order to strengthen its duties. Such actions and duties are perceived to be strengthened through the use of effective public relations. The public relations principles accountability and integrity were chosen to be the key principles for such endeavors of the Service, as it possess heavy responsibilities in order to provide effective solutions to the problems of the community.
As such, this proposal intends to explore the public relations theories, principles and ethics employed by the government, specifically of the Queensland Police Service in order to respond to the problems of road deaths and accidents that have occurred within its environment. Such public relations concepts would be used to evaluate the programs of the Queensland Police Service, in providing solutions to the increasing problems of road accidents and deaths.
Problem/Opportunity Statement
Currently, there is a concerted effort from many organizations, departments, and citizens concerning the road safety of the youth population in Queensland. Government officials including the Queensland Police Service, parents, teachers, schools, doctors, hospitals, and motoring organizations, such as the RACQ are now trying to reduce more young people from dying in road accidents. With the increasing death tolls of young individuals in the roads of Queensland, how can the use of strategies in public relations of the Queensland Police help reduce mortality rates of young citizens?
Current Situation
Despite the recent endeavors and programs being implemented by the Queensland Police Service, still a number of road accidents and deaths have been recorded for recent months. Recent news from different newspapers and sources has indicated the involvement of young citizens in road accidents and deaths, with age ranges below 20 years old. According to the latest data updated by the Queensland Government, the issue of road safety continues to be one of the country’s most serious public health issues, as it has significant impacts to every citizen in the community ( 2007). It has been reported that young drivers continue to be the most over-represented category in road crash statistics and represent a significant road safety problem in Queensland, as young adults, with an age range of 17 to 24 years old account for about 13% of road fatalities, with 80% of the group being males (2007). In addition, road fatalities and crashes in Queensland are also accounted, involving fleet vehicles and work-related fatalities, thus, causing more than billion per year (2007). However, such fatalities and deaths could have been reduced or avoided by about 5 to 33.5% by early intervention ( 2006). From the data gathered, it can be observed that majority of the population in Queensland involved in road accidents and deaths belong to the youth population. As such, the preventive powers of the authorities, including the parents, guardians, schools, and the government, with the powerful reinforcement of the Queensland Police Service and other motoring organizations must be involved in providing solutions for the problem at hand.
To emphasize on the preventive measures and solutions on the problem at hand, the Queensland Police Service implements a number of programs that would help answer to the many problems of the community regarding road safety of the younger population. The entire country of Australia implements strategies in reducing the annual number of road deaths per 100,000 people by 40%, from 9.3 in 1999 to no more than 5.6 in 2010, thus, saving 3500 lives by 2010 and reducing the number of road deaths annually by 700 (2005). In line with such strategies of the Australian government, the Queensland Police Service implements an approach that would focus on the key issues that mainly cause road accidents and deaths among the younger population. It has been reported that in developing the Service’s strategies, the following key issues have been identified, namely, alcohol and drug driving, which causes 30% of fatal crashes in Queensland; fatigue, which results in the death of 40 road user per year; speed, which increases the severity of injury when a crash occurs; seat belts, which help increase the chances of surviving a crash; inexperience and inattention; single vehicle crashes, which also involves speed, alcohol, and fatigue; intersections; and serious casualties ( 2007). However, despite claims and recent issues on the deaths of aboriginal citizens in Queensland, the Service still has its vigor and focus in targeting the reduction of deaths due to road accidents through the ‘Save4Life’ strategy. The vision of this strategy of the Service is to prevent road trauma, and to emphasize on the belief that all road users are entitled to travel safely regardless of who and where they are. It also aims to reverse the increasing trend in hospitalizations, being the result of the increased rate of road accidents. This strategy is then committed, not only for the safe travel of citizens, but in ensuring that citizens do not suffer long-term injuries and pains, as the effect of being in a road crash. Such long-term injuries include amputations, brain injury, quadriplegia, and paraplegia. However, the current ‘Save4Life’ strategy of the Queensland Police Service has a number of challenges to face. Such challenges include the assumed increase in the number of road users in the following number of years, the increase in the number of vehicles in the road due to the increase in demand of users, and the increase in the use of land due to the increasing population in Queensland. Specifically, this strategy is focused on the rural part of Queensland, as it is over-represented in the road toll, compared to the better performance of Queensland’s urban areas. The reason behind such focus is the fact that rural roads have higher speed limits, have higher crash severities, and are further from medical and emergency assistance (2007). In this regard, it can be perceived that the Queensland Police Service has a focused and undivided attention when it comes to providing solutions for the problems of the community. As such, the impacts and the results of the Service’s strategy can be given enough attention in the coming years.
Target Publics
Publics, as used in the general concept of Public Relations is defined as a group of people that shares a common interest with an organization, recognizes its significance, and sets out to do something about it, being aware of the situation and their relationship with a specific organization ( 2005). In this regard, the publics perceive the issue to be in significant relevance to their lives, thus, making them organized and energized to act on the issue (2005). Throughout the eight-week period that the issue had been followed, a number of target publics have been identified as being active in the issue.
Queensland Government: This is an active internal public, which play a particular role in the management of the issue. It holds authority and governance over the other government agencies involved in this issue, such as the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Transport, and the Center for Accident Research & Road Safety Queensland. This internal public is positive toward the issue, as it implements a new range of regulations, penalties and initiatives in relation to the reduction of road accident and fatalities in Queensland, including more speed cameras, roadside drug testing, more audible road line markings, more rest stops, double demerit points for repeat speed offenders, and vehicle impoundment and alcohol ignition interlocks (2006).
Queensland Transport: This is also considered an active internal public, being under the control and initiative of the Queensland Government. It aims to improve the personal and public safety of the citizens of Queensland by making the transport system safer and through convincing and encouraging road users to behave more appropriately. It then coordinates with the integration of road, rail, and maritime safety by involvement of all its stakeholders. Some of the initiatives of the Queensland Transport are the nightlink bus and train services, the nightlink flatfare taxi services, the secure taxi ranks, and the public transport security ( 2007).
Center for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland (CARRS-Q): Similarly, this is also an active internal public involved in the issue of road fatalities and deaths, being under the supervision of the Government of Australia. It is said to be one of the leading centers in Australia, being dedicated to research, education and outreach activities in road safety. In addition, it is also dedicated in shaping and informing the public with regards to road safety and injury prevention fields ( 2007).
Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ): RACQ is a motoring club and a mutual organization, which provides roadside assistance, insurance, and other motoring and automobile services in Queensland ( 2007). This is also considered an active internal public, although not mandated directly by the Queensland Government. Along with the other internal publics discussed, it aims to improve road safety for all road users through crash tests, reporting hazards, road user education, road safety priorities ( 2007), and provision of safety automobile accessories and gadgets.
Media (television, radio, and print media): The media is an active external public, being responsible for the update, distribution, and information of the latest news regarding the latest victims and casualties brought about by road accidents. It is considered an external public, as the initiatives and strategies implemented by the Queensland Police Service is also directed to them, being road users in their own right. The role of the different types of media is crucial in this issue, as the media becomes the effective means for the education and information of the general Queensland population.
Hospitals and other medical and healthcare institutions: Likewise, the medical and healthcare institutions in Queensland are considered one of the external publics in this issue, as the strategies of the Service are also directed to the members of such institutions, and being the institutions responsible for the treatment of the victims of road accidents. In their own right, medical and healthcare institutions also participate in the establishment of road safety of road users, depending on their diagnosis and prognosis.
Queensland citizens and motorists: The most important publics of this issue are the citizens and the motorists of Queensland, being an external public of the issue. The initiatives and the strategies of the Queensland Police Service are directed towards the citizens of the community, being the ones directly affected with road accidents and fatalities. The citizens of Queensland are the direct concern of the directives and initiatives of the Service, and are the ones to which the initiatives and strategies are focused upon.
Organizational Responses
During the eight-week period that the issue on road safety in Queensland has been followed, two responses have been obtained. The first response was heard from Tim Nicholls, the Shadow Minister for Public Transport and Traffic Management under the Queensland Coalition. Nicholls questioned the value and effectiveness of the “Enough is Enough” television campaigns of the Beattie Labor Government, as new data suggest that more people are dying on the state’s roads this year compared to last year ( 2007). In addition, Nicholls also stated that the State Government might have been giving up on reducing the road toll, as it continues to increase significantly (2007). In this regard, it can be perceived that maybe, despite the range of initiatives of the Government mentioned earlier, the neglect and lack of initiatives of the members of the State Government prompted the increase of road toll in Queensland. As such, this issue allows the citizens to perceive the inadequacy of responses elicited by the Queensland Government, particularly the Queensland Police Service on the issue. The second response obtained was the news that a list of forthcoming events, such as conferences and meetings would be held in Queensland, in relation to injury studies. The events include “Improving Community Strategy: Lessons from the Country and the City” to be held in Townsville, and the “4th Australasian Conference Drug Strategy Conference” to be held in the Gold Coast ( 2007). In this regard, it can be observed that the topics to be discussed in the mentioned conferences are also related to the management of the issue on road toll, and thus, a positive response.
Theoretical Analysis
To further understand the response of the Government of Queensland and the Queensland Police Service, two public relations principles would be examined.
Accountability
Accountability as a principle of public relations is related to having moral responsibilities, enabling an individual or groups of individuals to assume a capacity for making rational decisions and responding to moral reasons (2006). In this sense, it just follows that when the Queensland Police Service is accountable to perform significant levels of responsibilities and duties, it is also accountable for the mismanagement of information, bad publicity, lack of credibility, and other problems and troubles associated with its functions and obligations. In this regard, it can be perceived that the principle of accountability emphasizes that members of the Queensland Police Service are held responsible for every policies and regulations being implemented, along with protecting and upholding order and justice in a multicultural society. Being a single unit of service, it is responsible for implementing its initiatives and directives in the Queensland community, based on the increasing number of road toll in the region. Along with such responsibilities, it is also responsible for the mismanagement and the ineffectiveness of the directives it has implemented.
Integrity
It has been reported that a successful public relations program holds strictly to the principle of integrity (1957). In definition, upholding the principle of integrity means that a specific organization or institution would be conducting and executing its activities based on its principles and vision, in such a way that its own reputation is protected (2004) and respected by its publics. It is related to other principles, including honesty, accuracy, and truth (2005), and thus, guide specific individuals and organizations in avoiding to provide misleading information. This principle of public relations was chosen as it emphasizes the ability of the Queensland Police Service to obtain trust from the citizens of Queensland, thus, enabling the Service to effectively implement its strategies and initiatives with their support. The fact that the integrity and credibility of the Service holds trustworthy and reliable, the implementation of the initiatives would not be difficult to do.
Appropriateness of the Organizational Responses
Based on the two organizational responses discussed earlier, it can be seen that both a positive and a negative response have been elicited by the Queensland Government, thus, also making the Queensland Police Service involved in the issues. In relation to the first response, it can be perceived that the negative responses of the Queensland Coalition toward the initiatives and campaigns of the Queensland Government, with the support of the Queensland Police Service, means that their actions and initiatives to reduce road toll are not effective or strong enough to reach their goals. This is further supported by a survey done by the Service, which recorded that road deaths were due to road crashes in Queensland in Easter, wherein the recorded incidents surpassed the record of fatalities at the same period in the years 2002 to 2006. Fatalities all involved males, with multi-vehicle and motorcycle accidents (2007). The second response obtained can be deemed as a positive response to the issue. The directives of the Queensland Police Service to educate and provide information to the citizens regarding the issue have been achieved in a way through the conferences to be held. As such, such a response is a good response, as somehow, the organization still tends to continue its aims, despite criticisms to their initiatives, and despite the still increasing number of road accidents and deaths in Queensland, thus, still focusing on the welfare of the publics of Queensland.
Ethical Considerations
The response of the organization in terms of holding a number of conferences and events in relation to the issue of the increasing number of road toll is one good way of reinforcing its stand and directives. Although some issues have been raised on the ineffectiveness of its campaigns and due to the still increasing road toll in Queensland, it can be perceived that the organization never failed to promote the education and information to its publics. In this regard, it can be observed that the ethical consideration of the right to information was considered, and thus, the right of the citizens to have additional knowledge and information on some related topics and issues on road accidents and deaths was not deprived. As such, the right of the citizens to be fed with relevant information was not restricted.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment