Texas Safe Communities helps to raise awareness and understanding of, and support for, implementing traffic safety programs aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities in local communities.
Who can be in a Safe Community?
Any agency, organization or group can be part of a “safe community.” These include but aren’t limited to
- chambers of commerce,
- public health organizations,
- medical and health care providers,
- law enforcement,
- citizen groups,
- schools,
- business and service organizations,
- government agencies,
- safety advocates, and
- social service agencies.
What is a Safe Community?
While some people speak of a “community” as a synonym for “town” or “city,” at Texas Safe Communities we embrace a broader definition. As we define it, a “community” can mean any group of people who share something in common. Below are a few characteristics of a “safe community” as we define it:
- a designated geographical area (a municipality, a campus, a workplace, a virtual community);
- a collaborative effort where all participants of the community work together in a coordinated way;
- a membership that promotes safety and health and manages risk to increase the safety of its citizens; or
- a group where the leader is the community itself, which determines what areas of safety and health are in greatest need of prevention, intervention, and control.
Why become a Safe Community?
There are many reasons to become a safe community, some more obvious than others. Perhaps the most important reason is to help create a safe, healthy environment for children that encourages growth and minimizes risk. Below are a few reasons advocates have chosen to make their communities “safe.”
- reducing the number and public cost of injuries,
- promoting health and safety,
- instilling pride in the community,
- encouraging people and families to move to the community,
- feeling like individuals can make a difference,
- wanting to improve the quality of life for themselves and their fellow citizens, and
- saving lives.