About the CRASH Project (College Roads and Safety Habits)
The CRASH Project is an educational and awareness peer-to-peer program empowering college students to develop campaigns to address transportation safety on campus and in their communities. This program is open to student organizations, clubs, classes, and/or Greek life. Join other college campuses making a difference by participating in our program today!
Why participate? This program offers leadership experience, volunteer hours and addresses a major public safety concern. Car crashes are a leading cause of death and disability for college age students. 8.5% of all crash fatalities are among young adults aged 18 to 24 in New Jersey, despite accounting for only 5.1% of all licensed drivers. Walking can also be risky-1/3 of all traffic fatalities in NJ are pedestrians. With the walkability of campuses and the inexperience of young drivers, college students are at a particularly high risk for crashes. By participating in this program, you can raise awareness and help keep you and your friends safer on college roads.
How it works: Participating organizations or groups receive a $1,000 stipend to develop a transportation safety campaign through the school year. This year, we are pleased to announce that colleges will be competing against each other to win cash prizes. Incentives will be provided for completing the program requirements in addition to the competition. A BIANJ advisor will provide support and assistance every step of the way. Final projects will be showcased on our website and promoted to community partners.
Questions? Contact us or call 732-745-0200.
How It Works
Rutgers – CRASH Project 2023-2024 Grand Prize Winner and Second year CRASH Participant, Rutgers University – New Brunswick focused their project on issues including distracted/impaired driving, road sharing, pedestrian safety, and intoxicated scooter riding. To encourage responsible behaviors among the campus, Alcohol and Drug Peer Educators from the Health, Outreach, Promotion & Education department engaged with the community through tabling at student centers, collaborating with groups like RU SURE, participating in Rutgers Day, and using social media for educational posts. Creative elements of the project featured the “Scooter Smart, Scooter Sober” slogan, stickers, a bear mascot for photo opportunities, and interactive activities like a spin-the-wheel quiz.
Passaic County Community College – CRASH Project 2023-2024 Runner Up Winner and first year CRASH Participant, Passaic County Community College aimed to create an immersive experience through their project by transforming a high-traffic hallway into a simulated city road with posters, lane markings, and crosswalks to promote road safety and responsible driving among students. Spreading awareness of their project through community engagement included tabling at Spring Day events, collecting pledges, social media posts, and directly involving commuting students. Their creativity was showcased through custom posters inspired by New Jersey’s humorous road signs, neon fonts on black backgrounds, and school-specific slogan stickers.
New Jersey Institute of Technology – Second year CRASH Participant, New Jersey Institute of Technology’s referred to their project as the, “S.L.O.W.” (Stop, Listen, Observe, Walk) initiative. This project aimed to promote pedestrian safety and awareness through activities like the “Cops on Crosswalk” detail, where officers monitored crosswalk compliance and engaged with motorists while distributing safety items and collecting pledge signatures. Connecting with the community involved partnering with the NJIT Forensics Club for a tabling event that reached over 500 students and collaborating with the NJIT Police Department’s Traffic Division, interacting with over 300 people. The project’s creativity came from the collaboration between NJIT Public Safety and students, resulting in unique slogans, poster art, and social media posts.
William Paterson University – First year CRASH Participant, William Paterson University utilized their project to raise awareness of the dangers of driving under the influence through campus activities that demonstrated how easily mistakes can occur under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This included simulation activities, collaboration with community police, and a pledge program. The event was co-sponsored by the Greek Senate and community policing, both influential campus organizations. Community police provided a course to simulate walking and driving under the influence, and the SGT and her staff gave impactful speeches on the severe consequences of such actions.”
Get Started with Our CRASH Project Toolkit
To help you with the CRASH Project, the following is a collection of content, tools, and resources. Looking for something else? Contact Us »
Use the following links to learn more about the CRASH Project and your roles and responsibilities as a participating group.
- Application – due by January 19, 2025
- Mid-Term Update – due by February 28, 2025
- Final Update – due by April 1, 2025
Promoting your project is vital to spreading the word about your campaign and increasing its impact. Review the Media Tip Sheet Photo and Video Release Form.
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- CRASH Project Media Tip Sheet
- Photo Video Release Form
- Sponsors Logos – please add the logos on this page to any materials you create as a way to thank our sponsors.
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Below are resources to help you get started with your project. Please use local, state, and national resources as you see fit for your campaign.
To enhance the CRASH Project, we’ve implemented an evaluation component developed by the Brain Injury Alliance of NJ. Groups will be asked to participate in an online evaluation at the end of the program.
