Don't Mess With Texas Campaign Study: History, Effectiveness, and Success

Murphy, Michael; Han, Zhe; Gallun, Susanna; Loftus-Otway, Lisa

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Don't Mess With Texas Campaign Study: History, Effectiveness, and Success

2026-05-28
By Murphy, Michael ; Han, Zhe ; Gallun, Susanna ; Loftus-Otway, Lisa

File Language:

English

Details

Creators:

Murphy, Michael ; Han, Zhe ; Gallun, Susanna ; Loftus-Otway, Lisa
Corporate Creators:

University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research
Corporate Publisher:

University of Texas at Austin. Center for Transportation Research
Corporate Contributors:

Texas Department of Transportation
Subject/TRT Terms:
Resource Type:

Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:

United States ; Texas
Description:

Introduced by Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in 1986, the Don't mess with Texas (DMWT) Campaign and slogan is one of America's most successful and enduring public awareness campaigns. By 1990, the campaign achieved a historic 72% reduction in highway litter by changing public perceptions and behaviors. However, litter composition has changed. The DMWT slogan's success has been linked to the message which appeals to younger Texans who tend to litter more. The slogan has also been made popular by Texas singers and celebrities through TV and radio commercials. This study documents the history, past successes and future challenges of the DMWT campaign as Texas' population and traffic volumes continue to grow at increasing rates.
Format:

PDF
Download URL:

https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/94075/dot_94075_DS1.pdf
File Type:

[PDF - 7.38 MB]
Collection(s):

US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:

urn:sha-512:4b8be7c1f0dd5c35f385a6248091ce479410143256acb878d825b7ad0408e83b81fe612190b6de7d32dab77d31e43387104b4c8359893fe280abf0ea095470a5

File Language:

English

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