Increasing automobile seat belt use: An intervention emphasizing risk susceptibility

Abstract

A seat-belt (SB) promotion program was implemented that was based on the finding by the 1st author (1984) that many people fail to take their SB use into account when thinking about their risk of being injured in an automobile accident. The goal of the program was to increase SB use by making the link between SB use and personal risk more salient. The program was instituted at the headquarters of a large corporation. Five weeks of baseline observations were followed by 1-wk active intervention program composed of stickers for car dashboards, permanent signs in the parking deck, and temporary signs in the cafeteria. Six weeks of posttreatment observations showed that the number of people using SBs increased 31% at one entrance and 7% at the other, with both increases statistically significant. SB use at a control site was stable during this period. Six months following the intervention, the number of people using SBs had climbed 61% above baseline at one entrance and 33% above the baseline at the other. Interviews before and after the program did not reveal the anticipated increase in spontaneous references to SB use as a risk factor for auto injury. Possible reasons for the success of the intervention and for the differential impact at 2 parking deck entrances are discussed. (40 ref) (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)