After the projects were complete, observed driver cell phone use fell from: 4.1% to 2.7% in the Sacramento Valley Region in California, Graduated driver licensing (GDL) is a system which helps new drivers gain experience under low-risk conditions by granting driving privileges in stages. But instead of trying to break a habit of texting and driving, it forces young drivers to use their cellphones while the car is in motion. The data showed that 47.1% of students somewhat agreed and 16.7% strongly agreed that they were less likely to text while driving after viewing the PSA. These results, as well as the results of similar studies on this topic, seem to suggest that there is room for positive appeals in campaigns to prevent socially undesirable activities. Distracted Driving It was a seemingly normal day, and Jacy and her family were driving southbound. Can You Shoot A Hawk If It Is Killing Your Chickens? Moreover, 42.2% of students somewhat agreed and 22.5% strongly agreed that they were more likely to speak up when they were passengers and a driver was texting. Any of these distractions can endanger you, your passengers, and others on the road. Lewis, Watson and Tay (2007) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. findings are limited in that his research was concerned with participants ability to change the behavior of others, as opposed to modifying their own behavior. ; Advertisements that use these appeals influenceon present viewers with the negative outcomes that they may experience as a result of engaging in the depicted unsafe and/or illegal behaviors ( Comprehensive GDL systems include five components 8-9, one of which addresses distracted driving: the young passenger restriction. Loren Vaillancourt Huron, South DakotaWATCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQDTmKY0vYOn May 20, 2009, 21-year-old Kelson Vaillancourt was riding with a co-worker to a job site when the driver became distracted and failed to yield at a stop sign. The majority of people said that safety and PSA messages are useful, with some saying that they are more effective than other media. LaTour and Zahras (1989) chastise social marketers for their pervasive use of threatening messages and describe their concerns regarding the negative effects of these campaigns. U Pay. To learn if behavioral change actually occurs, study subjects could be involved in follow-up research with a qualitative research methodology. The researcher searched for and viewed several public service announcements online on the issue of distracted driving before selecting one to utilize in the present study. The present study focuses on a campaign encouraging safe driving, but advertisements exist on a number of other social issues such as environmental protection, drug abuse and safe sex practices. Comprehensive GDL systems include five components. U Text. ). The results showed that a statistically significant relationship exists between these two variables (2 = 23.867, p = 0.000). In his study, Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004 Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in accidents involving a distracted driver. The male adolescents in their sample expressed the opinion that others would be more affected by the advertisements than they would be; females, on the other hand, expressed reverse third-person effects in that they believed the advertisements influenced themselves more than other people (p. 48). ). (2019). Bruner, 2009 This means that over 78% of all distracted drivers are distracted because they have been texting while driving. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. PSAs will not work even knowing the risks and hearing repeated warnings, individuals will always do what they want. ; ). By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Moreover, since they tend to be the target audience, young adults could be helpful in designing the content and messages in distracted driving PSAs. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This study focused specifically on the distracted behavior of text messaging while driving. ). Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. In their review of numerous studies that have utilized fear appeals, And phones arent even the biggest cause of distraction. The number of distracted driving incidents can be reduced by public service announcements. Show More. Cell phone records indicate that the driver was texting just prior to the collision. She was texting at the time of the crash. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. altered the original Protection Motivation Model in their study of college students responses to fear- provoking messages about sexually transmitted diseases. Distracted Driving Summary Fact Sheet pdf icon[PDF 660 KB]. What does Florida do to prevent distracted driving? The questionnaire focused mainly on the behavior of texting while driving because, according to the From 2010 to 2013, NHTSA evaluated distracted driving HVE demonstration projects in four communities. Table 1. ; review of fear-inducing advertisements. ). The boomerang effect can be seen as an adverse reaction to viewing a threatening advertisement. Another limitation described in prior research is that, although fear appeals seem to elicit viewers attention, their capacity to induce real behavioral change in individuals is debatable ( You can review and change the way we collect information below. Despite the popular use of fear appeals in social marketing, and especially in road safety advertising, inconsistent opinions remain regarding the effectiveness of this strategy ( The majority of respondents (76.5%) responded that they had never seen the PSA before, which supported the researchers initial reasoning to select the particular PSA for the study. The driver, an 18-year-old man, had picked up his phone to make a call and didn't see the light turn. (2012). Lewis, Watson and Tay (2007) That is, people tend to perceive that the medias greatest impact will not be on me or you but on themthe third persons ( Florida has taken a number of steps to discourage individuals from driving while distracted, including enacting a number of regulations to do so. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. measured the responses of a sample of 229 people to multiple news releases; these researchers also found support for the existence of the third-person effect in their experimental study. Drivers of all ages will be able to learn about the dangers of texting and driving with the use of public service announcements. Is Parallel Parking On The Driving Test In Ny? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. With regard to the content of the PSA, the following statistics were reported. Drivers have also been issued citations for texting and driving or engaging in another distracting activity while driving, and 9 out of 10 have continued to do so. ). Texting behind the wheel makes you 23 times more likely to crash, and reduces your reaction time by 35% A public service announcement wouldn't effectively reduce the amount of distracted drivers. Get the Message is available for download on www.distraction.gov. Heart of the issue will overcome bias Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 95 Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 96 Inform people, especially teenagers, on the fatal affects the victims and their families have received because of distracted driving. ). Therefore, organizations such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have tried to create persuasive campaigns to reach drivers and tackle this hazardous activity. This theory, created by Texting while driving is 6 times more likely to get you in an crash than drunk driving. Finally, a main limitation was that reported intentions might not fully and accurately determine actual behavior in people. The students viewed a thirty- second PSA before completing a self-report questionnaire. assert that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and disability for young Americans (p. 181). There are three main types of distraction:2, Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010-2013external icon, 20142018external iconand 2019external icon. LaTour & Zahra, 1989: p. 63 Argument OrganizerChoose one of the following questions to answer for the argument essay in this module.Does our state do enough to prevent distracted driving?orCan a Public Service Announcement (PSA) help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents?Part OneWrite the claim you will present in your argument essay.Write the counterclaim that you will refute in your argument essay. Related research on physical threat appeals has found that, when compared to other messages, adolescents react more positively to public service announcements that depict negative social consequences ( This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Its a great visual example of how even a quick glance away from the road can lead to a potentially serious incident. This is an ad about speeding, not distracted driving. It focuses on Josh, a driver who likes to text and watch movies while behind the wheel. These projects increased police enforcement of distracted driving laws and increased awareness of distracted driving using radio advertisements, news stories, and similar media. Can a PSA help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents argumentative essay? The absurdity of texting while kissing or during yoga makes you question why texting while driving would be any different. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2011) To explore this question, the data were analyzed for correlations between a question about a generalized audience (third-persons) and a question specific to the respondent (first-person). These rumble strips are effective at reducing certain types of crashes. The survey instrument also utilized items from a preexisting scale entitled the Affective Response (General) Scale ( Texting is just too common to be stopped with only a PSA. Margay's mother, Elissa Schee, is a founding board member of FocusDriven, the first national nonprofit organization devoted specifically to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. The majority of respondents said that they see safety and PSA messages when they are on the road. Both of these associations suggest that the third-person effect was not present in this sample because students first-person opinions and their opinions concerning others moved in the same direction. included within the survey asked respondents to rate their emotional response to the PSA. Students who texted or emailed while driving were also more likely to report other transportation risk behaviors. As the NSC points out, drivers53% of thembelieve if manufacturers put infotainment dashboards and hands-free technology in vehicles, they must be safe. ). The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The PSA ends with the Put it down campaign logo and lists the NHTSA as the sponsor. In this manner, students could describe their reactions to the PSA and their motivations to engage in distracted driving behaviors open-endedly. Veuillez choisir votre rgion Texting and driving is the leading cause of car accidents in the US. Bob & Eilene Okerblom Santa Maria, CaliforniaWATCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr7TfwtO17IOn July 25, 2009, 19-year-old Eric Okerblom was killed when his bike was struck by a truck traveling at 60 miles per hour. The goal of social marketing is to encourage changes in behavior that benefit the individual, community, and society at large ( ). 1) Social marketingits uses and appeals. While the effectiveness of cell phone and texting laws requires further study, high-visibility enforcement (HVE) efforts for distracted driving laws can be effective in reducing cell phone use while driving. ). Lewis, Watson, & Tay, 2007: p. 58 Crash reconstruction reports showed the driver could not have been looking at the road for 8.75 seconds. Table 1 shows the measures of central tendency for the three scale items. Distracted driving isnt just a stupid mistake. Dahl, Frankenberger, & Manchanda, 2003 Much of the prior research that studied the effectiveness of fear appeals to alter behavior has referenced two main theories as part of their conceptual frameworks. Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads today. Part . Distracted Driving is a Problem! Emily Reynolds, Cady's 17-year-old sister, is now an advocate against distracted driving and is an active member of NOYS, the National Organizations for Youth Safety. Relationship between Gender and Response to Fear Appeals. Advertisements in this category tend to promote real-life practices or ideas rather than products or services. Emphasize that texts and phone calls can wait until arriving at a destination. Lennon, Rentfro and OLeary (2010) WASHINGTON U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released a new public service announcement (PSA) promoting the U.S. Department of Transportations Faces of Distracted Driving series, which has been viewed over 100,000 times since its launch in November 2010. In addition to providing great turns of phrase like stupid death by smartphone, it also offers a common-sense solution (with no handholding required). Approximately 60% of the sample rated the PSA to be on the Unpleasant side. Reduce distractions for the driver by assisting with navigation or other tasks. Another theory commonly referenced in the past literature is the Third-Person Effect. Part One Write the claim you will present in your argument essay. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. (2021). These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. This age group was selected for two reasons. In addition, freshman was 1%, sophomore was 22%, senior was 23%, and graduate student was 14%. Distracted drivers arent just a threat to themselves: theyre a danger to everyone else on the road. Some states have installed rumble strips on highways to alert drowsy, distracted, or otherwise inattentive drivers that they are about to go off the road. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tracks. Thus, the present study will restrict participants to both males and females between the ages of 18 and 24. This semantic differential 5-point scale uses three items to measure a respondents emotional reaction to a stimulus, in this case a PSA. But nothing has quite the visual impact of ads, public service announcements and other videos aimed at curbing distracted driving. All the videos on this list so far have focused on the problem. Lewis, Watson, Tay, & White, 2007: p. 213 Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America's roads safe. ). These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Laurie Hevier St. Paul, MinnesotaWATCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pHBWyUQxx4On April 15, 2009, 58-year-old Julie Davis set off for a hike with her best friend in Rudolph, Wisconsin. Its a powerful statement: children learn behavior from parents and its up to adults to be good role models while driving. LaTour & Zahra, 1989 As they run over a whole bunch of pylons, the distracted drivers exclaim in frustration, I cant do it! and People will be killed on the road.. A reliable construct, it has a reported Cronbach alpha of 0.95 ( 1 out of 4 car crashes in the US is caused by texting while driving. Whether its adjusting your mirrors, selecting music, eating, making a phone call, or reading a text or emaildo it before or after your trip, not during. The other part of RQ 1 concerned the impact of an anti-distracted driving PSA on student intentions. This video is from the National Safety Council as part of their efforts to fight distracted driving. Dahl, Frankenberger and Manchanda (2003) Lewis, Watson, Tay and White (2007) How does the state of Florida prevent distracted driving? The risks are great and lead to unfathomable results. Safe driving requires maximum attention because there are other users on the road. In 2013, 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes which involved distracted drivers. But this video is what happens when you strip away the dramatization. Amos Johnson, Ashley's father, now speaks to local teens about the dangers of distracted driving. In line with past literature, males and females in this sample responded differently to the message, with females being more responsive. If a person tries to text or call while they are driving, they don't get any money. Specifically they point out that maladaptive responses, such as ignoring or suppressing the message within the advertisement, can occur in viewers and suggest that only those individuals who are psychologically healthy are actually persuaded by and benefit from such campaigns ( ; Lewis, Watson, Tay amd White (2007) The results of this study demonstrated that participants who viewed the self-efficacy PSAs were better able to discourage others from driving under the influence of alcohol than were the participants who viewed the consequence-based control PSA ( A PSA can help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents. That is, advertising messages in this category may grasp audience awareness in the short-term, but may not necessarily accomplish the objective of enhancing driver safety in the long-term. Again, the results of this study found the difference between genders to be significant. Can a Public Service Announcement (PSA) help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents? Females agreed with the two intention measures more strongly than did males. According to a study posted on toddminerlaw's website it states that research hasshown that Florida is the second worst state in the us for distracted driving. Advances in Journalism and Communication,03,71-78. found that the young men and women in their studys sample did not respond to the public service announcement they viewed in the same manner. Can a PSA help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents argumentative essay? NHTSA, 2011 ). Nine people in the United States are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver.1. Kelson died the next day. Cady was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries and died the next day. Among fatal crashes involving distracted drivers in the U.S. in 2019: A higher percentage of drivers ages 1520 were distracted than drivers age 21 and older. Since their son's death, Bob and Eilene Okerblom have become advocates against distracted driving, and Bob is currently biking cross-country to raise awareness. However, the results for that question were mixed in that the proportion of respondents who answered either somewhat disagree or somewhat agree were roughly equivalent. Distracted drivers aren't just a threat to themselves: they're a danger to everyone else on the road. Brennan & Binney, 2010 Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004 drew the conclusion that young males are considered a high risk road user group and threatening appeals aimed at them tend to emphasize physical danger (p. 213). However, Part One 1. Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The sample was comprised entirely of university students, who were critiqued as being a relatively homogeneous group ( Accidents from distracted driving occur when the driver's attention is distracted by external factors such as picking calls, answering texts, or even taking a bite. 974- 975, http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s1532754xjprr0703_03, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.02.006, https://www.marketingscales.com/sites/default/files/v6sample.pdf, http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JACH.56.2.181-184, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0021849903030332, http://search.proquest.com/docview/220130827?accountid=5683, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000002548, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2006.05.001, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2011.531124, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/107769900508200103, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1996.10673511, http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.187179. Among these younger drivers, 9% of them were distracted at the time of the crash. Currently, the main source of distracted driving is cell phones. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. doi: 10.4236/ajc.2015.34008, Home | About SCIRP | Sitemap | Contact Us. ). Anything that takes your attention away from driving can be a distraction. And, as The subjects will be shown one time a thirty- second public service announcement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations campaign against distracted driving. There's a new public service announcement (PSA) being used to help educate drivers about the risks, dangers and consequences of texting while driving. The researcher first wanted to know how many individuals in the sample had previously seen the PSA used in the present study. These findings are in line with those of prior research, which have often found that males and females respond differently to PSAs using fear appeals, with females being more responsive.