The effects of a seatbelt-gearshift delay prompt on the seatbelt use of motorists who do not regularly wear seatbelts.
A seatbelt-gearshift delay was evaluated in two U.S. and three Canadian vehicles using a reversal design. The seatbelt-gearshift delay required unbelted drivers either to buckle their seatbelts or to wait a specified time before they could put the vehicle in gear. After collecting behavioral prebaseline data, a data logger was installed in all five vehicles to collect automated data on seatbelt use. Next the seatbelt-gearshift delay was introduced. The results showed that the delay increased all 5 drivers' seatbelt use, and that the duration of the delay that produced relatively consistent seatbelt use varied across drivers from 5 to 20 s. When the device was deactivated in four of the five vehicles, behavior returned to baseline levels.
Van Houten
Ron
R
Psychology Department, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 2J6, Canada. rvh@cers-safety.com
Malenfant
J E Louis
JE
Austin
John
J
Lebbon
Angie
A
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D001334:Automobile Driving; D006801:Humans; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors