Prompting safety-belt use in the context of a belt-use law: the flash-for life revisited.
OBJECTIVE
Safety-belt use reduces motor vehicle crash-related morbidity and mortality, yet an estimated 18% of drivers do not consistently buckle up (NHTSA, 2005). In 1985, Geller and colleagues developed an interpersonal Flash-for-Life prompt that increased belt use among 22% of 1,087 unbuckled drivers (Geller, Bruff, & Nimmer, 1985).


METHODS
The Flash-for-Life intervention was re-introduced at a large university with high safety-belt use (i.e., 80%). College students stood at parking-lot entrance/exits and "flashed" signs with the message, "Please Buckle Up, I Care" to unbuckled drivers.


RESULTS
Of 427 unbuckled drivers observed, 30% of these complied with the prompt. Male drivers were significantly more likely to comply with prompts delivered by females.


CONCLUSIONS
Compliance was higher than in the 1985 study, indicating a high baseline rate of safety-belt use does not negate potential beneficial influence of a prompting intervention. This intervention is particularly effective with college-aged males, a sub-group of the driving population least likely to buckle-up.


CONCLUSIONS
A simple behavioral prompt could be used at most industrial complexes to increase safety-belt use among vehicle occupants who are not buckled-up.
Farrell
Leah V
LV
Center for Applied Behavior Systems, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Virginia 24061, USA.
Cox
Matthew G
MG
Geller
E Scott
ES
D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D001336:Automobiles / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017751:Safety Management; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D040241:Social Marketing; D014768:Virginia