Dahl, Frankenberger, & Manchanda, 2003 Approximately 60% of the sample rated the PSA to be on the Unpleasant side. A Public Service Announcement does have the ability to reduce the number of distracted driving incidents by bringing the population's attention to the issue. ). Tanner, Hunt, & Eppright, 1991 Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Davison, 1983: p. 3 With a major increase in distracted driving and the two million accidents associated with it, the government has tried to change behaviors with PSAs. In their study of road safety advertisements, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE However, males as a group appear less influenced by physical appeals intending to target them ( In his study, Contrary to past research, this study did not find support for the third-person effect. The results of their study showed that shocking content in an advertisement significantly increases attention, benefits memory, and positively influences behavior among the sample ( Beyond just debating its efficacy, past research has also considered what ethical issues can arise from the use of fear-based appeals in social marketing. Currently, the main source of distracted driving is cell phones. In the United States, over 3,100 people were killed and about 424,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2019. Por favor escolha a sua regio Most students in the sample somewhat agreed that, after watching the PSA, they were less likely to text while driving and more likely to speak up when they were passengers; this finding suggests a degree of effectiveness from the fear appeal. Informs safety guides of driving. LaTour & Zahra, 1989 ). Concerns Regarding the Use of Fear Appeals. ; Any of these distractions can endanger you, your passengers, and others on the road. the American public) to behave in a way that is socially desirable ( When asked to rate their agreement on the statement, It is less dangerous to read text messages while driving than to write them, a slight majority (34.3%) reported that they strongly disagree. The number of distracted driving incidents can be reduced by public service announcements. These projects increased police enforcement of distracted driving laws and increased awareness of distracted driving using radio advertisements, news stories, and similar media. Don't drive blind Watch on "Thank You" 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. These questionnaires were removed from the sample. 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. How effective are PSAs? Finally, a main limitation was that reported intentions might not fully and accurately determine actual behavior in people. 2.2. , advertising on the issue of road safety is particularly renowned for its use of physical threats in which drivers and passengers are often shown to be injured and killed as a result of unsafe and/or illegal behavior (p. 203). Distracted driving is doing another activity that takes the drivers attention away from driving. The results showed that a statistically significant relationship exists between these two variables (2 = 23.867, p = 0.000). Is Parallel Parking On The Driving Test In Ny? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As they were walking beside the road, a 19-year-old driving at 70 miles per hour struck Julie from behind, killing her instantly. Yet, despite this response, the subjects also reported a higher level of intent to behave in the ways depicted in the ads; this reaction is known as the boomerang effect ( However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Lewis, Watson, Tay, & White, 2007: p. 213 These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America's roads safe. Distracted Driving Car Accidents in California The statistics prove this: Nearly 60% of drivers in California say that they have been in an accident or nearly hit by a distracted driver. Many states have enacted laws to help prevent distracted driving. Seriously. ). Having a Public Service Announcement (PSA) will reduce the distracted driving incidents because, people will show the serious consequences, raise awareness, reduce the numbers in distractions car. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ). Can a Public Service Announcement (PSA) help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents? Write the claim you will present in your argument essay. The PSAs in Dr. Lennon's study showed cars that had been totaled by accidents due to texting and talking on the phone while driving. Schoenbachler and Whittler (1996) Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004: p. 975 Brennan and Binney (2010) To do this, a chi-square test was run for gender and intention to text while driving. review of fear-inducing advertisements. This campaign is aimed at teen drivers to help reduce the risks of distracted driving-related car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere, according to Consumer Reports. As cited by other researchers, their model considered the role of the social context of the coping response to a threat communication, introduced the notion that responses may be due to factors other than the communication itself, and emphasized, rather than minimized, the role of emotion ( ). ). Nine percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes are reported to have been distracted. There are three main types of distraction:2, Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010-2013external icon, 20142018external iconand 2019external icon. observe that a substantial body of literature spanning over five decades attests to contradictory findings regarding the manner in which fear is related to persuasion (p. 49). & Manchanda, 2003: p. 268, Lewis, Watson, Tay, & White, 2007: p. 213, Hastings, Stead, & Webb, 2004: pp. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Advances in Journalism and Communication,03,71-78. ; Thats a lot of groundbut it can also be hard to visualize. 10.4236/ajc.2015.34008, Exploring the Effectiveness of Distracted Driving PSA (Public Service Announcement), 1School of Journalism & Mass Communication, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA, 2Department of Media & Communication, Sungkonghoe University, Seoul, South Korea. All the videos on this list so far have focused on the problem. 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. To honor her brother's memory, Loren Vaillancourt has been using her visibility as Miss South Dakota 2010 to speak with schools and organizations throughout her state about the dangers of distracted driving. Distracted driving is a huge issue in our society. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Can a PSA help reduce the number of distracted driving incidents argumentative essay? The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of a public service announcement against distracted driving on a convenience sample of college students attending Texas State University. This issue presents a problem for social marketers because the advertisements they create are seemingly reached by primarily one gender instead of both. The sample was comprised entirely of university students, who were critiqued as being a relatively homogeneous group ( The U.S. Department of Transportations Faces of Distracted Driving video series shines a light on the tragic consequences of texting and cell phone use while driving. NHTSA, 2011 These include banning texting while driving, implementing hands-free laws, and limiting the number of young passengers who can ride with teen drivers. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety participated in a study that documents teens while driving. Thus, the final sample size in the study was 102 making the response rate for the surveys 93.5%. Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010 The 30-second PSA, Get the Message, features clips from people who lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes and have spoken out through the U.S. Department of Transports Faces of Distracted Driving campaign. If a person tries to text or call while they are driving, they don't get any money. 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. The issue of distracted driving has been a popular topic in research and the subject of numerous campaigns and laws. ). Our safety resources give you the knowledge and stories you need to manage human factorsand wont find anywhere else. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Public service announcements are a great way to communicate. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. PSA (Public Service Announcement), Districted Driving, Third-Person Effect. 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. 39% of high school students who drove in the past 30 days texted or emailed while driving on at least one of those days. Crash reconstruction reports showed the driver could not have been looking at the road for 8.75 seconds. . Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 96 Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. These results are highly representative of normal driving populations, where most respondents have not been involved in a collision or received a moving violation within the past 5 years. 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. ). A reliable construct, it has a reported Cronbach alpha of 0.95 ( Additionally, it would be better if sample were larger. Therefore, creators of PSAs should investigate young adults motivations behind engaging in distracted driving in order to better influence their behavior. These campaigns generally fall under the umbrella term of social marketing. Chaudhary, N.K., Connolly, J., Tison, J., Solomon, M., & Elliott, K. (2015). This study took a quantitative approach to examine the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, and answered the aforementioned research questions. Tanner, Hunt and Eppright (1991) (2021). 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. An official website of the United States government Here's how you know. This age group was selected for two reasons. Like the previous clip, this video takes place on a driving track. As the young drivers turn their attention to their phones or the car console, you can see in real time as the car quickly careens towards mailboxes, other cars and into fields. Emphasize that texts and phone calls can wait until arriving at a destination. To receive email updates about this topic, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Gozzi (2011) 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. 1.6 million crashes are caused by cell phone use while driving. Thus, the present study will restrict participants to both males and females between the ages of 18 and 24. Future research could examine whether any differences in response to PSAs such as the one used here exist with regard to other demographic factors, such as whether one belongs to a majority or minority group. Murry, Stam, & Lastovicka, 1996: p. 1 Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The risks are great and lead to unfathomable results. A Public Service Announcement (PSA) can help reduce the number of distracted driving accidents by explaining the horrible effects of distracted driving and the best ways to prevent distracted driving. This theory, created by What makes PSAs effective? Comprehensive GDL systems include five components 8-9, one of which addresses distracted driving: the young passenger restriction. Cady was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries and died the next day. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. Part One 1. Show More. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I thank all of the families of distracted driving victims who have bravely chosen to share their stories of loss with the world, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Almost 70% of the sample rated the PSA on the Left me with a bad feeling side of the scale. This study focused specifically on the distracted behavior of text messaging while driving. 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 ( 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. Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010 These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. RQ 3: Is there evidence of the third-person effect within the data results? ). Suddenly, the driver in front of them made an illegal left turn through a red light. The good news is that distracted driving PSAs are effective in most cases, but especially with the 18 to 24 age group. Advances in Journalism and Communication 1) Social marketingits uses and appeals. PSAs use ethos, pathos, and logos, which makes them effective. 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 is a leading cause of car accidents in the country. What does Florida do to prevent distracted driving? Lewis, Watson, Tay, & White, 2007 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And phones arent even the biggest cause of distraction. After all completed surveys were collected, it was determined that seven of the surveys either had incomplete responses or belonged to respondents out of the 18 - 24 age bracket. According to the Schoenbachler & Whittler, 1996: p. 38 In conclusion, the present study adds to previous research on this topic by exploring three research questions and contributing useful information pertaining to Texas State University students perceptions and intentions after having viewed a fear-arousing PSA. Among these younger drivers, 9% of them were distracted at the time of the crash. ; WASHINGTON - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released a new public service announcement (PSA) promoting the U.S. Department of Transportation's "Faces of Distracted Driving" series, which has been viewed over 100,000 times since its launch in November 2010. The third research question sought to determine whether or not the third-person effect would occur within the sample of students. 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. ). Moreover, stronger emphasis should be placed on reaching males in the target audience, as they appear to respond less to public service announcement messages. But nothing has quite the visual impact of ads, public service announcements and other videos aimed at curbing distracted driving. Discover human factors management solutions that effectively address human error, conquer common injury challenges and improve safety engagement. Anderson, 1995 He drove into oncoming traffic, and their vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The majority of people said that safety and PSA messages are useful, with some saying that they are more effective than other media. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Given the pervasiveness of handheld technology in our society, there has been growing concern about the risks involved with using such devices, specifically cell phones, while operating a vehicle. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/, Received 20 October 2015; accepted 2 December 2015; published 7 December 2015. A thirty-second PSA from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Put it down campaign entitled BAM! was chosen as the studys media clip because it was brief, current, and utilized a fear appeal. But in fact, these technologies distract our brains even long after youve used them.. Lewis, Watson and Tay (2007) PSAs will not work even knowing the risks and hearing repeated warnings, individuals will always do what they want. Learn how to drive distraction away and get drivers to keep their eyes (and mind) on the road. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Moreover, even though drivers of any age could suffer consequences of driving distracted, there seems to be a greater propensity for younger drivers to engage in this behavior. LaTour & Zahra, 1989 Females agreed with the two intention measures more strongly than did males. Based on. NHTSA, 2011 First, with regard to descriptive characteristics, it was found that the sample was 42.2% male and 57.8% female. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) is a system which helps new drivers gain experience under low-risk conditions by granting driving privileges in stages. Therefore, organizations such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have tried to create persuasive campaigns to reach drivers and tackle this hazardous activity. Lewis, Watson, Tay, & White, 2007 Saving Lives, Protecting People, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, states graduated driver licensing system, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, CDC MMWR Transportation Risk Behaviors Among High School Students Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019, CDC MMWR Mobile Device Use While Driving United States and Seven European Countries, 2011, Governors Highway Safety Association Distracted Driving, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Distracted Driving, World Health Organization Mobile Phone Use: A Growing Problem of Driver Distraction, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Distracted Driving at Work, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Campaign Materials, Traffic Safety Facts Research Note: Distracted Driving 2019 (DOT HS 813 111), Overview of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations Driver Distraction Program (DOT HS 811 299), Transportation Risk Behaviors Among High School Students Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019, Evaluation of the NHTSA Distracted Driving High-Visibility Enforcement Demonstration Projects in California and Delaware, Evaluation of NHTSA Distracted Driving Demonstration Projects in Connecticut and New York, Countermeasures that work: A highway safety countermeasures guide for State Highway Safety Offices, 10, Technical Advisory: Shoulder and Edge Line Rumble Strips (T 5040.39, Revision 1), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Motor Vehicle Prioritizing Interventions and Cost Calculator for States (MV PICCS), What Works: Strategies to Increase Car Seat and Booster Seat Use, What Works: Strategies to Increase Restraint Use, What Works: Strategies to Reduce or Prevent Alcohol-Impaired Driving, Increasing Alcohol Ignition Interlock Use, Roadway to Safer Tribal Communities Toolkit, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Ask the driver to focus on driving. 55-56 That is, people tend to perceive that the medias greatest impact will not be on me or you but on themthe third persons ( believe that these types of advertisements are useful to society because they promote individuals to consider others and act in their best interest. But this hilarious distracted driving PSA presents a rather unorthodox solution. Rogers (1983) You can visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationexternal icon(NHTSA) website for more information on how data on motor vehicle crash deaths are collected and the limitations of distracted driving data. Approximately 60% of respondents reported they strongly agreed that the PSA is believable and that the PSA should be played on television. When asked if they were able to discern which organization sponsored the PSA, just under one-quarter (24.5%) of the sample agreed that they could do so. Part One Write the claim you will present in your argument essay. ). Get the Message is available for download on www.distraction.gov. U Text. ; Joe died the next day from his injuries. To learn if behavioral change actually occurs, study subjects could be involved in follow-up research with a qualitative research methodology. Distracted Driving Summary Fact Sheet pdf icon[PDF 660 KB]. There are no cellphones and no one takes their eyes off the road. The majority of respondents said that they see safety and PSA messages when they are on the road. In addition, some researchers believe that explicit, fear-arousing content in social marketing is not very effectual on their target audience because todays youth have had much greater exposure than previous generations to graphic images and other fear messages ( In addition, freshman was 1%, sophomore was 22%, senior was 23%, and graduate student was 14%. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. , was described and then modified by They may have paused for a bit, but they have since resumed. All Rights Reserved, National Sheriffs' Educational Foundation, Domestic Violence & Crime Victim Services, Inmate Health Care & Recidivism Task Force, National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse, NSA Crisis Management & Communication Training, Occupant Protection/Child Passenger Safety. used a questionnaire instrument to measure the behavioral intentions of a sample of 152 drivers in Australia both before and after they viewed two different, threatening advertisements promoting road safety. Several federal regulations target distractions for workers: NHTSA has issued voluntary guidelines to promote safety by discouraging the introduction of both. The survey instrument also utilized items from a preexisting scale entitled the Affective Response (General) Scale ( The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Bruner (2009) Anderson, 1995: pp. Half the screen shows the driver and the other half shows the road. define a fear appeal as a persuasive communication attempting to arouse fear, promoting precautionary motivation and self-protective action (p. 97). ). The researcher first wanted to know how many individuals in the sample had previously seen the PSA used in the present study. The ad discourages distracted driving by portraying three different drivers, each using a cellular telephone while driving, in what appears to be an everyday American setting. Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 95 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). Affective response (general) scale. LaTour & Zahra, 1989: p. 61 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 ( Business Hours:9:00am-5:00pm ET, M-F. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. However, debate over the effectiveness of these tactics as well as controversy about the extreme graphic content sometimes found in the ads still exists. The questionnaire was comprised of dichotomous (yes/no) questions to obtain background information, as well as Likert scale questions in which respondents indicated their level of agreement or disagreement regarding perceptions of the PSA, and demographic items. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. You can review and change the way we collect information below. U Text. ; So what does it have to do with drivers who arent paying attention? Choose 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. Therefore, some scholars argue that, rather than using scare tactics to persuade people, public health campaigns should focus more on instilling in audiences the belief that they are capable of exercising control over their health behavior and less on attempting to frighten them with fear appeals into ceasing, or not starting, deleterious health habits ( ). Responses were analyzed to gauge the effectiveness of the PSA and look for the presence of gender differences and the third-person effect within the sample. ; claim that threatening advertisements have been widely used in the social marketing of road safety (p. 48). Question: Can A Public Service Announcement Psa Help Reduce The Number Of Distracted Driving Incidents. ). Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. This finding might be useful for social marketers to know if they aim to be transparent sponsors. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2011), Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 96, Lennon, Rentfro, & OLeary, 2010: p. 95, Dahl, Frankenberger. The other part of RQ 1 concerned the impact of an anti-distracted driving PSA on student intentions. (Looking at others for mistakes to keep yourself safe is such a useful habit that its a core skill taught with SafeStart.).