The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes
Dangerous driving is a social problem that results in serious injuries, fatalities, and significant economic costs. Extensive research has examined the efficacy of road safety campaigns in curbing dangerous driving, however, these investigations have largely focused on negatively valenced messages....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Australasian College of Road Safety
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Road Safety |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.33492/JRS-D-19-00230 |
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| author | Ben Morrison Mark Sasaki Natalie Morrison |
| author_facet | Ben Morrison Mark Sasaki Natalie Morrison |
| author_sort | Ben Morrison |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dangerous driving is a social problem that results in serious injuries, fatalities, and significant economic costs. Extensive research has examined the efficacy of road safety campaigns in curbing dangerous driving, however, these investigations have largely focused on negatively valenced messages. Less attention has been paid to positively valenced examples, and the role of drivers’ motivations for dangerous driving in relation to message impact. One hundred sixty licensed drivers (female, n = 120; male, n = 30; other, n = 10) completed a questionnaire that measured their current driving behaviours and their motives for driving dangerously. Drivers then viewed one of two safe driving messages (either positive or negative in valence) and provided a gauge of message impact. Finally, looking to the future, participants completed a measure of planned driving behaviour. Results revealed differences across sex in drivers’ motivations to drive dangerously, as well as their planned behavioural change after viewing the safety messages. On average, participants recorded greater response efficacy and message acceptance, and lower message rejection in the positive message group, compared to the negative message group. Further, in a separate analysis of female-only drivers, a number motivators of dangerous driving were linked to message impact from safe driving campaigns. The findings suggest that, despite the traditional dominance of negatively valenced campaigns, there may be benefit in the use of positive campaigns, and further that motivators of dangerous driving can be linked to message impact from safe driving campaigns, supporting the case for a more targeted approach in campaign design. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-abfc1aba619e4ace90409cdd00de59ca |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2652-4260 2652-4252 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Australasian College of Road Safety |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Road Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-abfc1aba619e4ace90409cdd00de59ca2025-08-20T01:47:55ZengAustralasian College of Road SafetyJournal of Road Safety2652-42602652-42522020-11-0131410.33492/JRS-D-19-00230The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving AttitudesBen MorrisonMark SasakiNatalie MorrisonDangerous driving is a social problem that results in serious injuries, fatalities, and significant economic costs. Extensive research has examined the efficacy of road safety campaigns in curbing dangerous driving, however, these investigations have largely focused on negatively valenced messages. Less attention has been paid to positively valenced examples, and the role of drivers’ motivations for dangerous driving in relation to message impact. One hundred sixty licensed drivers (female, n = 120; male, n = 30; other, n = 10) completed a questionnaire that measured their current driving behaviours and their motives for driving dangerously. Drivers then viewed one of two safe driving messages (either positive or negative in valence) and provided a gauge of message impact. Finally, looking to the future, participants completed a measure of planned driving behaviour. Results revealed differences across sex in drivers’ motivations to drive dangerously, as well as their planned behavioural change after viewing the safety messages. On average, participants recorded greater response efficacy and message acceptance, and lower message rejection in the positive message group, compared to the negative message group. Further, in a separate analysis of female-only drivers, a number motivators of dangerous driving were linked to message impact from safe driving campaigns. The findings suggest that, despite the traditional dominance of negatively valenced campaigns, there may be benefit in the use of positive campaigns, and further that motivators of dangerous driving can be linked to message impact from safe driving campaigns, supporting the case for a more targeted approach in campaign design.https://doi.org/10.33492/JRS-D-19-00230 |
| spellingShingle | Ben Morrison Mark Sasaki Natalie Morrison The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes Journal of Road Safety |
| title | The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes |
| title_full | The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes |
| title_fullStr | The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes |
| title_short | The Relative Efficacy of Positively and Negatively Valenced Road Safety Campaign Messages in Improving Dangerous Driving Attitudes |
| title_sort | relative efficacy of positively and negatively valenced road safety campaign messages in improving dangerous driving attitudes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.33492/JRS-D-19-00230 |
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