Citation

Imberger K, Catchpole J, Walsh K, Pyta V. Proc. Australas. Road Safety Res. Policing Educ. Conf. 2011; 15.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, copyright holder varies, Publisher Monash University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research has shown that risk taking by young drivers contributes to their crash risk. If young drivers can be convinced risky driving behaviours are in fact risky, they could be expected to engage in such behaviours less often, leading to a decrease in their crashes. Factors that influence risk taking by young drivers were investigated, including situational, emotional, peer group, confidence and other factors, as well as risk taking models and relevant behaviour change theories. From this research, a set of message content and development principles was developed. These principles were used to develop prototype road safety messages to counteract the perception that speeding and mobile phone use are safe. ARRB guided an advertising agency to develop messages into four sets of advertisements, each comprising television, radio and print media mock-ups. The mock-ups were assessed against eleven key components of the message content and development principles, including identifying and highlighting the costs of the risky behaviour; identifying the safer alternative behaviour; and acknowledging the benefits of the risky behaviour but showing they are outweighed by the costs. After further refinement, the sets of advertisements were focus group tested with 40 young drivers aged 17 to 25 (21 females, 19 males) in Canberra and then further improved based on these results. One speeding advertisement for radio and one mobile phone advertisement for television showed promise for final production and release.