Annual figures show that the number of fatalities among youth in the 18 to 24 age group has increased from 107 in 2008 to 128 in 2009, while the total number of traffic fatalities has decreased from 750 to 720. This suggests that a different approach is needed to decrease the fatalities among youth. The current research extends the findings of a previous (pilot) study on promoting proper Shotgun (i.e., front seat passenger) behaviour among youth. A new Shotgun intervention video was constructed for the purpose of the current research and presented to 93 participants in the experimental condition. The effects of the intervention video were measured by means of a structured questionnaire and compared to a control group (n = 100) in which the intervention video was not shown. The results show a significant increase in the attitude, perceived behavioural control, intention, anticipated regret, moral obligation (variables derived from an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour), perceived seriousness, and perceived benefits (variables derived from the Health Belief Model) of participants. The findings of the current research suggest that if the Shotgun video is applied in a national campaign by means of a TV advertisement, it could be used to stimulate youth between the ages of 16 and 26 to pick up the phone instead of a friend while he or she is driving. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting