Michael Clayton, Bridgett Helms, & Cathy Simpson. (2006)
Active prompting to decrease cell phone use and increase seat belt use while driving.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
39, 341-349.
Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for those aged 3 to 33,
with 43,005 (118 per day) Americans killed in 2002 alone. Seat belt use
reduces the risk of serious injury in an accident, and refraining from
using a cell phone while driving reduces the risk of an accident. Cell
phone use while driving increases accident rates, and leads to 2,600 U.S.
fatalities each year. An active prompting procedure was employed to increase
seat belt use and decrease cell phone use among drivers exiting a university
parking lot. A multiple baseline with reversal design was used to evaluate
the presentation of two signs: “Please Hang Up, I Care” and “Please Buckle Up,
I Care.” The proportion of drivers who complied with the seat belt prompt was
high and in line with previous research. The proportion of drivers who hung up
their cell phones in response to the prompt was about equal to that of the seat
belt prompt. A procedure that reduces cell phone use among automobile drivers
is a significant contribution to the behavioral safety literature.
DESCRIPTORS: active prompting, behavioral safety, cell phones, seat belts, flash for life