Development of industry-based strategies for motivating seat-belt usage among blue-collar workers

Abstract

Research has shown that seat belt wearing among white-collar workers can be motivated through the use of incentives. Incentive strategies have not, however, been effective among blue-collar workers for several reasons: (1) lack of identification with the programs; (2) lack of influence on development of the programs; (3) the perception of the programs as a form of behavioral control; and (4) the blue-collar worker's perception of driving being a relatively riskless task and their "negative macho" image of seat belt wearing, among others.

The incentive program evaluated in this study was developed with consideration of the points listed above and included, as its major component for combatting the aforementioned problems, an "awareness session" which attempted to make blue-collar workers aware of the value of vehicular safety belts while soliciting their opinions as to how a seat belt motivation program should be conducted. It was hoped that the latter component would foster identification with the program and allay any suspicion of management control. This program was very effective at motivating safety belt use among blue-collar workers, effecting an eight-fold increase in the percentage of seat belt wearers. In addition, the design enabled a conclusion that the "awareness session" was a necessary component of the intervention package.