10.2190/U16H-QA65-E4PH-CV41 U16HQA65E4PHCV41 7 The Effects of Prompts, Feedback and an Advertising Campaign on The use of Safety Belts by Automobile Drivers in Nova Scotia 351 361 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 U16HQA65E4PHCV41.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=U16HQA65E4PHCV41 4 Paul A. Nau Ron Van Houten Mount Saint Vincent University An experiment was conducted to test the influence of a standard safety belt reminder sign and a sign reporting feedback about the percentage of drivers wearing safety belts during the preceding week on the use of safety belts by drivers in Nova Scotia. Following baseline periods of varying length, signs were erected on four different highways. Each type of sign was erected on two different types of highway: one type a four-lane highway leading out of the city and into high speed zones and the other type a two-lane highway leading through mixed residential and business areas. Only when a feedback sign was erected along a highway conducting traffic into high speed zones leading out of the city did the percentage of drivers wearing safety belts show a marginal increase. The feedback sign proved to be ineffective in increasing safety belt use when erected along a highway conducting urban traffic and the standard reminder sign proved to be ineffective in both cases. In addition, measures obtained during these conditions were compared with measures obtained one year later, following a year-long safety belt advertising campaign. Results indicated that the campaign was ineffective in increasing safety belt use. Canadian Ministry of Transport, Countermeasures Development, Road and Most Vehicle Traffic Safety Branch, <i>Seat Belts</i>, Ottawa, March 1974. A. P. Vulcan, <i>Compulsory Seat Belt Wearing in Australia</i>, Road Safety Research, Department of Transport, Australia, National Safety Belt Usage Conference, November 1973. E. S. Geller, J. G. Casali, and R. P. Johnson, Seat Belt Usage: A Potential Target for Applied Behavior Analysis, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13</i>, pp. 669-675, 1980. R. L. Burgess, R. N. Clark, and T. C. Hendee, An Experimental Analysis of Anti-Littering Procedures, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 4</i>, pp. 71-75, 1971. E. S. Byers and J. D. Cone, Problem: How to Reduce Student Litter; Solution: Use Signs and a Reward, <i>Food Management, 11</i>, p. 65, 1976. E. S. Geller, Increasing Desired Waste Disposals with Instructions, <i>Man Environment Systems, 5</i>, pp. 39-57, 1975. R. A. Winett, Prompting Turning-Out Lights in Unoccupied Rooms, <i>Journal of Environmental Systems, 1</i>, pp. 237-241, 1977. E. S. Geller, T. C. Farris, and D. S. Post, Prompting a Consumer Behavior for Consumer Control, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 6</i>, pp. 367-376, 1973. Department of Scientific Research, Road Research Laboratory, <i>Research on Road Safety</i>, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1963. R. Van Houten, P. A. Nau, and Z. Marini, An Analysis of Public Posting in Reducing Speeding Behavior on an Urban Highway, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 13</i>, pp. 383-395, 1980. L. P. Lonero, W. T. Wilson, and D. M. Ish, <i>The Seat Belt Education Project</i>, Research and Development Division, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Toronto, Ontario, Report RR187, August 1973. L. S. Robertson, A. B. Kelley, B. O'Neill, C. W. Wixom, R. S. Eiswirth, and W. Haddon, <i>A Controlled Study of the Effect of Television Messages on Safety Belt Use</i>, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 300 Watergate 600, Washington, D. C., 1972. D. M. Baer, M. M. Wolf, and T. R. Risley, Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 1</i>, pp. 91-97, 1968. M. Galizio, L. A. Jackson, and F. O. Steele, Enforcement Symbols and Driving Speed: The Over-Reaction Effect, <i>Journal of Applied Psychology, 64</i>, pp. 311-315, 1979. E. S. Geller, T. S. Witmer and A. L. Orebaugh, Instructions as a Determinant of Paper-Disposal Behaviors, <i>Environment and Behavior, 8</i>, pp. 417-438, 1976. R. Van Houten, and P. A. Nau, A Comparison of the Effects of Posted Feedback and Increased Police Surveillance on Highway Speeding, <i>Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 14</i>, pp. 261-271, 1981. Highway Safety Research Centre, Belts - Questions and Answers, <i>Highway Safety Highlights, 10</i>, p. 1, December 1976. S. P. Stamler, NHTSA States Belt Study Backs Passive Restraint Mandate, <i>Highway and Vehicle Safety Report, 4</i>, p. 7, January 1978.