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Seatbelts and the dynamics of policy and practice: Revisiting successful behavioural change
Nicola Spurling and Andrew McMeekin Manchester Institute of Innovation Research & Sustainable Practices Research Group
Contact: [email protected]
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1930 1945 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Great Britain injuries and fatalities in road traffic accidents since 1930 (Dept of Transport stats)
Total ('000s)
Road safety: A policy success story?
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Rate of road deaths (2010) per million population, European Comparison (Dept of Transport stats)
Seatbelts: A behaviour change success story? •Legislation made the wearing of seatbelts compulsory in 1983. • By Feb 1983 there was high compliance of 90% of car drivers (Harvey and Durbin, 1985) - compliance levels have remained high since that time. •Over the past 25 years estimated that wearing a seatbelt has saved at least 60,000 lives and stopped 600,000 severe injuries. “The notable success of this example of behaviour change can be attributed to: clear and unambiguous legislation; clearly evident benefits; high quality media campaigns preceding and accompanying legislation; vociferous support outweighing the presence of vociferous opposition. “(Avineri et al, 2009:5) What explanations for this observable large-scale change in behaviour, in which wearing seatbelts became a normal, taken-for-granted aspect of driving a car?
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Car drivers killed and seriously injured from Harvey and Durbin, 1985:206
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Prediction with intervention effect included
Prediction with intervention effect excluded
Seatbelts: A behaviour change success story?
Our research • What happened in the case of seatbelts? – policy
debate, intervention and the practice of driving.
• What are the implications of this intervention for practices other than the ‘target’ practice?
• How do interventions related to seatbelts fit into road safety interventions more broadly?
Parliamentary papers – the journey of seatbelts through parliamentary debate. Literature on road safety research and road safety policy – the other interventions (of varying type and scale) that happened across this period. Road safety statistics – the changes in accidents, fatalities and injuries of different road users across the period.
The journey of seatbelts through UK parliament
Pro
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Seatbelts enter parliamentary debate. Many lives could be saved if seatbelts were used. The main problem is that anchorages are not provided by car manufacturers
1959/60
1966 manufacturers provide anchorage points
1963-65
Seatbelts are not fitted in new cars.
First need a British seatbelt standard
1964-66: Fitting & wearing
1966
Individuals not choosing to wear seatbelts
Seatbelts are poor design
Old vehicles need retrofitting
Individuals not choosing to fit seatbelts
1966 manufacturers provide front seatbelts
1967-68
1967: wearing
‘you know it makes sense’
1967 compulsory in all cars. Included in MOT – leads to retrofit of seatbelts and anchorage points
1965: British standard agreed
Regulation of design*
1970
Belief that only need seatbelts on long/fast journeys
Wearing a seatbelt can be socially awkward
1971: ‘clunk click every trip’
1971-74
How can government persuade individuals to wear seatbelts?
R&D contract for fully automatic seatbelt
Compulsory wearing: legislative process begins
Technology Legislation
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i) It will be difficult to administer such a law
ii) The Law will be too complicated (e.g. What about van drivers)
iii) Debate over effectiveness of seatbelts
iv) Democratic principle
1974
Costs of seatbelts should be included in vehicle pricing to assist consumers.
1974 Road Traffic Bill – 1st Reading in Lords. Clause added to give Secretary of State the right to introduce the compulsory wearing of seatbelts
1976: Law amended to include seatbelts in pricing
Nov 1974: Bill resumed. Incomplete debate stands adjourned
2nd reading clause removed
1977-78
Fuel crisis pushes seatbelts off the agenda.
April 1977: Bill read in Lords. Does not pass
Individual choices not to wear seatbelts cost the taxpayer. E.g. In 1975 injuries caused from not wearing seatbelts cost the NHS £15 million
Spec
ula
tio
n
1976
March 1976: Debate resumed. Free vote to the house. 100 in favour of Bill
Jan 1979: Road Traffic (Seat Belts) Bill read in Parliament for the first time
Contd...
Evaluating interventions: dynamic practices
(1966) Unsuccessful? (1983) Successful?
Evaluating interventions: dynamic practices
(1966) Unsuccessful?
Evaluating interventions: dynamic practices (1983) Successful?
Evaluating interventions: dynamic practices
“Taking those indirectly affected by the law, our model gave an increase of 27 per cent for rear seat passengers, 8 per cent for pedestrians and 13 per cent for cyclists.” (Harvey and Durbin, 1985)
“...the law had no effect on total fatalities, but was associated with a redistribution of danger from car occupants to pedestrians and cyclists” (Adams, 2006:145)
making seatbelts compulsory reshaped driving practice which overall became faster, associated less with awareness and care, more with speed.
Models based on the assumption that all other aspects of driving practice would remain the same
Models based on the assumption that relationship of driving to other practices would remain the same
Evaluating interventions: multiple interventions in practice
“... The decrease in road deaths between 10 at night and 4 in the morning was 23 per cent, while in all other hours it was only 3 per cent – in line with the prevailing trend” (Adams, 2006:143)
Multiple forms of intervention in practice
A very brief history of government road research/intervention:
Road materials -skidding -dust -road quality
1935-1945 1945-1965
Road Design -- road layout -The width of streets -- curvature and gradient of road -- quality of surface -- flow/speed of traffic -- pedestrian crossings
1965-1975
Vehicle Design -- Anti-locking brakes -- fitting safety harnesses i.e. seatbelts -- recognised importance of vehicles for injuries. Road Design --effects of street-lighting --removal of skidding accident black spots -- building bypasses -Improving junctions -Effects of speed limits
Individual -- effect of drink driving
To be contd...
Interventions in practice
Framing road safety and the seatbelts case as interventions in practice highlights:
• Intervention isn’t ‘one-off’ but has a before and an after within the dynamics of practice
• Intervention doesn’t only affect the ‘target practice’ but also the other practices with which the target practice interconnects
• That the behaviour change success of seatbelts legislation was a small part of a much bigger picture that included road engineering, road planning and design, vehicle design, as well as individuals’ performances