We can increase the relevance of the information
that we share by making it directly relevant to our
audience.
If our target is HGV drivers, use pictures, examples
and statistics that relate to HGVs - rather than cars or
vans - so that drivers don’t think the content doesn’t
apply to them. Where individuals can directly relate
specific consequences to their specific situation - their
own lives and working experiences - research tells
us that we can increase the success of behaviour
change interventions¹. This applies to classroom-based
training, or targeted social media campaigns but also
to one-to-one engagement opportunities, such as
Operation Tramline (p113) or Operation Top Deck (p118).
‘Tailoring’ includes the type of vehicle (lorry, van, car,
UK or foreign vehicle for example) and the type of
driver (owner operator, large fleet driver, long distance
haulier, salesperson for example). There are lots of
visual cues that can be taken from the combination of
driver and vehicle (see the TopDeck case study), and
from conversation, that can help to identify what ‘stage
of change’ the driver is currently at. We discuss this in
more detail on p96.
or to use their phone to finish off jobs on the way home,
it’s probably because they feel, in some way, that
their job depends on it. This pressure can be turned
around and used to our advantage, when we highlight
the consequences that could follow an offence being
committed. Penalty points, a collision, a loss of license
or even imprisonment could result - and employers are
likely to take a pretty unsympathetic view of all of these
outcomes. The same fears about loss of employment
and loss of income should be used to motivate drivers
to stay off their phones - and are particularly powerful
when a company policy is also supportive (if it isn’t
supportive, go back to the previous page and head for
the CEO!).
Collecting data regarding the number of people
stopped in particular vehicles (vans or lorries, for
example) as well as organisations or employers
that they work for allows you to identify any
‘frequent flyers’ that can then be targeted more
specifically with an approach that includes
information tailored to that particular workforce.
Work pressure can be very real and many offending
drivers cite it as their reason for using their phone.
But ‘work’ can also be a really effective source of
leverage to get people off their phones² ³. If assumed,
or actual, pressure from employers is encouraging
drivers to feel that they have to stay in touch constantly,
¹ Noar, S.M., Benac, C.N. and Harris, M.S., (2007). Does tailoring matter? Meta-analytic review of tailored print health behavior change interventions.
Psychological bulletin, 133(4), pp.673-693.
² Christie, N., Ward, H. and Helman, S., (2017). The changing nature of driving for work and questions for safety policy and practice.
³ Wells, H. and Savigar, L., (2017). Keeping up, and keeping on: Risk, acceleration and the law-abiding driving offender. Criminology & Criminal Justice,
p.1748895817738555.
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