Case Study: Telford & Wrekin Employee Education
continued...
Mobile:Engaged contribution
Knowledge exchange
Prior to the Knowledge Exchange Consultation, we were given access to the workshop presentation material
and information outlining the thinking, and research, that lay behind the presentation. We were also given
access to the pre- and post-workshop evaluation questions that are asked.
Personally relevant education
One element of the workshop involved a discussion of ‘what could happen when drivers use a mobile phone
while driving’ [our emphasis]. We suggested that the information could appear more ‘real’ and personally
relevant if it simply asked instead ‘what could happen if you use a mobile phone while driving’. For those that
believe they are safe drivers (as we know most people do¹), a focus on other drivers may lead to disassociation
from the message and the consequences.
We would also suggest that individuals are encouraged to ‘self-talk’ or to vocalise the consequences of mobile
use for themselves rather than rely on someone else providing those examples for them. This way they have to
have the active thought process ‘what would this mean for me’ and imagine a future where those possibilities
have become a reality.
Company policy
Some individuals believe that they are unlikely to actually experience any of the consequences associated with
mobile phone use. A crash, or being caught by the police, may seem unlikely. A more conceivable influence,
however, might be company policy (where an effective one exists). For some, it is not the law that dissuades
them from using a mobile phone whilst driving, but the existence of a company policy that prohibits it, and
threatens serious consequences (such as dismissal) for noncompliance. Professional drivers are, the research
shows, more likely to comply with employer regulation than state regulation where there are disparities
between the two¹.
Where education is taking place with staff who are covered by such a policy, reminding them of that, and
getting participants to vocalise the impact of suspension or dismissal could be effective. Being unable to pay
bills, afford hobbies, support families, or losing contact with friends are all different angles on the potential
consequences of mobile phone use. Including a wide range of effects means we are more likely to find
something that resonates with everyone.
¹ Dorn, L. (2017). An Intervention Framework for Safer Driver Behaviour on the SRN. Report for Highways England. 1-065 Final Report.
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