An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Televised, Locally Oriented Driver Re-Education

TELEVISION, WITH ITS ABILITY TO REACH LARGE AUDIENCES, HAS BEEN USED EXTENSIVELY IN DRIVER-EDUCATION EFFORTS BUT ITS EFFECTIVENESS HAS NEVER BEEN MEASURED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH WAS TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TELEVISED, LOCALLY ORIENTED, "CANDID CAMERA" TYPE OF DRIVER RE-EDUCATION PROGRAM. THE MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS INCLUDED A STUDY OF CHANGES IN DRIVER ERRORS AT 8 LOCAL INTERSECTIONS AND AN ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN ACCIDENT-INVOLVEMENT RATE FOR 48 LOCAL INTERSECTIONS. THE TELEVISED PROGRAM ENTITLED "TRAFFIC MADNESS" CONSISTED OF AN 18-MONTH SERIES OF 2- TO 3-MINUTE LOCALLY ORIENTED TRAFFIC SAFETY FILMS, PRODUCED BY RESEARCH PROJECT STAFF. THESE SHOWED LOCAL DRIVERS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING ERRORS AT BOTH RURAL AND URBAN LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT LEXINGTON-FAYETTE COUNTY, KENTUCKY. IN SEQUENCE WITH EACH TYPE OF DRIVER ERROR SHOWN, THE CORRESPONDING CORRECT DRIVING PROCEDURE WAS ILLUSTRATED. BOTH DRIVER ERRORS AND TOTAL ACCIDENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED 17.4 PERCENT (P LESS THAN 0.01) AND 12.5 PERCENT (P LESS THAN 0.01) RESPECTIVELY. DRIVER ERRORS WERE COUNTED ONLY DURING HOME-FROM-WORK RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM 4:00 TO 5:30 P.M., WHEREAS THE ACCIDENT STUDY ENCOMPASSED ALL HOURS OF THE WEEK WHEN OUT-OF-COUNTY DRIVERS NOT EXPOSED TO THE PROGRAM MADE UP A PROPORTIONATELY LARGER PERCENTAGE OF DRIVERS IN THE SAMPLE. /AUTHOR/