Evaluation of the Crash Course March 2009 - De Montfort University

Just a few of the comments appeared disbelieving and this might be interpreted as
defensiveness against accepting the messages.
That people wouldn’t "big it up" as bad when it’s not as bad.
They make it too dramatic! Hardly any actual factual information was given.
The second free text question in the survey administered after the course asked the
respondent, “Is there anything you now want to change about how you behave in
cars or things you would do differently in future?” Once again the answers were
qualitatively answered and coded for the content of the answers. 409 young people
wrote a comment in response to the question. By far the greatest response was to
do with an intention to wear a seat belt in future (253, or 62% of those responding to
the question). A number also indicated that they would press others to do so as well.
The text of the responses also makes clear that a number of the young people had
not always worn their seat belts in the past and a few did not seem totally convinced
that they would always do so but intended to improve their behaviour in this respect.
This underlines the evidence in this report that despite the long standing legislation,
the wearing of seatbelts cannot be taken for granted.
After that the most numerous answers concerned an intention to tell other drivers to
slow down or to drive more slowly when they became drivers themselves and the
resolution not to “mess about” or distract a driver. A number mentioned an intention
not to go in a car with a driver who had been drinking or not to drink and drive
themselves. Use of drugs was mentioned a very few times. Some responses were
simply generalisations (such as “be more careful on the roads”) or were unclear. One
or two people noted other risks to attend to such as the need to limit the number of
people in the car. One young person wrote that they would “walk more!” and another
suggested that driving tests should be “re-done every few years.” 22 respondents
said they would make no change, often because they perceived themselves as
behaving well in cars already. One of this group said no change would be made and
repeated the comment that no useful information had been given. The analysis is
provided at Table 4.5 below.
Table 4.5: The changes young people said they intended to make
The changes intended
(Respondents could mention more than one item: comments all coded.)
39
Numbers
mentioning that
change
Intention to use seatbelt 253
Will tell others to use seatbelts 41
Will not ‘mess about’ or distract driver 69
Will tell driver to slow down, or stick to speed limits 41
Intend not to drive too fast themselves 5
Will not drink and drive and/or go with a driver who has been drinking 22
Will not use mobile or text when driving and/or allow a driver to do so 18
Will only go with a trusted driver 16
Will ask to get out if feeling unsafe 7
Will not go with a driver who has been using drugs 3
Will not go with an unsafe driver or in an unsafe car 2
Generalisation, not clear or other 37
No change envisaged 22
Don’t know 1