Stop there’s water on the road! Identifying key beliefs guiding people’s willingness to drive through flooded waterways

Floods are among the most widespread of natural disasters and exposure to floodwaters increases drowning risk. A leading cause of flood related drowning deaths is driving through flooded waterways. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a two-phased research program was conducted. Phase 1 (N = 25; Mage = 32.38, SD = 11.46) identified common beliefs about driving through a flooded waterway. Phase 2 (N = 174; Mage = 27.43, SD = 10.76) adopted a cross-sectional design to examine the belief predictors of drivers' willingness to drive through a flooded waterway. Given differences in consequences due to the depth of water, scenarios of low (road covered in 20 cm of water) and high (road covered in 60 cm of water) risk situations were investigated. A range of beliefs emerged as predicting drivers' willingness to engage in this unsafe driving behaviour. These included attitudinal beliefs (e.g., sustain vehicle damage, become stuck/stranded), beliefs of social expectations (e.g., pressure from friends, family members, police), and efficacy beliefs (e.g., small distance of water to drive through, presence of signage). The results of the current study support using a Theory of Planned Behaviour belief-based approach to the understanding of risky transport-related aquatic activities. The findings highlight the role that specific key beliefs play in guiding people's willingness to drive through flooded waterways and, in turn, provide possible targets for future interventions to curb this risky and potentially fatal driving behaviour. Language: en

[1]  Martin S. Hagger,et al.  Modal salient belief and social cognitive variables of anti-doping behaviors in sport: Examining an extended model of the theory of planned behavior , 2015 .

[2]  Louise Sharpe,et al.  A Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Intervention to Improve Gluten-Free Diet Adherence in Celiac Disease , 2013, The American Journal of Gastroenterology.

[3]  I. Ajzen,et al.  Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research , 1977 .

[4]  Joop van der Pligt,et al.  Belief Importance in Expectancy-Value Models of Attitudes , 1998 .

[5]  Kyra Hamilton,et al.  Critical Beliefs Underlying Young Australian Males’ Intentions to Engage in Drinking and Swimming , 2013 .

[6]  Melissa K. Hyde,et al.  Exploring female university students' beliefs about binge eating , 2015 .

[7]  Katherine M White,et al.  A randomised controlled trial of a theory-based intervention to improve sun protective behaviour in adolescents ('you can still be HOT in the shade'): study protocol , 2012, BMC Cancer.

[8]  M. Conner,et al.  The Theory of Planned Behaviour , 2004 .

[9]  Mark J. King,et al.  “They’re lunatics on the road” : Exploring the normative influences of parents, friends, and police on young novices’ risky driving decisions , 2012 .

[10]  Richard Cooke,et al.  Using the theory of planned behaviour to understand binge drinking: the importance of beliefs for developing interventions. , 2012, British journal of health psychology.

[11]  Kyra Hamilton,et al.  Investigating key beliefs guiding mothers' dietary decisions for their 2–3 year old , 2015, Appetite.

[12]  I. Ajzen.  The theory of planned behavior , 1991 .

[13]  Erik Nelson,et al.  The effects of perception of risk and importance of answering and initiating a cellular phone call while driving. , 2009, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[14]  M. Conner,et al.  Efficacy of the Theory of Planned Behaviour: a meta-analytic review. , 2001, The British journal of social psychology.

[15]  M. Fishbein,et al.  Analyzing data to obtain information to design targeted interventions , 2001 .

[16]  J van der Pligt,et al.  The structure of attitudes: attribute importance, accessibility and judgment. , 2000, The British journal of social psychology.

[17]  Pei-Luen Patrick Rau,et al.  Young driving learners' intention to use a handheld or hands-free mobile phone when driving , 2009 .

[18]  Kyra Hamilton,et al.  Key Beliefs Related to Decisions for Physical Activity Engagement Among First-in-Family Students Transitioning to University , 2013, Journal of Community Health.

[19]  Douglas Eadie,et al.  Development and evaluation of a mass media Theory of Planned Behaviour intervention to reduce speeding. , 2004, Health education research.

[20]  Katherine M White,et al.  Identifying critical sun-protective beliefs among Australian adults. , 2012, Health education research.

[21]  Carol W Runyan,et al.  Motor Vehicle—Related Drowning Deaths Associated with Inland Flooding After Hurricane Floyd: A Field Investigation , 2003, Traffic injury prevention.

[22]  R. Tay,et al.  Changing Drivers' Intentions and Behaviours Using Fear-Based Driver Fatigue Advertisements , 2002, Health marketing quarterly.

[23]  Paul Norman,et al.  Simulating behaviour change interventions based on the theory of planned behaviour: Impacts on intention and action. , 2007, The British journal of social psychology.

[24]  Walker S. Ashley,et al.  Flood Fatalities in the United States , 2008 .

[25]  Mark A. Elliott,et al.  The social cognitive determinants of offending drivers' speeding behaviour. , 2010, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[26]  A. Manstead,et al.  Modifying beliefs and attitudes to exceeding the speed limit: An intervention study based on the theory of planned behavior , 1996 .

[27]  Barbara Mullan,et al.  Measuring beliefs about gluten free diet adherence in adult coeliac disease using the theory of planned behaviour , 2011, Appetite.

[28]  Ralf Schwarzer,et al.  Improving fruit and vegetable consumption: a self-efficacy intervention compared with a combined self-efficacy and planning intervention. , 2006, Health education research.

[29]  M. Fishbein,et al.  The role of theory in developing effective interventions: Implications from Project SAFER , 2001 .

[30]  Marie Johnston,et al.  Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour in Behaviour Change Interventions: A Systematic Review , 2002 .

[31]  Katherine M White,et al.  Targets to promote swimming between the flags among Australian beachgoers. , 2015, Health promotion international.

[32]  Gerhard A Berz,et al.  World Map of Natural Hazards – A Global View of the Distribution and Intensity of Significant Exposures , 2001 .

[33]  Xiang-Yu Hou,et al.  Flood fatalities in contemporary Australia (1997–2008) , 2010, Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA.

[34]  Eve Gruntfest,et al.  Risk factors for driving into flooded roads , 2007 .

[35]  I. Ajzen,et al.  Predicting dishonest actions using the theory of planned behavior , 1991 .

[36]  Katherine M White,et al.  Identifying key belief-based targets for promoting regular physical activity among mothers and fathers with young children. , 2011, Journal of science and medicine in sport.

[37]  Icek Ajzen,et al.  The theory of planned behaviour is alive and well, and not ready to retire: a commentary on Sniehotta, Presseau, and Araújo-Soares , 2015, Health psychology review.

[38]  Peter Aitken,et al.  “Washed away”—assessing community perceptions of flooding and prevention strategies: a North Queensland example , 2014, Natural Hazards.

[39]  B. Mullan,et al.  Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption. Testing an intervention based on the theory of planned behaviour , 2012, Appetite.

[40]  K. White,et al.  Promoting Public Health Messages: Should We Move Beyond Fear-Evoking Appeals in Road Safety? , 2007, Qualitative health research.

[41]  Katherine M White,et al.  Identifying Parents’ Perceptions about Physical Activity , 2010, Journal of health psychology.

[42]  Kyra Hamilton,et al.  Drinking and Swimming: Investigating Young Australian Males’ Intentions to Engage in Recreational Swimming While Under the Influence of Alcohol , 2014, Journal of Community Health.

[43]  Hart Blanton,et al.  Reasoned action and social reaction: willingness and intention as independent predictors of health risk. , 1998, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[44]  Kyra Hamilton,et al.  Investigating driver willingness to drive through flooded waterways. , 2014, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[45]  Niki Harré,et al.  The impact of different styles of traffic safety advertisement on young drivers' explicit and implicit self-enhancement biases , 2009 .