Long-Term Effects of Employer-Based Programs to Motivate Safety Belt Use

Geller, E. Scott, 1942-; Lehman, Galen R.; Rudd, James, 1959-; Kalsher, Michael J.; Streff, Frederick M. (Frederick Michael), 1960- · 1987 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1987 report by Scott Geller and colleagues evaluates the long-term efficacy of employer-based programs designed to increase employee safety belt use. Motivated by the significant financial liabilities corporations face due to vehicle crashes, the study addresses the gap in existing literature regarding the durability of safety interventions. While previous research demonstrated that incentive strategies could double short-term belt usage, little was known about whether these gains persisted after programs ended. The study aims to determine if practical, cost-effective procedures can sustain behavior change and to compare the residual effects of different intervention types. The researchers analyzed data from 28 distinct safety belt programs implemented across ten work settings, including nine corporations and Virginia Tech, involving approximately 11,800 employees. The study utilized a total of 244,543 vehicle observations to assess shoulder belt use during baseline, intervention, withdrawal, and follow-up phases. Four primary intervention strategies were compared: direct and immediate rewards (e.g., on-the-spot prizes), direct and delayed rewards (e.g., license plate lotteries), indirect and delayed rewards (e.g., pledge card lotteries), and awareness/commitment strategies involving no extrinsic rewards (e.g., group discussions and pledges). Observers recorded belt usage as vehicles entered or exited premises, with inter-observer reliability exceeding 95%. Follow-up observations were conducted an average of 9.5 months after program termination, with some extending up to 30 months. The results indicated that all four program types significantly increased safety belt use in the short term, with a net gain of 127% from baseline to intervention. Crucially, the study found substantial long-term residual effects. Even after programs were terminated, safety belt use rarely returned to pre-program baseline levels. On average, belt use remained 52% above baseline during long-term follow-up periods. When comparing the four strategies, the "No Reward" approach (awareness and commitment) proved most effective in maintaining high usage rates after the intervention ended. Programs involving extrinsic rewards saw a more marked decline in usage upon termination, though they still maintained gains above baseline. This finding aligns with theories of intrinsic motivation and minimal justification, suggesting that internal commitment yields more durable behavior change than external incentives. The study concludes that employer-based safety belt programs are practical, cost-effective, and capable of producing lasting behavioral changes. The persistence of gains long after program termination suggests that intermittent reinforcement or periodic campaigns may be sufficient for maintenance. The findings imply that organizations should prioritize awareness and commitment strategies over extrinsic rewards to maximize long-term compliance. The report highlights the need for further research to determine the optimal scheduling of these strategies to ensure response maintenance and generalization, emphasizing that the choice between extrinsic rewards and no-reward approaches requires careful programmatic consideration.

Key finding

All four employer-based program types significantly increased safety belt use during intervention, and post-program levels rarely returned to baseline, with the no-reward strategy showing the greatest long-term residual impact.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 11800

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• seat belt use

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence