Book Description

Although road safety interventions have, to date, not been very successful at bringing about reductions in speeding behaviour, research indicates that specifying implementation intentions will be effective for a substantial number of drivers. The present study tested the effects of a newly developed implementation intention intervention on drivers' speeding behaviour. A randomised controlled design was used. At baseline, a convenience sample (N = 118) completed self-report questionnaires measuring speeding behaviour and motivation to speed. Experimental participants then specified implementation intentions to reduce their speeding, using a volitional help sheet that required them to link critical situations in which they are tempted to speed with strategies to resist the temptation. An active control group was, instead, asked to change their behaviour and received an informational leaflet about the risks of speeding. All participants completed the self-report questionnaire again at follow-up, one month post intervention. In line with the hypotheses, it was found that: 1) the experimental group exceeded the speed limit less frequently than did the control group, and this change in behaviour was not attributable to any changes in motivation; 2) goal intention was a stronger predictor of subsequent speeding behaviour for the experimental participants than the control participants, and past behaviour was a weaker predictor; and 3) the experimental group not only reduced speeding in the critical situations specified in their implementation intentions, but also in situations they did not specify. These results held only for participants who at baseline reported speeding more than they intended to (just over 50% of the sample). The findings suggest that implementation intentions will be effective at reducing speeding for half the driving population and work by weakening the effect of habit, thereby allowing generally positive (safe) intentions to guide subsequent behaviour.