Highlights This study offers a detailed categorization of road safety communication appeals. If graphic images are used in cognitive appeals to reason this changes the appeal type. Appeals to reason draw on a variety of approaches to explain risk and limited human capacities. Threat appeals of enforcement correspond to deterrence theory but also refer to non-legal costs. Appeals aiming to elicit vulnerability to a crash differ according to inclusion of response efficacy. Need road safety enforcement appeals that help justify safety rules and enhance public support.
Abstract Communication campaigns are employed as an important tool to promote road safety practices. Researchers maintain road safety communication campaigns are more effective when their persuasive appeals, which are central to their communicative strategy, are based on explicit theoretical frameworks. This study's main objectives were to develop a detailed categorization of persuasive appeals used in road safety communication campaigns that differentiate between appeals that appear to be similar but differ conceptually, and to indicate the advantages, limitations and ethical issues associated with each type, drawing on behavior change theories. Materials from over 300 campaigns were obtained from 41 countries, mainly using road safety organizations’ websites. Drawing on the literature, five types of main approaches were identified, and the analysis yielded a more detailed categorizations of appeals within these general categories. The analysis points to advantages, limitations, ethical issues and challenges in using different types of appeals. The discussion summarizes challenges in designing persuasive-appeals for road safety communication campaigns.
Reprint of “Persuasive appeals in road safety communication campaigns: Theoretical frameworks and practical implications from the analysis of a decade of road safety campaign materials”
Accident Analysis and Prevention ; 97 ; 298-308
2015-07-20
11 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English