| Hazardous driving behaviors, including drinking and driving as well as texting while driving, have become a big problem for our society. Prevention programs focus on the effects of driving under the influence but none focus on the effect of texting while driving. In addition, programs tend to focus on college-aged populations. This study examined the impact of an intervention program on 61 middle school students' attitudes towards drinking and driving, attitudes towards texting while driving, and driving ability. Researchers examined ability to operate a pedal go-kart on a driving course under various conditions: control condition, Fatal Vision Goggles (FVGs) condition, texting condition, and texting and FVGs condition. Researchers measured attitudes towards drinking and driving and attitudes towards texting while driving both before and after the intervention. During the intervention, researchers measured completion time and driving mistakes in each condition. Results indicated that participants' attitudes towards drinking and driving did not change significantly from pre-test to post-test; attitudes towards texting while driving changed significantly with more unfavorable attitudes towards texting while driving at post-test than at pre-test. As for completion time and errors, results indicated that all groups were significantly different from each other except FVGs and texting. |
