5 October 2023 10:00 - 10:45
Room A
5 October 2023 15:00 - 15:45
Room B
Introduction:
Cycling under the influence of alcohol is an underestimated problem in road safety. In the Netherlands, 75% of drunk/drugged road traffic victims who visited the Emergency Department were riding a bike. Moreover, the number of injured cyclists using alcohol and/or drugs prior to traffic accidents increased by 84% in the last ten years. Whereas drunk driving is widely recognized as a road safety hazard, the problem of cycling under the influence of alcohol remains largely unnoticed. We investigated the risk factors associated with bike accidents under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, we translated behavioural insights into a behavioural change strategy aimed at choosing an alternative transportation mode after alcohol consumption.
Objectives:
This study combines injury surveillance data with a behavioural science approach to minimize cycling under the influence of alcohol.
Methods:
We used data from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System to assess demographics and injury severity of drunk cyclists who visited the Emergency Department after a traffic accident. Furthermore, we conducted a behaviour analysis to gain insight in the reasons for riding a bike or choosing an alternative transportation mode after drinking. This analysis included various qualitative research methods such as social media analysis, semi-structured interviews and field research.
Results:
People aged 18-34 years, particularly males, are at risk of getting involved in bike accidents under the influence of alcohol. Almost 75% of all accidents was one-sided, and victims often suffered from serious head injuries. Behavioural analysis showed that cycling was strongly preferred over alternative transportation modes when people were planning on drinking. The most important factors for choosing the bike were its comforts, social norm, overconfidence, (absence of) knowledge and risk perception. Subsequently, we linked these factors to effective behavioural change techniques to achieve the desired behavior ‘get home safely’. These techniques have been implemented in an information campaign that will be launched in the spring of 2023. We will share the results of the campaign during the Eurosafe congress.
Conclusion:
Combining injury data with a behavioural science approach is an effective way to translate research into practice. Behaviour analysis of the identified group-at-risk yielded important drivers of human behavior that can be influenced using appropriate behavioural change techniques and design interventions accordingly.
Keywords: Injury surveillance, Behavioural design, Cycling under the influence of alcohol.
6 October 2023 10:15 - 11:45
Room A
Introduction :
The number of Emergency Department (ED) visits due to trampoline accidents has increased significantly over the last years. Previous research showed that many of these patients had taken insufficient safety measures as they were jumping with others and/or they were performing tricks. It is still unknown, however, why people perform risky behaviour. If our goal is to change their behaviour, we need to develop an understanding of their actions. We are particularly interested in adolescents aged 12-15, as this group remains underrepresented in research compared to younger children. Furthermore, this group may provide more opportunities for behavior change, including strategies to increase knowledge and awareness.
Objectives:
This study aims to understand risky behaviour of adolescents aged 12-15 years and design effective behavioural interventions to prevent severe trampoline accidents.
Methods:
Various qualitative research methods were combined to analyse risky behaviour concerning trampolines among adolescents 12-15 years of age. Observational analyses were performed in three different indoor trampoline parks. Additionally, interviews were conducted with adolescents (n=15), their parents (n=6) and employees (n=3) of the parks. Lastly, a social media analysis with different online platforms was carried out. A behavioural change model was applied to the data to identify factors influencing the children’s risky behaviour. Subsequently, behavioural change techniques were matched to develop potentially effective interventions for behaviour change.
Results:
Risky behaviour was mainly influenced by social norms, comforts, and motivation. Adolescents were mainly inattentive and inconsiderate about the risks, e.g., not paying attention to others playing on the same trampoline. Furthermore, adolescents often copied behaviour of others while playing, which became risky when they tried tricks that were too difficult for them to perform. Adolescents also perceived low risk and were primarily motivated by jumping together, which they found more fun than jumping alone. To design effective interventions, various behaviour change techniques were identified, including altercasting, salience, and loss aversion.
Conclusion :
A behavioural science approach successfully led to various behaviour change strategies for preventing severe trampoline accidents among adolescents. Understanding adolescent’s risky behaviour provided evidence-informed starting points for designing interventions or campaigns to increase child safety. 6. Keywords Trampoline accidents, Emergency Department, Behavioural design.