Car Accidents in America

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According to the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis, "automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for those aged 3 to 33, with 43,005 (118 per day) Americans killed in 2002 alone" (Clayton, Helms, Simpson, 2006). Worldwide, vehicle accidents consist of 1.2 millions deaths per year, "behind only childhood infections and AIDS as cause of death amount people aged 5 to 30 years old" (Clayton., 2006). The annual cost of road accidents is estimated about $518 billion"(Factor, Yair, Mahalel, 2013). The fact alone of being in a moving, heavy vehicle is a danger in itself but individuals that do not wear their seat belts, talk on the phone, text, and do other distracting behavior also put themselves in even more harmful situations.
The fact that seat belts have been implemented into automotive vehicles since 1968 (Stowell & Bryant, 1978) makes it a very frustrating challenge for public health officials to get Americans to actually use the seat belts that are "virtually in every vehicle on the road" (Clayton et al., 2006). Due to the avoidance of individuals using seat belts, "most automobile industry attempts to prompt seat belt use has relied on negative reinforcements" (Clayton et al., 2006). These negative reinforcements include bells, light, loud noises, etc., in order to prompt the driver and other individuals in the vehicle to fasten their seat belts. Although they are seen as "negative", the reason behind these methods are for public health reasons alone.
Despite the many efforts that automobile industries have created, research has shown that many individuals disable these reinforcements although "seat belt use is the most effective way to save lives and reduce injuries in crashes" (http://www.cdc.gov/). Geller et al...

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...led in car accidents.

Sources:
1. Clayton, M., Helms, B., & Simpson, C. (2006) Active prompting to decrease cell phone use and increase seat belt use while driving. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 39, 341-349
2. Factor, R., Yair, G., & Mahelel, D. (2010) Who by accident? The Social morphology of car accidents. Risk Analysis: An International Journal, 30 (9), 1411-1423
3. Sowers-Hoag, K., Thyer B., Bailey, J., (1987) Promoting automobile safety belt use by young children. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis; 20, 133-138
3.Nathan Smith (2013, Novemeber 3). Theory of Planned Behavior.Youtube.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFn-IOcpd8A
4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2011, Janurary 4). Motor Vehicle Safety. Cdc.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/seatbelts/index.html

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