Number 315 August 2006

Traffic Safety Facts

Traffic Tech – Technology Transfer Series

Unconscious Motivators and Situational 

Safety Belt Use

U.S. Department of Transportation 400 Seventh Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Despite the overwhelming evidence that safety belts 

save lives, millions of Americans still do not buckle 

up every time they are in motor vehicles. In order to 

substantially raise the safety belt usage rate, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has emphasized enactment and enforcement of strong safety 

belt laws because of the proven effectiveness of those 

interventions. However, there is interest in augmenting those approaches with other interventions in order 

to enhance the comprehensiveness of safety belt programs. This project provides information to consider 

when devising such complementary approaches.

Among the population that does not always wear a 

belt, a small proportion never wear a safety belt. However, the vast majority are “situational belt users,” 

wearing belts only when they think it is necessary. 

Previous research has suggested that unconscious defense mechanisms (i.e., repression, denial, rationalization, and fatalism) may suppress conscious thought 

of the consequences of being in a crash. Thus, these 

unconscious defense mechanisms may interfere with 

the adoption of the appropriate coping behavior (i.e., 

buckling up).

NHTSA commissioned this study to explore whether 

unconscious defense mechanisms can be overcome 

to encourage the full-time use of belts. The research 

took part in two phases. In the first phase, a literature 

review was conducted on the role of unconscious motivators in response to safety threats. Approximately 

60 citations were reviewed. In the second phase, an 

expert panel meeting was held. Over the course of 

this one-day meeting, eight subject matter experts in 

fields such as psychology, communication, and sociology discussed the role of unconscious defense mechanisms, and provided suggestions to NHTSA on how 

to overcome these defenses to promote the full-time 

use of safety belts. 

Major Results

The literature review identified several techniques to 

overcome unconscious motivators. These included: 

increased mindfulness, enhanced efficacy, increasing 

the social desirability of compliance, disrupting resistance, and encouraging anticipatory regret. 

The expert panelists identified several factors that 

make belt use a unique behavior (e.g., belt use challenges personal freedom). Panelists highlighted the 

importance of recognizing the uniqueness of belt use 

and of knowing as much as possible about part-time 

wearers to design successful interventions. Suggested 

techniques to promote belt use included: 

n Develop campaigns that focus on the behaviors of 

“other drivers” as a reason to wear your belt; this 

helps to overcome a false sense of control. 

n Consider campaigns that move away from telling 

people to wear their belts. Instead, create campaigns 

that lead people to the conclusion that wearing a belt 

is a good idea without actually using these words.

n Consider focusing on milder negative outcomes of 

belt nonuse (e.g., getting a ticket versus death), and 

promote the immediate benefits of belt use (e.g., 

spare others from worrying, relieve yourself from 

worrying about getting a ticket, and exercise positive control).
TRAFFIC TECH is a publication to disseminate information about traffic safety programs, including evaluations, innovative programs, and new publications. Feel free to copy 

it as you wish. If you would like to receive a copy, contact 

Melissa Cheung, Editor, fax 202-366-7096, e-mail: melissa.

cheung@nhtsa.dot.gov. 

400 Seventh Street SW., NTI-130

Washington, DC 20590

Conclusions

This research suggests that unconscious motivators 

play an important role in situational belt use, and offers ideas for how to address these motivators while 

noting that there is no one solution. There are a variety of remedies that may be helpful, depending on 

the defense mechanism being employed. The authors 

recommend conducting additional research to identify the best defense mechanisms to target, i.e., ones 

explaining a substantial portion of belt nonuse and 

where the technique to overcome these defenses is 

easy to implement at a mass level. 

How To Order

For a copy of Unconscious Motivators and Situational Safety Belt Use (54 pages) prepared by The Media 

Network, Inc., write to the Office of Behavioral Safety 

Research, NHTSA, NTI-130, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20590 or send a fax to 202-366-7096, 

or download from www.nhtsa.dot.gov.