Examining the Effects of Fatal Vision Goggles on Changing Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Drinking and Driving

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Fatal Vision goggles. College students (N = 251) were randomly assigned to one of four groups including two control groups, a group wearing the goggles, and a group watching those wearing the goggles. Attitudes and behaviors toward drinking and driving were assessed immediately prior to and after the intervention, and then again at a four-week follow up. The group wearing the goggles reported significantly greater declines in accepting attitudes toward drinking and driving compared to the other groups at the immediate post-test. However, these differences disappeared after four weeks. Also, the change in attitude was not accompanied by a similar decrease in drunk driving behaviors.

Editors Strategic Implications: School and agency administrators, seeking to reduce unacceptably high rates of drinking and driving, will benefit from this well-designed longitudinal experiment. Replication will be necessary, but the authors present strong evidence that this is a prevention strategy that does not result in behavioral change.