Background:
Falls into the gaps between trains and platforms while boarding or alighting are a leading cause of injuries among children in railway systems, yet psychological research on how to prevent these incidents remains scarce. Although fear-based safety messages are often assumed to effectively raise awareness, little is known about their long-term motivational and behavioral impacts. This study, guided by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), examined whether fear appeals alone are insufficient and whether they enhance safety intentions only when combined with coping guidance.
Methods:
Three studies were conducted. Study 1, a web-based experiment, tested the effects of fear and coping cues on children's and parents' protective intentions. Study 2, which involved field observations at educational institutions, explored the effectiveness of combining fear appeals with concrete coping actions such as establishing a family "safety password" and providing hands-on practice. Study 3, a field experiment using a wearable eye-tracking device, examined whether coping-oriented messages increased attentional focus and reduced risky behaviors near platform gaps.
Results:
Across studies, fear appeals did not directly predict protective intentions. Instead, their influence was shown indirectly through perceived severity and vulnerability. Interventions that paired fear with coping guidance significantly increased safety intentions and attentional engagement, whereas fear-alone messages showed weaker or short-lived effects. Eye-tracking data supported the behavioral validity of these findings.
Conclusions:
Fear alone is not a sufficient motivator for railway safety behavior among children and parents. Integrating fear appeals with concrete, actionable coping strategies enhances both motivation and situational awareness, reducing risks near train-platform gaps. These findings highlight the importance of designing evidence-based safety education and risk communication that empower rather than frighten children in railway environments.