Equipment dealers' perceptions of a community-based rollover protective structures promotion campaign

Farming is one of the most hazardous occupations, and tractor overturns are the leading cause of agricultural fatalities. This article examines a comm unity-based injury intervention designed to increase the number of rollover protective structures (ROPS) and seat belts on tractors and to promote saf e operation of farm tractors in two counties. Equipment dealers who sell re trofit ROPS kits to farmers were a critical component of the intervention. Interviews were conducted with dealers after the 31-month intervention peri od to understand their perceptions, any difficulties they experienced as a result of the project and how a similar project could be improved. Comments were analyzed in relation to theories of persuasion. Results indicated tha t dealers believed the intervention was successful in producing behavior ch ange among some farmers. Dealers also provided important insights into why some farmers continued to resist retrofitting tractors with ROPS. Recommend ations arc offered for designers of community-based interventions beyond th e ROPS project described here.