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Abstract
As devices like personal locator beacons become more readily available, more visitors may bring them into wilderness and use them to request rescues and may develop unrealistic expectations of rescue. In an exploratory study in 2009, 235 overnight visitors to the King Range Wilderness in California completed a written survey. Of the respondents, 40 percent considered themselves to be risk-takers. Of those, 80 percent admitted to having done something in a wilderness that they knew at the time was unsafe, and 85 percent admitted to having done something that in retrospect they considered unsafe. These risk takers were also significantly more likely to take chances that could increase their exposure to risk if they had information/communication technology with them. They were also significantly more likely to believe that technology reduces many of the dangers people associate with being in the wilderness. Both more-experienced visitors and visitors with personal experience of a serious wilderness accident were more likely to believe that technology creates a false sense of safety for wilderness users than were less-experienced visitors and those who have not been involved in a serious wilderness accident.
Parent Publication
Citation
Martin, Steven R.; Pope, Kristen. 2012. The influence of hand-held information and communication technology on visitor perceptions of risk and risk-related behavior. In: Cole, David N., comp. Wilderness visitor experiences: Progress in research and management; 2011 April 4-7; Missoula, MT. Proc. RMRS-P-66. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station p. 119-126.
