Red and Unread: Unheeded Warnings

Do you read the warning labels on potentially hazardous products? Plenty of people don’t, in part because manufacturers conscientiously give the warning a conspicuous space of its own on the package. According to research conducted at the University of Michigan, ‘The current practice of separating warnings from the directions for use increases the chance that people will filter out the safety messages printed on the label.’ People are more goal-oriented than safety-oriented when using such products as drain cleaner, says researcher J.