SHOPPING FOR SAFETY: PROVIDING CONSUMER AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY INFORMATION

The purpose of this study is to examine consumer needs for automotive safety information and the most cost-effective and meaningful methods of communicating this information. Current programs and the need for a process to support continuing improvement of consumer vehicle safety information and thereby provide additional incentives for manufacturers to enhance vehicle safety are addressed. The focus is primarily on development of better safety information for new car purchasers, particularly safety-conscious consumers. Following an executive summary, Chapter 1 contains an introduction and overview. The key data sources and state of knowledge about vehicle crash avoidance and crashworthiness as a basis for providing consumer vehicle safety information are summarized in Chapter 2. The strengths and weaknesses of currently available consumer safety information are reviewed in Chapter 3, and recommendations are made for improving current information. An overview of what is known about how consumers think about automobile safety and how they search for and use information in making automobile purchase decisions is given in Chapter 4. Research to fill current gaps in knowledge is identified. Recommendations for developing and communicating improved consumer vehicle safety information, including summary measures of vehicle safety, are presented in Chapter 5, and an organizational structure and an implementation strategy to promote continuing improvements in consumer safety information and vehicle safety design are proposed in Chapter 6.

• Record URL:
  http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9698.html
• Record URL:
  http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/153304.aspx
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309062098
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 168 p.
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 248
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Administration; Automobiles; Communication; Consumers; Crash avoidance systems; Crashworthiness; Data collection; Decision making; Information dissemination; Information, data, and knowledge; Purchasing; Research; Vehicle safety
• Uncontrolled Terms: Data sources; Information needs; Information sources
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile safety characteristics; Communicating; Vehicular safety
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Data and Information Technology; Freight Transportation; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00722466
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309062098
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-042 570
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jun 4 1996 12:00AM