AN INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS REDUCING SEAT BELT USE AMONGST SPANISH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS ON URBAN ROADS
The use of seat belts in Spain has been legally compulsory for front seat passengers on non-urban highways since the 1970s and on all roads and for all passengers since 1992. Today, more than 80% of drivers on Spanish highways use seat belts, but only 50% of urban road users do the same. This paper investigates the possible reasons for the substantial difference in the seat belt use. To identify variables that discriminated between seat belt users and non-users, a number of perceptions, beliefs and expectancies about seat belt use were examined. Participants in the study were 398 undergraduate university students, aged 17-47. Discomfort from using the seat belt was higher on the urban roads, while perceptions of risk, safety, beliefs about seriousness of a crash or the effectiveness of the seat belt were lower than on the highway. The results indicate that to increase seat belt use on urban roads, the issue of discomfort must be addressed. Additionally, information about the effectiveness of the seat belt in preventing/reducing injuries or deaths should be included in prevention campaigns.
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Availability:
- Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
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Authors:
- CUNILL, M
- GRAS, M E
- Planes, M
- OLIVERAS, C
- Sullman, MJM
- Publication Date: 2004-5-1
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: Figures; References; Tables;
- Pagination: p. 439-445
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Serial:
- Accident Analysis & Prevention
- Volume: 36
- Issue Number: 3
- Publisher: Elsevier
- ISSN: 0001-4575
- Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Comfort; Drivers; Highways; Human factors; Passengers; Seat belts; Urban highways
- Geographic Terms: Spain
- Subject Areas: Highways; Passenger Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00973743
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS, ATRI
- Created Date: May 3 2004 12:00AM