PROMOTING THE USE OF SEAT BELTS IN WESSEX

A six-month study into the effect of a substantial programme of integrated health education, promoting the use of seat belts, showed no major change in the rates for occupants of front seats, which remained around 35 per cent. Though there were increases of up to 5 per cent in the seat belt wearing rates immediately after the multi-media campaigns which achieved high penetration, only those among women drivers were sustained. Of the methods used to disseminate information, television had the greatest impact on the community, followed by press reports and radio broadcasts. It is concluded that health education alone is insufficient to increase significantly the use of car seat belts. Britain should follow its European partners and pass legislation requiring front seat occupants to wear belts. As the recent experience in Australia shows, the benefits will be considerable in terms of reducing mortality, morbidity and consequential expenditure. (Author/TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Wessex Regional Health Authority

  Wessex Positive Health Team
  Winchester,   England 
• Publication Date: 1980-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 19 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Education; Females; Front seats; Health; Laws; Manual safety belts; Mass media; Newspapers; Passengers; Printed publicity; Publicity; Radio; Television; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Use
• Old TRIS Terms: Female drivers
• ITRD Terms: 2284: Education; 2144: Health; 8573: Publicity; 6947: Radio; 1476: Safety belt; 6949: Television; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Highways; Law; Passenger Transportation; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00341012
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 28 1981 12:00AM