ARE THERE REALLY SHORTCUTS? ESTIMATING SEAT BELT USE WITH SELF-REPORT MEASURES

We examined the utility of estimating rates of automobile seat belt use with self-report measures. Self-report measures overestimate belt use rates compared to observational surveys of the same population. Laws mandating seat belt use did not substantially affect the degree to which self-reports are upwardly biased. We found self-report measures overestimate observed belt use by 8.9 to 19.4 percentage points or by a factor of 1.2 to 2. Our best estimate is that self-reported seat belt use rates be discounted by 12 percentage points to estimate actual belt use rates.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Headington Hill Hall
  Oxford OX30BW,    
• Authors:
  • Streff, F M
  • Wagenaar, A C
• Publication Date: 1989-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 509-516
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Automobiles; Estimating; Manual safety belts; Utilization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Observation
• Old TRIS Terms: Self reporting
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00490941
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-040 700
• Files: HSL, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 31 1990 12:00AM