Compulsory seat belts: a survey of public reaction and stated usage : TARU 9/74

In March 1973, 18 months after seat belt use became mandatory in NSW, 1251 people were interviewed in Sydney on their seat belt usage and attitudes. This survey was a repeat of a survey taken prior to the law, in March 1970, with a comparable sample. The 1973 follow up survey was designed to determine the extent to which the law had influenced wearing seat belt habits and attitudes. Reported wearing rate had increased dramatically. In 1973 3 out of 4 people reported always wearing a seat belt, compared to only 1 out of 4 in 1970. Only 1 in 10 people reported rarely or never wearing one in 1973, compared with 5 in 10 in 1970. This high level of compliance with the law was found in every sub group examined. Attitudes expressed by respondents indicated that seat belts are now fully accepted by the majority of the community. After the law, people were more likely to believe seat belts to be important to safety and negative attitudes were rare. In addition 8 out of 10 people were in favour of the law. Reasons for the law’s impact on behaviour and attitude, the relevance of enforcement activity and the future role of propaganda are discussed in the light of these survey results.\n\n**Note:** This resource was originally published on opengov.nsw.gov.au. The OpenGov website has been retired. If you have any questions, please contact the Agency Services team at [e-mail]\n\n**Agency**\n \n- Traffic Accident Research Unit (TARU)\n

1973年3月，即新南威尔士州（New South Wales, NSW）强制使用安全带法规实施18个月后，研究人员在悉尼对1251名民众开展访谈，内容涵盖其安全带使用情况与相关态度。本次调查为1970年3月该法规出台前一项抽样方案可比的同类调查的重复研究。1973年的追踪调查旨在探明该法规对民众安全带佩戴习惯与态度的影响程度。

调查数据显示，民众报告的安全带佩戴率出现显著提升：1973年，四分之三的受访者表示始终佩戴安全带，而1970年这一比例仅为四分之一；1973年仅十分之一的受访者称极少或从不佩戴安全带，相较之下1970年该比例高达十分之五。所有受访子群体均展现出极高的法规依从性。

受访者反馈显示，安全带现已获得绝大多数民众的普遍认可。法规实施后，更多民众认可安全带对交通安全的重要性，负面态度已极为少见。此外，十分之八的民众支持该安全带法规。研究结合本次调查结果，探讨了该法规对民众行为与态度产生影响的原因、执法活动的相关性，以及宣传推广的未来作用。

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**机构**
- 道路事故研究室（Traffic Accident Research Unit, TARU）