Experimental Survey Data of Language Patterns' Effects on Traffic Safety Perceptions in Germany

An experimental survey in which respondents were given one of three different versions of a fictitious news article covering a traffic crash. The first version (v1) reflected closely the status quo of newspaper coverage of traffic crashes, based on research on these. The subsequent two versions incorporated more precise descriptions of the crash (v2) as well as contextual information on traffic crashes, their causes and frequency (v3). Respondents were randomly given one of the three article versions to read before answering questions on apportioning blame, gauging a penalty, and assessing preventative measures to increase traffic safety. 1537 participants were recruited using the firm Bilendi. Participants received a small financial incentive (of one Euro) to take part in the survey. The participants were recruited to be representative of the German population according to Age, Gender, Income, and regional distribution.