AN ASSESSMENT OF FOUR APPROACHES TO INSTRUCTION IN OCCUPANT RESTRAINT USE

Four individual driver restraint programs (funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of a series of supplementary driver education programs) were developed to teach teenage drivers and their passengers to use safety restraints, the value of safety belts and encourage favorable attitudes toward restraints. Each program contained an informational component while three of the programs provided additional learning experiences including a testimonial, operational and convincer components. A before-and-after design was used to evaluate the programs. The results of the evaluatory study are discussed in terms of (1) actual use of restraints, (2) knowledge about restraints, and (3) attitudes toward restraints. The overall results indicate that all four programs have a beneficial effect on use of restraints. The Information and Testimonial programs produce significant gains in knowledge about, attitudes toward, and use of restraints. The vehicle program produced substantial and enduring gains in restraint use. The effectiveness of the Convincer program was difficult to evaluate.