A study of the effectiveness of a radio / TV campaign on safety belt use

A broadcast media campaign was developed in the spring of 1971. Broadcast materials, selected in part on the basis of reviews by expert and lay panels, were distributed to selected radio and TV stations for subsequent - broadcast as "public service announcements (PSA's)." Unobtrusive observations of safety belt use were made in 2 demographically matched communities, Modesto and Salinas, California, immediately prior to thecampaign ' (2 weeks), during the campaign (5 weeks), and immediately subsequent to the campaign (4 weeks). Community attitudes towards safety belts were : determined through telephone interviews. Measurements were also made in a control community, Bakersfield, California, in which no materials were broadcast. On the basis of over 22,000 vehicle observations (28,000 occupants) and 2,000 telephone interviews, it was concluded that the PSA's had little significant effect on safety belt use or related attitudes.