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Public Perception and Behavior in Relation to Vehicle Passenger Restraints

  • Chapter
The Analysis of Actual Versus Perceived Risks

Part of the book series: Advances in Risk Analysis ((AIRA,volume 1))

Abstract

With motor vehicle injuries currently occurring to 1 in 50 to 60 people per year in the U.S. [1], the objective risk of injury in a vehicle crash during a lifetime is high. But the probability of such a crash on any given trip is usually very low. The risk is known to vary substantially by time of day, day of week, characteristics of vehicles, characteristics of roadways, and weather conditions as well as driver’s age and use of alcohol and drugs. Less well-known is the extent to which transient psychological and psysiological states of drivers increase or decrease their own, their passengers’ and other road users’ risk. Such factors as stress, anger, preoccupation with matters other than driving and numerous others, probably increase the risk. They are sometimes inferred based on post-crash interviews but are not measured precisely because of their transience and the questionable validity of recall.

Preparation of this paper was supported by a grant from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yale University, 14A Yale Station 89 Trumbull Street, New Haven, Connecticut, 06520, USA

    Leon S. Robertson

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  1. Leon S. Robertson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., USA

    Vincent T. Covello

  2. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C., USA

    W. Gary Flamm

  3. Environ Corporation, Washington, D.C., USA

    Joseph V. Rodricks

  4. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA

    Robert G. Tardiff

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© 1983 Plenum Press, New York

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Robertson, L.S. (1983). Public Perception and Behavior in Relation to Vehicle Passenger Restraints. In: Covello, V.T., Flamm, W.G., Rodricks, J.V., Tardiff, R.G. (eds) The Analysis of Actual Versus Perceived Risks. Advances in Risk Analysis, vol 1. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3760-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-3760-7_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-3762-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-3760-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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