This report provides an assessment of the appropriateness, effectiveness and efficiency of New South Wales occupant protection activities, with a particular focus being the 1991/92 statewide media advertising and public relations campaign. Two broad classes of activities were found: those aimed at behavioural and social change, and those aimed at securing reduced crash injuries through improvements to vehicle and equipment. The report finds taht occupant protection activities have indeed been effective, as indicated by the increasing overall statewide wearing rates and improvements to manufacturing standards and equipment. It also finds that the continuation of statewide media campaigns may no linger be cost effective, as the diminishing number of non-users may be better reached by other means. It recommends the initiation of a series of performance indicators for communication activities so that such activities can be more easily assessed in the future, and it calls for improvements to management information and budgeting systems.
Abstract