The high school age groups have among the highest automobile crash injury and fatality rates. Younger drivers, especially males, overestimate driving skills and are more likely than others to engage in risk-taking behaviours. The effects on knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviours of a one week course of injury control and crash safety information integrated within a high school physics curriculum were determined. The behaviours measured were self-reported use of seatbelts, speeding, and intentional behaviours. The strongest and most persistent change was that some students reported increasing their use of seatbelts when riding as a passenger (seatbelt use as a driver was high for both groups). They showed a significant increase in their one year intentions to use seatbelts both as a driver and as a passenger.
Samenvatting