Restraint use attitudes and knowledge prior to and following the 1993 rear seat child restraint use campaign in New South Wales NSW amongst three non-english speaking background communities.

In 1991 the Roads and Traffic Authority conducted an observational study into occupant restraint usage, one of the findings of which was that occupant restraint usage by back seat passengers, particularly children, was significantly lower amongst residents from non-English speaking backgrounds. As a result, a further study conducted in 1992 by Yann Campbell Hoare Wheeler identified the reasons for and attitudes contributing to these low usage rates within the Lebanese, Vietnamese and Italian communities. A radio, newspaper and community focused campaign was implemented by the RTA within these ethnic groups based on the findings of that study. The study reported upon in this document examines the impact of the RTA campaign on the attitudes towards, and the usage of, child occupant restraints within the target communities. Where possible comparisons are made to the 1992 study. (A)