Most of Us Wear Seatbelts:
Montana Adult Seatbelt Norms Survey and Media Intervention

Begun in the fall of 2000, the Montana Most of Us Wear Seatbelts Campaign was the first attempt to use the social norms approach on a statewide level to increase adult seatbelt use.

Funded by the Montana Department of Transportation, this project achieved statistically significant increases in a number of critical measures of both perception and behavior after the first year of intensive media implementation. With less funding for the social norms intervention in the second and third years, the dissemination of normative media messages (e.g., "Most Montanans—3 Out of 4—Wear Seatbelts") became necessarily less intense. As recall of other seatbelt-related media increased over the course of years two and three, recall of normative media concurrently declined, with the result that reported seatbelt use dipped and then leveled off (Linkenbach and Perkins, 2003).

Baseline Data and Analysis

Baseline data collected in 2000 (N = 436) revealed that:

  • 84.9% of respondents used a seatbelt the last time they drove a car. However, the perception was that only 59.8% of other Montana adults did so.
  • 85.3% of respondents used a seatbelt the last time they were a passenger in a car. However, the perception was that only 55.1% of other Montana adults did so.
  • 86.6% of respondents reported making sure that passengers wore seatbelts the last time they drove. However, the perception was that only 47.4% of other Montana adults did so.

These data clearly showed that Montanans misperceived the norms of seatbelt usage, dramatically underestimating the extent to which other Montana adults used seatbelts either as drivers or passengers, or, when driving, made sure that their passengers used seatbelts.

Regression analyses introducing a number of independent variables were conducted to determine their predictive value on the percentage of times that respondents use seatbelts. These variables were: age, sex, years of education, residential area (rural), days of driving per week, reported experience of ever having been involved in a traffic accident, and the perceived percent of adult Montanans who use seatbelts. The independent variable with the highest standardized regression coefficient was the perceived percent of adult Montanans who use seatbelts (.22, p<.001). The next highest standardized regression coefficient was (female) sex (0.17, p<.01). These data strongly suggested that the rate of seatbelt use could be improved using a social norms approach, i.e., by increasing the extent to which adults in Montana perceived that other Montana adults regularly use seatbelts.

Social Norms Media Intervention

Year One (2000-2001)

An intensive social norms media campaign was launched in September 2000 and ran through the end of February, 2001. Radio was the medium selected for message dissemination. Analysis indicated that during the first 3 1/2 months normative messages reached 95% of the target audience of Montana adults approximately 16+ times. From January 1 through February 2001 normative messages reached 85% of the target audience 16+ times.

Year Two (2001-2002)

In year two, three methods were used to communicate the fact that most Montanans wear seatbelts: paid radio ads (which ran approximately one month), public service announcements on radio (which ran approximately 3 months), and print and promotional items. Analysis indicated the following reach:

  • One month paid radio ads —> 75% of target audience, 6+ times
  • 3 months radio PSAs —> Sent to all radio stations outside of 7 largest cities
  • Print/promotional items —> 26,500 of target audience

Year Three (2002-2003)

In year three, four methods were used to communicate normative messages: paid radio ads (which ran approximately 3 1/2 months), public service announcements on radio (which ran approximately three months), billboards (used for the full year), and print and promotional items. Analysis indicated the following reach:

  • 3 1/2 months paid radio —> 50% of target audience, 7.5 times
  • 3 1/2 months radio PSAs —> Sent to all radio stations outside of 7 largest cities
  • Billboards —> 4 billboards
  • Print/promotional items —> 8,000 of target audience

Results

There was an increased awareness of seatbelt media campaigns within the last year, from 42.6% in 2000 to 49.2% in 2001.

There was an increase from 2000 to 2001 in the percentage of those estimating that the majority (51% or more) of Montanans had:

Perceived Behavior
of Majority of Montanans		 2000 2001
Worn belt last time drove 54.0 65.8*
Worn belt last time as a passenger 43.5 52.5*
Made sure passenger wore a seatbelt last time drove 28.5 32.6*
Placed young child in restraining seat last time drove with a child 67.6 80.5*

*Significantly higher at p < .05


As the above-reported perception changes occurred, the percentages of a variety of self-reported seatbelt uses by individuals in Montana increased as well:

Behavior 2000 2001
Wore last time drove 84.9 88.3
Wears at least 90% of the time 77.6 82.6*
Wore last time as a passenger 85.3 91.0*
Always wear as a passenger 68.9 75.8*
Last time drove made passenger wear a seatbelt 86.6 89.2
The last time as a passenger wore a seatbelt if the driver did so 79.5 87.9*
As a driver always make passenger wear a seatbelt 67.9 75.1*
Placed child in seat restraint last time drove 96.1 98.3
Was wearing seatbelt in last accident 71.2 80.3

*Significantly higher at p < .05


Interestingly, analysis of the data collected before the implementation of the social norms media campaign began indicated that:

  • Of those drivers who recalled no seatbelt media at all, 77.9% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time
  • Of those drivers who recalled seatbelt-related media, 76.9% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time

Analysis of the data from 2001, when the social norms campaign was underway, indicated that:

  • Of those drivers who recalled no seatbelt media at all, 81.3% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time
  • Of those drivers who recalled mainly other (i.e., non-normative) seatbelt-related media, 81.8% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time

Thus, there was statistically no difference between those who had been exposed to no media and those who had been exposed to non-normative media. This contrasts dramatically with the fact that, in 2001:

  • Of those drivers who recalled mainly social norms media, fully 87.6 reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time.

Very similar data were obtained in 2001 for reported seatbelt use as a passenger:

  • Of those passengers who recalled no seatbelt media at all, 85.2% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time
  • Of those drivers who recalled mainly other (i.e., non-normative) seatbelt-related media, 85.7% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time

Thus, there was statistically no difference between those who had been exposed to no media and those who had been exposed to non-normative media. This contrasts dramatically with the fact that, in 2001:

  • Of those passengers who recalled mainly social norms media, fully 92.4% reported using their seatbelt at least 90% of the time.

However, as funding for the social norms project declined in the second and third years, data regarding awareness of the type of seatbelt media campaign revealed that the percentage of respondents who mainly recalled a "Most of Us" (i.e. a social norms) message declined consistently:

2001 2002 2003
Percent recalling "Most of Us" as the main message 40.7% 29.6% 19.0%

Over the course of this same three-year period, reported recall of any seatbelt message consistently increased:

2001 2002 2003
Awareness of Any Seatbelt message in Montana Media 49.2% 56.3% 65.4%

Thus, during this three-year period, the highest rate of reported seatbelt usage was in 2001, the year with the highest reported recall of social norms media. As recall of social norms media declined—and as awareness of "any" seatbelt media increased—from 2001 to 2002, reported seatbelt use actually declined. Seatbelt usage increased only slightly from 2002 to 2003, a year during which recall of mainly the social norms message continued to decline, while recall of "any" seatbelt message continued to increase.

For further information regarding this project, contact:

H. Wesley Perkins, Ph.D.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Geneva NY 11456
(315) 781-3437
[email protected]

Jeff Linkenbach, Ed.D.
Montana Social Norms Project
PO Box 170520
Bozeman, MT 59717-0520
(406) 994-7873
[email protected]

See also the web site of the Montana Most of Us Social Norms Project: www.mostofus.org

Please note: A more detailed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publication about this study is in preparation. Information about this publication will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.

Reference

Linkenbach, J., and Perkins, H.W. "Most of Us Wear Seatbelts: The Process and Outcomes of a 3-Year Statewide Adult Seatbelt Campaign in Montana." Conference presentation: The National Conference on the Social Norms Model, Boston, MA, July 17, 2003.

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