Appendix F Seat Belt Survey Question Justification

Appendix F

Justification for survey questions

Seat Belt Survey

Form 1325

Item numbers 1, 2, 6, 7

This question collects the participant’s self-reported support for seat belt enforcement in the community. This is a key question because one of the main purposes of the program is to increase public support for enforcement.

Item numbers 3 – 5

These questions assess participant awareness of seat belt enforcement and program activities, as well as the participant’s perceived likelihood of getting ticketed for violating the law. These questions are important because they capture any changes in general deterrence associated with the program activity.

Item numbers 8 and 9

These questions examine self-reported seat belt use behaviors.

Item numbers 10 - 14

These items capture the participant’s exposure to community-oriented enforcement activities (e.g., law enforcement talking with community members in informal settings to discuss the importance of traffic law enforcement), and the participant’s involvement in community activities organized by the law enforcement (e.g., community meetings). This series of questions is critical because the program is designed to engage in community-oriented law enforcement activities to increase public support for seat belt enforcement.

Item numbers 15, 16, 18 - 20

Standard demographic questions used to conduct post-stratification weighting of the sample to U.S Census data to reduce sample bias.

Item number 17

For sampling purposes, it is essential to know the general geographic location in which each participant lives. This will let the research team know if the participants reside in the program areas.

Item number 21

This question identifies the vehicle the respondent usually drives. It focuses the respondent on a particular type of vehicle when answering the survey questions.

Item number 22

Provides an opportunity for the participant to comment.