EFFECTS OF INTERVENTION ON BOOSTER SEAT PURCHASE: A FIELD STUDY

Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death and injury for US children, despite improved crashworthiness of vehicles and effective restraint systems for children of all ages. Children who are too large for child safety seats (a child restraint system for children from birth to 4 years old) are often restrained improperly or not at all. These children should be restrained in a booster seat which is a type of child safety seat designed for children who have out grown their convertible seat and are not large enough to fit properly in an adult seat belt. For this reason, the use and correct use of occupant protection for 4-9 year old children in particular needs to be addressed. For proper restraint, children who have outgrown child safety seats require booster seats used with vehicle lap/shoulder belts. This present study attempted to determine if raising risk perception and/or lowering cost of compliance would influence more parents to purchase booster seats for their children who should be restrained in them. A field study with 128 participants with four treatment groups wa