Citation

Allegrante JP, Mortimer RG, O'Rourke TW. J. Saf. Res. 1980; 12(3): 115-126.

Affiliation

Allegrante, John P.: Columbia U Teachers Coll

Copyright

(Copyright © 1980, U.S. National Safety Council, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate social-psychological factors influencing safety helmet use by motorcycle operators. Data were collected during personal interviews on a systematically selected sample of 235 motorcycle operators in a state without a helmet-used law. Fishbein's linear model of behavioral intention in predicting intentions to use a helmet from attitudinal and social-normative factors. Results showed that 53% of the variance in behavioral intentions to use a helmet could be explained from attitudinal and social-normative factors (R=0.73, p less than 0.01); the average correlation for the intention-behavior relationship was 0.86. The principal finding was that the decision to use a safety helmet is primarily under attitudinal rather than social-normative control. Analysis of the informational system underlying the attitude showed that intenders differed from non-intenders on belief factors of the safety and comfort-convenience consequences of a helmet use. Findings suggest the need and justification for public policy to stress and educational approach to the problem of a nonuse now that individual states appear to be moving away from legislating mandatory use.