Highway safety attitudes of Virginians : Results of the 1977 highway safety public opinion poll, final Report.

Lynn, Cheryl · 1978 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)

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Summary

This report presents the findings of the 1977 Highway Safety Public Opinion Poll conducted in Virginia, sponsored by the Highway Safety Division and executed by the Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council. The study was motivated by the recognition that highway safety countermeasures require not only empirical efficacy but also favorable public opinion to survive political scrutiny. The primary objectives were to assess current public attitudes toward specific safety issues and to establish a baseline for tracking changes in sentiment over time. The methodology involved telephone interviews with approximately 1,700 randomly selected Virginians aged 16 and older, drawn from listed telephone directories between October 1 and 22, 1977. The sample was stratified by sex and age, and interviewers underwent rigorous screening and training to ensure data quality. The survey covered eight key topics: right and left turns on red, the 55 mph speed limit, alcohol countermeasures and drinking age, driver licensing, seat belts and airbags, periodic motor vehicle inspection, and motorcycle helmet legislation. The results revealed varying levels of public support and knowledge. Over 90% approved of right turns on red (RTOR), with high awareness attributed to prior public information campaigns. In contrast, only 32% knew about left turns on red (LTOR), though 64% approved of the practice once informed. Regarding the 55 mph speed limit, 79% favored maintaining it, yet 67% supported raising the limit to 60 mph on interstate roads only. On alcohol issues, 56% preferred treatment programs (VASAP) over traditional penalties for drunken drivers, while opinions on the legal drinking age were split, with majorities favoring age 18 for beer and wine but age 21 for liquor. Driver licensing saw 53% support for a minimum age of 16 and overwhelming support (90%) for mandatory driver education for minors, but opinions were evenly split on periodic reexamination. Support for mandatory seat belt legislation was low (38%), while support for mandated airbags was moderate (50%); however, 62% would voluntarily purchase airbags if they cost under $200. Most respondents approved of the current semiannual vehicle inspection system, though fewer believed it was efficient in detecting defects. Finally, 90% of all respondents, including 81% of motorcyclists, supported mandatory helmet laws. The significance of these findings lies in identifying target groups for future public information campaigns. The report highlights that older drivers, those with low safety consciousness, and non-drivers were often less supportive of or knowledgeable about safety measures. The authors conclude that while some measures like RTOR have achieved sufficient public acceptance, others, such as LTOR and passive restraints, require targeted education to address knowledge gaps and misconceptions. The data provides a critical baseline for policymakers to align safety legislation with public sentiment and to design effective communication strategies.

Key finding

Over 90% of Virginians approved of right turns on red and demonstrated high knowledge of the associated rules, whereas only 32% correctly defined left turns on red despite 64% approval, and support for mandatory seat belt legislation was split with 37.8% in favor and 57.6% opposed.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 1700

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• seat belt use

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence