Attitudes of Virginians toward transportation safety : results of the 1978 transportation safety opinion poll : final report.

Lynn, Cheryl · 1979 · ROSA P / Virginia Transportation Research Council

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Summary

This report presents the findings of a 1978 statewide public opinion poll conducted by the Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council, sponsored by the Virginia Department of Transportation Safety. The study was motivated by the recognition that highway safety countermeasures must generate favorable public opinion to survive political scrutiny, particularly following the repeal of helmet laws in other states. The primary objectives were to assess current Virginian attitudes toward various transportation safety issues and to establish a baseline for detecting year-to-year changes in public sentiment. The methodology involved telephone interviews with approximately 2,000 randomly selected Virginians over the age of 16, drawn from households with valid telephone listings. The sample was stratified to ensure equal gender representation. Interviewers were rigorously screened and trained to ensure data quality. The survey covered eight key topics: drinking and driving, youthful drivers, speed and enforcement, motor vehicle inspection, motorcycle helmet legislation, seat belts and air bags, highway safety improvement priorities, and safety at railroad grade crossings. The study acknowledged limitations, noting that households without telephones were excluded and that the gender-balanced sample may not fully represent the driving population’s exposure. The results revealed strong public support for several safety measures. Regarding drinking and driving, 80% believed treatment programs would benefit offenders, and 74% supported automatic license loss for repeat offenders. For youthful drivers, 90% supported mandatory driver education for those under 18, while opinions on the legal drinking age were split, with 53% favoring age 18 for beer and 42% favoring age 21 for wine. Speed enforcement saw 74% support for the 55 mph limit, though mandatory speed regulation devices were unpopular. Vehicle inspection was approved by 86% of respondents, with a majority preferring six-month intervals. Motorcycle helmet laws received overwhelming support, with over 90% of respondents and 76% of motorcyclists favoring mandatory usage. Conversely, support for mandatory seat belt laws was low at 33%, while 55% favored mandatory air bag installation. Regarding railroad crossings, 61% attributed accidents to dangerous motorist practices. The significance of this report lies in its provision of empirical data to guide public relations and policy implementation. By identifying specific demographic groups with negative attitudes toward certain safety measures, the report enables targeted informational campaigns. For instance, it highlights that younger drivers and those who have taken driver education are more supportive of current licensing practices for drunk driving offenders, while older, non-educated drivers favor restrictions. The findings underscore the necessity of aligning safety programs with public sentiment to ensure their political viability and effectiveness.

Key finding

Over 90 percent of respondents favored mandatory motorcycle helmet legislation, whereas only 33 percent supported mandatory seat belt usage laws.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 2000

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