Shopping for safety : providing consumer automotive safety information / Committee for Study of Consumer Automotive Safety Information, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee for Study of Consumer Automotive Safety Information.

Series:

Special report (National Research Council (U.S.). Transportation Research Board) ; 248.

Special report ; 248

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Automobiles--Crashworthiness.

Automobiles.

Automobiles--Defects--Reporting.

Consumer education.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (168 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1996.

Language Note:

English

Contents:

Shopping for Safety

COPYRIGHT

PREFACE

NOTE

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH AVOIDANCE AND CRASHWORTHINESS

CURRENT CONSUMER AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY INFORMATION

CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING AND SAFETY INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Findings

Recommendations

Improvements to Existing Information

Development of Summary Measures

Development of a Process To Stimulate Better Consumer Safety Information and Safer Cars

BENEFITS OF CONSUMER AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY INFORMATION

1 INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT AND SCOPE OF STUDY

WHAT IS VEHICLE SAFETY?

Crash Avoidance

Vehicle Crashworthiness

CRASH CAUSATION AND THE ROLE OF VEHICLE-RELATED FACTORS

FEDERAL REGULATION OF VEHICLE SAFETY FEATURES

DRIVER ATTITUDES TO CRASH LIKELIHOOD AND VEHICLE SAFETY

INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDY

ORGANIZATION OF REPORT

NOTES

REFERENCES

Abbreviations

2 CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH AVOIDANCE AND CRASHWORTHINESS

VEHICLE SAFETY DATA

Engineering Data

Biomechanics Research

Crash Data

Data Issues

CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE FROM AVAILABLE DATA

Crashworthiness

Vehicle Size and Weight

Crash Types

SUMMARY OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE

3 CURRENTLY AVAILABLE CONSUMER AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY INFORMATION

SOURCES OF CONSUMER VEHICLE SAFETY INFORMATION

Comparative Vehicle Safety Data

Summary Compilations of Vehicle Safety Information

DISSEMINATION OUTLETS

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NCAP STAR-RATING SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF CURRENT INFORMATION

WHY BETTER INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED

MAKING BETTER USE OF EXISTING INFORMATION

Abbreviations.

4 CONSUMER DECISION MAKING, INFORMATION NEEDS, AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING MAJOR PRODUCT PURCHASE DECISIONS

Information Processing Theory of Consumer Choice

The Decision Problem: Motive and Relevance

Decision Maker Attributes

Decision Strategies

Framing New Information

Implications for Provision of Vehicle Safety Information

AUTOMOBILE PURCHASE DECISIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF VEHICLE SAFETY INFORMATION

Consumer Understanding of Vehicle Safety Characteristics

The Automobile Purchasing Decision Process

Importance of Vehicle Safety as a Purchase Attribute

Likely Use of Improved Safety Information

Summary

STRUCTURING AND COMMUNICATING VEHICLE SAFETY INFORMATION

Presentation of Vehicle Safety Information

Communication of Vehicle Safety Information

Matching Dissemination of Vehicle Safety Information with Consumer Information Search Strategies

Targeting the Message

RESEARCH NEEDS

5 DEVELOPING AND COMMUNICATING NEW MEASURES OF SAFETY

ATTRIBUTES OF GOOD SUMMARY MEASURES

DESIGNING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

CONTENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Development of Summary Safety Ratings

Reporting Safety Ratings

GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT

Abbreviation

6 ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES

INSTITUTIONAL CONCEPT AND FUNCTIONS

ORGANIZATIONAL OPTIONS

Attributes for Effective Operation

Organizational Alternatives

Option 1: Operate Through Existing NHTSA Programs

Option 2: Operate Through a New NHTSA Federal Advisory Committee

Option 3: Create a New Public-Private Automotive Safety Institute

Option 4: Operate Through the Private Sector

Option 5: Operate Through Nongovernmental Organizations

Conclusion

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND NEXT STEPS.

BENEFITS OF CONSUMER VEHICLE SAFETY INFORMATION

APPENDIX A WORKSHOP AGENDA AND SPEAKERS

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

SESSION 1

SESSION 2

SESSION 3

CONCLUDING REMARKS

APPENDIX B CONGRESSIONAL REQUESTS FOR CONSUMER AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY INFORMATION STUDY, 1994

APPENDIX C FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT TRUCK VEHICLES

APPENDIX D INTERVIEW PROTOCOL AND QUESTIONNAIRE

INTERVIEW PROTOCOL USED IN EVALUATING THE TWO DRAFT SAFETY LABELS SHOWN IN FIGURE 5-2

WRITTEN QUESTIONNAIRE USED IN EVALUATING THE TWO DRAFT SAFETY LABELS SHOWN IN FIGURE 5-2

STUDY COMMITTEE BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

1-280-21040-0

9786610210404

0-309-56285-6

OCLC:

57012215