74
NHTSA Tween Seat Belt Use Research Program 1 “Buckle Up For The Future” “Buckle Up For The Future”

NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

  • Upload
    lswetin

  • View
    920

  • Download
    4

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

1    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

 

   

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Page 2: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

2    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Coordinators  

 

Laura  Swetin    Rachel  Reitemeier    

 

 

Qualitative  Research  

 

Alejandra  Mojica    Minh  Pham    Khrystyna  Prokhorenko  

Joanna  Kowalczyk      Anna  Budz      Chardae  McCauley  

 

 

Quantitative  Research  

 

Ruth  Yang    Natalie  Cho    Steve  Braciszewicz                                                

Anna  Lyszczarczyk  

 

 

Finance  

 

Sagar  Shah    Colette  LaKoma    Rakhee  Bhakta                                        

Marta  Lagowska  

 

 

Advertising  

 

Andrei  Piatsevich    Chris  Laskowski  

   

Page 3: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

3    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Table  of  Contents  Special  Thanks  ..............................................................................................................................................  4  

Executive  Summary  ......................................................................................................................................  5  

Introduction  ..................................................................................................................................................  6  

Secondary  Research  Review  .........................................................................................................................  7  

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  Observational  Study  ...................................................................................  14  

Results  ........................................................................................................................................................  15  

Limitations  and  Caveats  ..............................................................................................................................  17  

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  Focus  Group  ................................................................................................  17  

Results  ........................................................................................................................................................  18  

Limitations  and  Caveats  ..............................................................................................................................  20  

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  In-­‐Depth  Interview  .....................................................................................  21  

Results  ........................................................................................................................................................  21  

Limitations  and  Caveats  ..............................................................................................................................  22  

Conclusions  .................................................................................................................................................  22  

Recommendations  ......................................................................................................................................  23  

Methodology  for  Quantitative  ...................................................................................................................  23  

Results  ........................................................................................................................................................  24  

Demographic  Data  ..................................................................................................................................  24  

Correlation  Analysis  Results  ...................................................................................................................  32  

Regression  Analysis  Results  ....................................................................................................................  33  

Limitations  and  Caveats  ..............................................................................................................................  38  

Conclusions  .................................................................................................................................................  39  

Recommendations  ......................................................................................................................................  41  

Advertising  ..................................................................................................................................................  41  

Campaign  Strategy  ......................................................................................................................................  54  

Financial  Highlights  .....................................................................................................................................  51  

APPENDIX  A  ................................................................................................................................................  54  

APPENDIX  B  ................................................................................................................................................  58  

APPENDIX  C  .................................................................................................................................................  67  

APPENDIX  D  ................................................................................................................................................  69  

APPENDIX  E  .................................................................................................................................................  70  

APPENDIX  F  .................................................................................................................................................  71  

APPENDIX  G  ................................................................................................................................................  72  

 

Page 4: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

4    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Special  Thanks    

South  Loop  Solutions  would  like  to  express  our  deepest  gratitude  to  Tom  Cronin  and  Shannon  Conlon  of  EdVenture  Partners  for  making  this  project  possible  and  for  providing  us  the  opportunity  and  resources  to  generate  awareness  of  seat  belt  use  in  the  Chicagoland  metropolitan  area.  In  addition,  their  feedback  and  assistance  has  been  invaluable  and  has  helped  to  ensure  our  agency  stays  on  course  for  completion  of  our  project  and  its  stated  goals  and  objectives.  Through  their  consistent  guidance  and  critical  feedback  we  are  confident  that  the  results  contained  within  our  booklet  meet  their  expectations.  We  would  not  be  where  we  are  today  without  the  positive  influence  put  forth  by  Tom  and  Shannon.  

 

We  would  also  like  to  thank  EdVenture  Partners  for  providing  us  with  a  great  opportunity  to  work  for  National  Highway  Transportation  Safety  Administration  (NHTSA).    Our  resources  for  our  project  were  both  comprehensive  and  supportive  and  provided  the  framework  necessary  to  be  successful.  Their  ability  to  provide  us  with  great  assistance  that  enabled  us  to  carry  out  this  research  project  is  deeply  appreciated.    Their  professionalism  provided  us  with  a  vast  learning  experience  that  will  definitely  help  us  in  our  future  endeavors.    

 

We  would  like  to  thank  all  the  local  businesses  and  organizations  that  were  able  to  assist  us  in  funds  and  donations  for  our  campaign.  Through  the  aid  of  these  groups,  we  were  able  to  maximize  the  value  of  budget  while  still  staying  within  the  budget.  It  is  because  of  the  support  we  received  from  these  businesses  and  organizations  that  we  were  able  to  allocate  our  funds  in  areas  that  needed  more  monetary  resources  than  others.  Their  assistance  allowed  us  to  maximize  our  resources  and  contributed  to  the  successful  attainment  of  our  goals.  

 

Finally,  we  would  like  to  give  a  special  thanks  to  our  coordinators,  Rachel  Reitemeier  and  Laura  Swetin.  Without  whom  this  marketing  campaign  would  have  been  impossible.  Under  their  direction,  South  Loop  Solutions  has  been  able  to  finish  our  objectives  in  a  timely  manner  regardless  of  all  the  obstacles  we  had  to  overcome.  Laura  and  Rachel  have  dedicated  a  lot  of  time  and  energy  into  this  campaign  and  it  truly  shows  through  the  success  we  have  experienced.  Due  to  the  fact  that  our  project  required  extensive  out  of  class  time  and  travel  it  was  imperative  to  have  diligent  leadership  to  coordinate  the  efforts  of  our  team.    

   

Page 5: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

5    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Executive  Summary    

Seat  belt  safety  has  been  a  concern  for  decades  throughout  the  United  States.  Despite  multiple  campaigns  to  promote  the  usage  of  seat  belts  such  as  “Click  It  or  Ticket”  and  “Buckle  up  America”,  a  problem  remains  concerning  a  percentage  of  vehicle  passengers  who  do  not  regularly  follow  these  safety  guidelines.  This  portion  of  the  population  continues  to  put  their  lives  at  risk  on  a  daily  basis  due  to  poor  decision  making  and  negative  habitual  behavior.  In  particular,  NHTSA  is  focusing  on  the  safety  of  Tweens,  who  are  composed  of  children  between  the  ages  of  8  and  12.  “Motor  vehicle  accidents  across  the  nation  are  currently  the  leading  cause  of  death  between  kids  of  this  age  level”  (Edventure  Partners).The  goal  of  this  research  study  is  to  provide  insight  on  the  perceptions  of  seat  belt  usage  and  recommend  ways  to  positively  influence  all  Tween  passengers  to  wear  their  seat  belts  on  a  regular  basis.  

The  ultimate  purpose  of  the  group’s  study  is  to  identify  the  missing  factors  that  are  linked  to  Tween’s  decision  to  buckle  up,  as  well  as  reduce  the  number  of  Tween  fatalities  and  injuries  in  future  years  to  come  related  to  motor  vehicle  accidents.  This  age  group  has  a  moldable  mindset,  meaning  that  what  is  implemented  into  their  actions  now  can  affect  the  decisions  they  make  in  future  years  of  their  life.  This  enables  NHTSA  to  fortify  positive  associations  with  seat  belt  usage  into  the  minds  of  Tweens  to  prevent  future  deaths  on  the  roads  of  America.  

We  had  an  extensive  research  group  consisting  of  several  different  areas  including:  surveys,  focus  groups,  observational  studies,  and  in-­‐depth  interviews.  We  exceeded  the  minimal  NHTSA  requirements,  providing  us  with  a  more  effective  and  accurate  sample.  First,  we  had  to  find  our  participants  and  then  we  collected  data  based  on  the  information  that  we  were  given.  After,  we  analyzed  the  data  and  formed  conclusions  to  assist  our  client  in  ongoing  research.    

Financially,  the  group  was  provided  a  $1,000  budget.  After  all  our  costs  were  incurred,  we  were  able  to  establish  a  return  on  investment  of  116%,  more  than  doubling  the  value  of  our.  Through  the  aid  of  business  contacts,  we  were  able  to  acquire  donations,  discounts  and  support  to  help  maximize  our  limited  budget  and  carry  out  a  financially  successful  campaign.  

Advertising  became  incorporated  into  the  research  study  as  well  during  the  middle  of  the  semester.  We  created  an  advertising  campaign  and  developed  ten  visualizations  using  Adobe  Photoshop.  The  agency  that  our  team  created  is  named  South  Loop  Solutions.  

The  information  which  we  collected  proved  that  not  all  of  our  initial  assumptions  were  correct.  However,  many  variables  proved  to  be  significant  and  played  an  important  role  in  our  conclusions.  All  of  our  conclusions  were  based  upon  statistical  analysis  and  client  objectives.  Based  upon  our  research  analysis,  NHTSA  needs  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  seat  belt  use  into  the  minds  of  Tweens.  An  effective  way  to  approach  this  is  to  incorporate  new  ad  campaigns.  Also,  our  results  indicate  that  parents  play  a  major  influential  role  and  the  NHTSA  needs  to  focus  their  attention  on  relaying  this  message  to  the  parents  and  influencers.    

 

Page 6: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

6    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Introduction      Research  conducted  by  NHTSA  revealed  that  “lap/shoulder  seat  belts,  when  used,  reduce  the  risk  of  fatal  injury  to  front-­‐seat  passenger  car  occupants  by  45  percent  and  the  risk  of  moderate-­‐to-­‐critical  injury  by  50  percent.  In  2006  alone,  seat  belts  saved  an  estimated  15,383  lives”  (Traffic  Safety  Facts:  2006  Data,  NHTSA,  DOT  HS  810807).  Even  though  seat  belt  usage  has  increased  tremendously  throughout  the  years  there  is  still  17%  of  vehicle  occupants  that  are  not  properly  restrained  while  in  a  motor  vehicle  according  to  NHTSA  (Traffic  Safety  Facts:  2008  Data,  NHTSA,  DOT  HS  811  036).  Included  in  this  17%  are  Tweens,  whom  face  the  leading  cause  of  deaths  due  to  motor  vehicle  crashes.  (Edventure  Partners). The  safety  of  younger  children  (younger  than  8)  and  older  teens  (16  years  and  older)  in  motor  vehicle  safety  has  been  given  extensive  attention,  but  Tweens,  ages  8  to  12,  have  not  received  thorough  attention.  Also,  with  the  current  law  structure  that  we  have  in  place,  Tweens  are  caught  in  between  state  child  passenger  safety  laws  and  adult  safety  laws,  which  mean  that  they  do  not  necessarily  fall  under  either  institution  of  laws.  In  addition,  the  Tween  segment  is  very  unique  in  nature  with  different  motor  vehicle  safety  needs.  Because  this  audience  is  developing  life-­‐long  habits  now,  it  is  the  time  to  enact  and  instill  practices  that  will  save  lives  and  prevent  injuries  on  the  road  (Edventure  Partners).

Purpose  and  Objectives    The  ultimate  goal  for  conducting  this  research  is  to  provide  a  better  understanding  of  this  segment  in  order  to  assist  in  the  future  developments  of  campaigns  that  target  the  Tween  population  regarding  safe  seat  belt  habits.  In  order  to  do  that,  we  assessed  the  Tween  population  and  their  current  habits  regarding  seat  belt  usage.  We  collected  this  information  through  primary  research,  which  includes  a  survey,  focus  groups,  in-­‐depth  interviews,  and  an  observational  study.    Everything  that  we  did  answers  the  following  objectives:      

·∙            Determine  what  Tweens  think,  believe,  and  perceive  regarding  seat  belt  safety  ·∙            Identify  key  influencers  in  Tween’s  lives  that  motivate  their  behavior  ·∙            Recognize  the  most  appropriate  forms  of  communication  to  utilize  recommend  appropriate      

messaging  and  modes  of  delivery  to  positively  influence  Tween  seat  belt  use  based  on  identification  of  key  influencers  supported  by  research  findings  in  reaching  the  key  influencers  

 In  reference  to  the  first  objective,  we  want  to  understand  the  current  Tween  market.    We  used  primary  research  to  determine  whether  or  not  Tweens  currently  wear  a  seat  belt.    If  they  do  wear  seat  belts,  do  they  wear  them  properly?  In  contrast,  if  they  do  not  wear  seat  belts,  what  is  the  reason  for  that?    Our  goal  was  to  learn  whether  or  not  Tweens  are  aware  of  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety.    If  so,  how  did  they  learn  and  if  not,  has  anyone  tried  to  teach  them?        Ultimately  moving  forward  with  communication  recommendations,  we  determined  the  most  influential  individuals  in  a  Tween’s  life  so  that  we  can  target  them  as  modes  to  deliver  the  message  to  the  target  market.    Our  goal  was  to  determine  whom  the  Tweens  listen  to  most  often,  who  they  look  up  to,  and  whose  knowledge  and  advice  they  respect  the  most.    After  our  research,  we  can  now  utilize  them  to  relay  the  message  of  safety  to  Tweens.      

Page 7: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

7    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

For  our  last  objective,  our  goal  was  to  determine  the  best  way  to  reach  out  to  those  Tween  influencers  found  in  objective  two.    The  ‘influencers’  referred  to  are  the  everyday  people  who  most  greatly  impact  the  Tweens  being  surveyed  and  talked  to.  Once  we  found  whom  to  target  to  relay  on  our  message  of  seat  belt  safety,  we  needed  to  determine  how  to  reach  these  people.  This  objective  also  includes  finding  the  best  form  of  communication  that  the  influencers  can  use  to  talk  to  Tweens  about  the  importance  of  seat  belts.      Our  goal  for  the  qualitative  portion  of  our  research  was  to  conduct  at  least  3  focus  groups  (both  with  Tweens  and  the  parents/guardians/influencers  of  Tweens)  or  10  in  depth  interviews  with  each  of  our  target  markets.    We  also  wanted  to  participate  in  several  observations  of  Tweens  and  their  influencers  to  fully  understand  their  current  habits.  Good  behavior  of  parents  and  influencers  usually  motivates  the  Tweens  to  act  in  the  same  manner.  By  understanding  how  the  parents  or  guardians  of  the  Tweens  behave,  we  now  have  a  better  working  knowledge  of  why  Tweens  buckle  up  or  do  not  buckle  up.  Our  main  goal  for  the  quantitative  portion  included  developing  and  implementing  a  questionnaire  to  a  sample  of  at  least  200  Tween  parents  and  50  Tweens,  at  a  minimum.      

Secondary  Research  Review    Secondary  resources  were  researched  to  examine  seatbelt  use  amongst  Tweens.  The  resources  were  assessed  in  February  in  the  city  of  Chicago.    For  a  detailed  listing  of  sources,  refer  to  this  report’s  “Works  Cited”  section.      

When  gathering  secondary  research,  the  team  focused  its  efforts  on  key  areas  of  interest  in  regards  to  the  Tween  population.    Specifically,  articles  relating  to  Tween  seatbelt  use,  injuries,  traffic  safety,  and  seatbelt  laws  were  investigated,  and  the  results  are  presented  in  the  following  section  by  the  articles  researched.  

 ARTICLE:    Injuries  to  belted  older  children  in  motor  vehicle  crashes  

 There  has  been  plenty  attention  given  to  the  safety  of  child  passengers  and  using  child  restraints  for  children  under  the  age  of  eight.    No  attention  has  been  paid  to  the  ages  of  8-­‐12  because  there  is  an  assumption  that  seat  belts  should  provide  adequate  protection  for  the  older  kids  as  well  in  case  of  a  crash.  It  is  currently  recommended  that  all  children  under  the  age  of  13  sit  in  the  back  seat  and  use  the  vehicle  seat  belts,  unless  they  are  less  than  57  inches  tall,  in  which  case  they  have  to  use  either  a  booster  or  car  seat.    Approximately  one  Tween  passenger  is  killed  in  a  car  crash  each  day  and  70,000  are  injured  within  one  year.        A  study  has  been  conducted  to  describe  the  characteristics  of  older  children  sitting  in  the  back  seat,  to  estimate  their  risk,  and  to  find  out  the  risk  factors  for  injury.  State  Farm’s  insurance  claims  were  the  source  of  subjects  with  telephone  survey  and  on-­‐site  crash  investigations  acting  as  primary  research.    The  subjects  that  qualified  for  the  study  were  State  Farm  insured  cars  from  model  year  1990  or  newer,  which  were  involved  in  a  car  crash  with  at  least  one  child  occupant  under  the  age  of  16.    When  a  policyholder  fit  the  requirements  and  gave  consent  to  participate  in  the  study,  limited  data  was  transferred  from  State  Farm  and  a  telephone  survey  was  conducted  with  the  driver.    The  things  discussed  in  the  survey  were  seating  row  and  seating  position  (front  or  back  seat),  restraint  status  

Page 8: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

8    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

(whether  or  not  the  child  was  wearing  a  seat  belt  and  if  it  was  worn  properly),  the  injury  status  of  the  child,  and  the  severity  of  the  crash  (this  was  determined  by  the  damage  done  to  the  car).      The  results  showed  that  71%  of  Tweens  rode  in  the  back  seat  but  this  proportion  decreased  with  age.    From  the  study  of  the  7,285  children  in  the  back  seat,  6,680  wore  seat  belts,  114  were  in  booster  seats,  and  491  did  not  have  either.  The  kids  who  did  not  have  any  safety  restraint  had  an  injury  risk  of  3.1%  and  those  that  did  have  seat  belts  on  only  had  an  injury  risk  of  .3%.    Additionally,  87.2%  of  the  kids  in  the  study  were  using  lap/shoulder  belts,  but  only  80.1%  used  them  properly,  so  the  other  7.1%  had  the  strap  behind  the  back  or  underneath  the  arm.      In  conclusion,  the  study  showed  that  the  overall  risk  of  injury  in  crashes  is  1.3%  for  those  Tweens  who  sat  buckled  up  in  the  back  seat.  The  most  common  injuries  in  the  reported  crashes  were  injuries  to  the  head,  abdomen,  and  upper  extremity.  It  is  concluded  from  this  study,  that  8-­‐12  year  olds  do  not  get  the  same  protection  from  vehicle  restraints  in  crashes  as  younger  children  do.  The  8-­‐12  age  group  risk  is  1.3%,  which  seems  low,  but  the  risk  of  injury  for  1-­‐7  years  olds  is  under  1%.  Notably,  a  large  percentage  of  kids  of  each  age  8-­‐12  did  not  meet  the  standards  to  use  a  seat  belt  without  a  booster  seat;  therefore,  suggesting  that  many  Tweens  may  benefit  from  using  the  belt-­‐positioning  booster  seat.    A  greater  level  of  attention  should  be  then  paid  to  the  Tween  age  group  (by  performing  research)  to  lower  the  risk  of  injury.      Source:  Garcia-­‐Espana  J.F.,  Durbin  D.R.  Injuries  to  belted  older  children  in  motor  vehicle  crashes  

(2008)  Accident  Analysis  and  Prevention,  40  (6),  pp.  2024-­‐2028.  

 

ARTICLE:    “‘Tween’  Traffic  Safety  Research  Yields  New  Safety  Tips”  

The  Article  “‘Tween’  Traffic  Safety  Research  Yields  New  Safety  Tips”  was  based  on  studies  conducted  by  the  Automotive  Coalition  for  Traffic  Safety  (ACTS)  that  funded  two  projects  on  Tween  car  safety  in  Dallas,  TX  and  Joplin,  MO.    The  two  locations  consisted  of  different  populations:  inner  city,  largely  Hispanic  in  Dallas;  and  rural,  predominantly  Caucasian  in  Joplin.  Statistics  showed  that  about  63%  of  Joplin  Tweens  and  53%  of  Dallas  Tweens  said  they  always  wear  their  seat  belts.    As  children  get  older,  their  desire  to  sit  in  the  front  seat  was  greater.    Studies  in  Dallas  and  Joplin  indicated  that  about  50%  of  12-­‐year-­‐olds  usually  sat  in  the  front.    Research  shows  that  children  are  40%  less  likely  to  get  injured  in  the  back  seat  than  in  the  front  seat.    Nearly  half  of  the  Tweens  killed  in  car  crashes  in  this  country  each  year  were  riding  unrestrained  and  one  third  were  riding  in  a  front  seat.    The  surveys  found  that  parents  have  a  huge  impact  on  their  Tweens’  use  of  seat  belts.    Research  shows  that  the  older  children  get,  the  less  likely  they  are  to  use  seat  belts  or  to  sit  in  the  back  seat.    It  is  very  important  to  emphasize  and  encourage  seat  belt  use  to  Tweens  because  they  are  at  the  age  where  they  are  developing  habits  that  will  carry  on  into  their  teen  and  adult  years.    Research  suggests  that  parents  need  to  be  more  effective  at  getting  their  Tweens  properly  restrained  in  the  back  seat.    Tweens  are  safest  in  the  back  seat  in  an  age  and  size-­‐appropriate  restraint.        The  National  Transportation  Safety  Board  (NTSB)  recommended  that  states  should  strengthen  and  enforce  laws  requiring  children  to  buckle  up  in  the  back  seat.    If  we  have  strong  laws,  then  we  hope  that  these  laws  will  support  parents’  efforts  to  properly  restrain  their  children.    Surveys  showed  when  parents  take  control,  Tweens  tend  to  sit  in  the  back.    Two-­‐thirds  of  Tweens  sit  in  a  back  seat  

Page 9: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

9    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

when  parents  make  the  decision,  compared  to  only  half  of  Tweens  who  independently  decide  where  to  sit.    If  the  law  does  not  require  Tweens  to  buckle  up,  that  does  not  mean  it  is  not  important.  Parents  should  understand  that  safety  of  their  children  is  more  important  than  the  law.  Peer  influence  is  very  important,  but  the  Tweens  perception  of  their  peers’  behavior  is  more  important  than  their  actual  behavior.    If  Tweens  think  most  other  kids  their  age  use  safety  restraints  and  sit  in  the  back  seat,  then  they  are  more  likely  to  do  those  things,  too.    Parents   are   the   role   models   that   children   admire   and   look   to   for   guidance.   Parents   and   drivers  should  make   sure   that   the   children   they   are   responsible   for   are   properly   buckled   into   the   safest  available  place  in  the  vehicle.    Surveys  show  if  parents  take  control,  “Tweens”  are  more  likely  to  sit  in  the  back  and  to  be  buckled  up.  It’s  their  job  to  set  the  rules  for  riding  and  stick  to  them.    

 The  Automotive  Coalition  for  Traffic  Safety  (ACTS)  came  up  with  a  clever  idea  for  how  to  spread  safety  awareness  to  parents  for  Valentine’s  Day.    The  tag  line  was  “Hold  on  to  the  One  You  Love  -­‐  With  A  Seat  Belt.”  ACTS  offered  parents  specific  suggestions  for  how  to  persuade  Tweens  to  buckle  up  in  a  back  seat:  

If  parents  buckle  up,  then  their  children  will  do  the  same.    Research  shows  when  parents  are  restrained,  their  children  are  much  more  likely  to  be  as  well.  

Parents  should  tell  their  children  that  seat  belts  are  mandatory  by  law.    Let  Tweens  know  belt  use  isn't  an  option;  it's  the  law.  

Tweens  said  being  in  control  of  the  radio  is  a  major  benefit  of  the  front  seat.  So,  let  your  Tween  pick  the  radio  station.    Make  a  deal  with  your  Tween:  If  he  or  she  sits  buckled  in  back,  then  he  or  she  can  choose.  

Give  your  Tween  something  to  do  in  a  back  seat.  Electronic  games  can  be  stored  in  a  back  seat  and  make  games  in  the  front  seat  off  limits.  

Let  Tweens  "own"  their  space  in  a  back  seat.  Tweens  are  eager  to  claim  their  own  space.  Let  them  set  up  places  to  keep  things  in  a  back  seat  so  that's  the  first  place  they  want  to  go.  

According  to  Christene  Jennings,  ACTS  director  stated:  "Armed  with  this  information,  we  can  reach  out  to  Tweens,  their  parents  and  others  who  influence  their  behavior,  increase  the  number  who  are  properly  restrained  in  back  seats  and  most  importantly  decrease  the  risk  of  serious  or  fatal  injury  in  a  crash."      Source:  'Tween'  Traffic  Safety  Research  Yields  New  Safety  Tips.  14  February  2010.  

<http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2006/02/14/210712.html>  

 

ARTICLE:  Increasing  Seat  Belt  Use  Among  8-­‐12  Year  Olds  

This  extensive  article  offers  plenty  of  information  on  a  previous  research  done  by  NHTSA.    NHTSA  did  intensive  research  on  Tweens  between  the  ages  of  8  –  12  and  their  seat  belt  use.    The  report  describes  research  that  was  conducted  with  in  depth  home  interviews  including  parents  and  Tweens,  and  focus  groups  with  parents  and  Tweens.    The  purpose  of  the  research  program  was  to  understand  why  Tweens  chose  whether  or  not  to  wear  their  seat  belts  and  also  determine  up  with  potential  incentives  for  the  Tweens  to  wear  their  seat  belts.    Tweens  were  separated  further  down  into  sub-­‐age  groups.    For  example,  ages  8-­‐10  are  young  Tweens,  11  and  12  are  the  older  Tweens.    The  reason  for  a  further  break  down  was  that  Tweens  seemed  to  be  

Page 10: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

10    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

motivated  and  influenced  by  different  peer  groups.    The  article  describes  how  each  sub-­‐group  has  its  own  characteristics  and  attitudes  and  the  article  provides  a  greater  depth  on  this  subject.    The  research  below  includes  various  reasons  for  why  the  Tweens  chose  not  to  wear  their  seat  belts:    

They  forget   Seat  belts  are  uncomfortable   Simply  because  they  don’t  want  to   The  seat  belts  are  broken  or  stuck   Car  does  not  have  safety  equipment   Not  enough  seat  belts  in  car  

 The  final  part  of  the  report  includes  concepts  that  motivate  Tweens  to  wear  their  seat  belts:    

Having  an  assembly  with  student  speakers  their  age     Radio  lock,  where  the  radio  does  not  turn  on  until  all  seat  belts  are  fastened   Video  games  in  the  car  pertaining  to  wearing  a  seat  belt   Influence  by  sports/coaches  

 Source:  Increasing  Seat  Belt  Use  Among  8-­‐15  Year  Olds.  14  February  2010.  

<http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/staticfiles//DOT/NHTSA/Traffic%20Injury%20Control/Articles/Associated%20Files/810965.pdf>  

 

ARTICLE:    Safety  belts  and  teens  2003  Report    

There  are  two  kinds  of  laws  that  are  created  to  help  people  remember  about  using  seat  belts.  A  primary  seat  belt  law  gives  a  permit  to  enforcement  officers  to  pull  a  driver  over  for  not  wearing  a  seat  belt,  and  there  is  no  need  for  any  other  traffic  offense.  Secondary  seat  belt  laws  say  that  enforcement  officers  may  issue  a  ticket  for  not  wearing  a  seat  belt  only  when  there  is  another  traffic  violation.  In  2002,  the  average  number  of  people  using  seat  belts  was  about  11  percent  higher  in  states  where  the  primary  law  was  used.      Car  accidents  are  the  cause  of  many  deaths  every  year,  and  to  bring  this  number  down,  Occupant  Protection  Selective  Traffic  Enforcement  Programs  was  created.  The  purpose  of  this  program  is  to  help  people  change  their  safety  belt  use  behavior  by  combining  safety  belt  law  enforcement  with  media  support.  People  are  more  likely  to  obey  the  law,  knowing  that  particular  State  is  very  serious  about  it.  Another  successful  campaign  that  was  formed  to  increase  seat  belt  usage  rate  was  the  "Click  It  or  Ticket  Campaign".      This  campaign  was  established  by  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration,  the  Air  Bag  &  Seat  Belt  Safety  Campaign,  and  many  other  law  enforcement  agencies.  In  states  that  introduced  this  campaign,  the  seat  belt  usage  rates  went  up  by  as  much  as  19  percent.    Source:  NHTSA.    “Safety  Belts  and  Teens  2003  Report”    14  February  2010.                            

<http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/airbags/buasbteens03/>    ARTICLE:  Fatality  and  Injury  Trends  Among  Child  Front-­‐Seat  Passenger  Vehicle  Occupants  12  and  

Younger  

 

Page 11: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

11    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Primarily  starting  in  1995,  a  significant  percentage  of  child  automobile  safety  programs  have  focused  on  mandating  children  12  years  and  younger  be  seated  in  the  backseat  of  automobiles  to  reduce  injuries  resulting  post-­‐collision  from  seat  belt  and  air  bag  deployment.    NHTSA  has  compiled  data  and  analysis  on  government  policies  on  the  matter,  as  well  as  the  ratio  of  front-­‐seat  fatalities  and  injuries  for  children  under  the  age  of  12  years.    The  research  was  conducted  over  a  decade,  starting  in  1996  and  ending  in  2006  –  allowing  changes  in  legislation  and  child  vehicle  safety  programs  to  be  tracked  over  time.    Research  has  documented  an  increase  in  safety  campaigns,  including  governmental  legislation,  heightened  enforcement,  and  public  campaigns,  supporting  the  move  of  children  under  the  age  of  12  years  from  the  front  passenger  seat  to  the  back  seat  of  moving  automobiles.    Corresponding  with  this  increase  in  public  visibility  in  safety  campaigns,  research  showed  that  front-­‐seat  accident  related  fatalities  decreased  62%  over  the  period  of  the  study  (from  1996  to  2006).    It  was  documented  that  front-­‐seat  related  injuries  also  decreased  during  this  period.    Traffic  safety  data  concerning  child  front-­‐seat  passengers  under  the  age  of  twelve  is  analyzed  and  discussed  in  this  research  article.    Fatality  and  injury  numbers  for  this  age  bracket  display  a  declining  trend  from  1996  to  2006.    The  number  of  deaths  decreased  from  554  to  209  over  the  decade,  including  a  20%  drop  in  the  fatality  ratio.    “Over  the  11-­‐year  period,  the  number  of  front-­‐seat  fatalities  decreased  by  10  percent  every  year  on  average.”    These  statistics  illustrate  how  vehicle  safety  standards  have  reduced  the  overall  amount  of  deaths  for  Tweens  and  other  younger  passengers.  Regarding  injuries,  the  number  of  children  who  were  injured  decreased  by  56,000  during  the  11-­‐year  time  period.    Also,  the  injury  ratio  dropped  over  10%  during  the  given  timeframe.    “Both  the  number  and  ratio  of  children  injured  decreased  for  8  years  and  increased  for  3  years  between  1996  and  2006.  Overall,  the  trend  of  injury  number  and  injury  ratio  both  went  down  in  the  11-­‐year  period.”    Relating  to  the  fatalities  mentioned  earlier,  the  number  of  child  automobile  injuries  has  also  been  reduced  due  to  safety  advances  in  the  automotive  industry  as  well  as  consumer’s  focus  on  safe  driving.    Trend  data  indicates  the  child  safety  campaigns  have  been  successful  in  parents  ensuring  their  children  sit  in  the  backseat  of  the  car.    Concerning  Illinois  only,  statistics  show  that  the  rate  of  change  is  a  decrease  of  15%  in  both  injuries  and  fatalities  from  1996-­‐2006.    However,  one  major  disadvantage  of  this  research  article  is  that  any  backseat  related  deaths  or  injuries  were  not  considered,  which  is  where  Tweens  often  sit  when  traveling  in  an  automobile.    Data  regarding  backseat  child  safety  would  be  very  useful  to  compare  to  the  provided  statistics  regarding  front-­‐seat  passenger  for  this  age  group.      

Source:  Fatality  and  Injury  Trends  Among  Child  Front-­‐Seat  Passenger  Vehicle  Occupants  12  and  Younger.  14  February  2010.    <http://www-­‐nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811030.PDF>  

 ARTICLE:  INFLUENCING  8-­‐12  YEAR-­‐OLDS  TO  SIT  SAFELY  BUCKLED  IN  A  BACK  SEAT  

 In  recent  years,  advocates  of  child  safely  are  more  inclined  to  have  kids  between  8  and  12  years  old  wear  seat  belts  in  the  back  seat.    Every  year,  the  rate  of  Tween  deaths  involving  the  lack  of  seat  belt  usage  increases  and  many  experts  are  adamant  about  making  sure  everyone  is  following  the  law.    The  Automovitive  Coalition  for  Traffic  Safety  is  speculating  how  often  seat  belt  usage  is  being  practiced  by  Tweens,  considering  many  are  taking  the  required  law  lightly  when  sitting  in  the  back,  which  is  the  safest  place  for  children  under  13  to  be  sitting.    If  they  do  sit  in  the  passenger  seat,  they  are  40%  more  likely  to  be  injured  in  a  car  crash;  35%  of  Tweens  sit  in  the  front.    

Page 12: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

12    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Generally,  Tweens  die  in  car  crashes  at  a  rate  of  more  than  one  per  day  and  1,267  were  injured  in  2004.  The  main  cause  of  death  for  Tweens  who  sat  up  front  is  due  to  the  fact  that  they  were  not  wearing  a  seat  belt.  Looking  at  studies  conducted  in  Dallas,  Texas  and  Joplin,  Missouri,  only  53%  of  children  in  Dallas  and  63%  in  Joplin  said  they  always  wore  seat  belts.    Experts  find  these  statistics  startling  given  that  the  national  rate  is  82%.    It  was  also  noticed  that  Tweens  are  riding  in  the  passenger  seat  too  soon  for  their  young  age  with  about  1/3  of  Tweens  in  Joplin  and  Dallas  sitting  in  the  front  seat.      One  of  the  underlying  influencers  of  Tween  failure  to  wear  seat  belts  is  that  the  parents  have  a  strong  impact  on  how  children  think.    Studies  found  that  90%  of  children  wear  seat  belts  because  their  parents  do.    Of  those  with  parents  who  do  not  wear  seat  belts,  only  60%  of  children  wear  their  seat  belts.    There  are  four  factors  that  influence  seat  belt  usage  for  Tweens:    

Whether  or  not  the  driver  wears  a  seat  belt  o From  1991-­‐2001,  91%  of  children  age  8-­‐12  were  killed  in  crashes,  the  driver  did  not  

wear  a  seat  belt   Age  of  Driver   Parent/Driver  Requirement   Peer  Pressure  

There  are  eight  essential  insights  for  traffic  safety:  

1. Tweens  Don’t  Always  Buckle  Up  a. Only  63%  of  Tweens  in  Joplin,  MO  in  the  pilot  survey  said  they  always  wear  a  seat  belt  b. Only  53%  of  Tweens  in  Dallas,  TX  in  the  pilot  survey  said  they  always  wear  a  seat  belt  

2. Tweens  Are  Riding  Up  Front  Too  Soon  a. About  a  third  of  Tweens  in  the  pilot  survey  stated  they  sat  in  the  front  

3. Safety  May  Not  Be  A  Concern  for  Tweens  Sitting  in  Front  a. Around  one  third  of  Tweens  in  the  pilot  survey  stated  that  sitting  in  the  back  is  safer  

4. Tweens  Want  Comfort  and  Control  a. Those  that  sat  in  the  front  stated  that  the  control  of  the  radio  was  a  major  benefit  b. Buckling  up  is  uncomfortable  

5. Peers  Are  Very  Influential  a. Tweens  who  wear  a  seat  belt  all  the  time  were  more  likely  to  report  that  others  did  the  

same  6. Parents  Matter  7. Boys  and  Girls  Need  To  Be  Approached  Differently  

a. 95%  of  girls  vs.  87%  of  boys  stated  that  they  buckled  up  most  of  the  time  or  all  the  time  (Joplin  pilot  survey)  

b. 2/3  of  girls  vs.  1/2  of  boys  stated  that  they  liked  the  safety  component  of  the  back  seat  (Joplin  pilot  survey)  

c. Boys  were  more  likely  to  seek  comfort,  game-­‐playing,  and  parental  approval  as  a  key  factor  for  deciding  where  to  sit  (Joplin  pilot  survey)  

8. The  Law  Matters  a. Supports  positive  norms  b. Encourages  parents  to  tell  their  kids  to  buckle  up  

 

Page 13: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

13    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 There  are  some  ideas  what  can  be  done  to  help  promote  good  safety  habits  for  Tweens:  

Traffic  Safety  Advocates  o Promote  how  common  it  is  for  Tweens  to  ride  buckled  up  in  the  back  seat  o Implement  programs  that  reward  teens  for  staying  buckled  up  in  the  back  o Offer  parents  tips  on  how  to  encourage  Tweens  to  sit  in  a  back  seat  buckled  up  

Schools  and  Other  Youth  Organizations  o Make  safety  a  priority  o Use  coaches,  teachers,  and  other  role  models  to  encourage  safe  driving  habits  o Encourage  anyone  who  interacts  with  drivers  to  promote  safety  habits  for  Tweens  o Offer  specific  tips  

Parents  o Make  it  a  rule  o Buckle  up  themselves  o Share  safe  driving  philosophy  with  other  parents  o Listen  to  Tweens  wants  in  the  car  and  accommodate  them  in  a  safe  manner  

Policymakers  o Pass  and  enforce  safety  laws  o Close  gaps  in  laws  that  allow  children  to  ride  unrestrained  o Promote  o Fund  and  support  traffic  safety  programs  

Source:  Influencing  8-­‐12  Year-­‐Olds  to  Sit  Safely  Buckled  in  a  Back  Seat.    14  February  2010.  <http://www.Tweensafety.org/_docs/Tween%20Booklet.pdf>  

 ARTICLE:  Rural/Urban  Comparison  

 This  research  article  discusses  the  fatalities  in  both  rural  and  urban  settings  and  compares  the  data  in  an  attempt  to  draw  conclusions  about  motor  vehicle  crash  fatalities.    There  is  not  an  in-­‐depth  emphasis  on  Tweens,  but  rather  a  focus  on  location  and  time  of  accidents  for  all  vehicle  passengers.    “According  to  the  2007  Census,  23  percent  of  the  U.S.  population  lived  in  rural  areas,  however,  rural  fatalities  accounted  for  57  percent  of  all  traffic  fatalities  in  2007.”    This  statistic  shows  that  accidents  are  much  deadlier  in  rural  areas  than  in  urban  settings.    Another  piece  of  information  that  the  article  discusses  is  the  number  of  miles  traveled  per  accident  ratio.    Once  again,  the  numbers  in  rural  areas  were  significantly  higher;  over  two  times  greater  than  those  near  major  cities.    Accidents  during  the  night  or  on  the  weekend  are  also  significantly  higher  than  at  other  times,  leading  Tweens  and  their  parents  to  ensure  they  buckle  up  during  these  peak  times.    One  of  the  more  important  pieces  of  information  included  discusses  seat  belt  usage.    “The  2007  National  Occupant  Protection  Use  Survey  (NOPUS)  shows  that  the  seat  belt  use  rate  among  occupants  of  vehicles  in  urban  areas  was  84  percent  and  rural  occupants  were  observed  to  have  a  use  rate  of  78  percent.”    This  increase  of  seat  belt  usage  in  urban  areas  may  be  correlated  to  the  reduced  number  of  fatalities  in  comparison  to  rural  settings.    Regarding  Illinois,  the  state  was  ranked  9th  out  of  the  United  States  for  total  fatalities  in  2007,  which  is  a  number  that  should  be  greatly  reduced,  if  at  all  possible.    We  can  conclude  from  these  many  segments  of  data  that  the  rural  areas  are  prone  for  bigger  and  more  dangerous  accidents,  which  leads  us  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  usage  among  Tweens  and  all  other  automobile  passengers.    Source:Rural/Urban  Comparison.    14  February  2010.    <http://www-­‐

nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/809524.PDF>  

Page 14: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

14    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

ARTICLE:  Safety  belt  use  laws  

This  article  cites  that  of  the  50  states,  49  have  state  seat  belt  laws  (the  one  that  does  not  is  New  Hampshire).  In  these  49  states  with  seat  belt  safety  laws,  only  30  view  the  lack  of  seat  belt  usage  as  a  primary  offense  (meaning  in  these  30  states,  an  individual  can  be  pulled  over  for  not  wearing  a  seat  belt).  19  states  view  it  as  a  secondary  offense  (an  individual  cannot  be  pulled  over  for  not  wearing  a  seat  belt,  but  a  ticket  can  be  written  if  pulled  over  for  another  offense).  There  is  a  safety  belt  defense  law  that  states  an  individual’s  claim  in  an  accident  can  be  lessened  if  that  individual  wasn’t  wearing  a  seat  belt  at  the  time  of  the  accident,  but  that  is  only  valid  in  16  states.  There  are  child  restraint  laws  set  out  for  all  50  states,  but  there  is  no  clear  definition  throughout  all  50  states,  as  each  state  differs  with  its  laws.    Source:  Safety  belt  use  laws.  Insurance  Institute  For  Highway  Safety,  Feb.  2010.  Web.  15  Feb.  2010.  

<http://www.iihs.org/laws/SafetyBeltUse.aspx>  

ARTICLE:  Seat  Belt  Use  in  2008—Use  Rates  in  the  States  and  Territories  

This  article  shows  the  usage  of  seat  belts  in  all  US  states  and  territories  from  2001  to  2008.  The  use  of  this  article,  with  the  use  of  the  previous  one  (which  shows  when  failure  to  wear  a  seat  belt  as  a  primary  offense),  will  show  the  jump  of  people  in  the  given  states  who  wore  seat  belts  after  it  became  a  primary  offense.  This  also  shows  the  change  from  2007  to  2008  for  all  states  and  territories  (note:  18  states  actually  declined  seat  belt  usage,  including  a  7.1%  decline  in  Rhode  Island).    Source:  Seat  Belt  Use  in  2008—Use  Rates  in  the  States  and  Territories.  Traffic  Safety  Facts.  National  

Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration.  Web.  15  Feb.  2010.  

 

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  Observational  Study  Research  Design  In  order  to  assist  the  team  in  looking  at  the  relationships  in  various  attitudes  with  actual  seat  belt  use,  we  have  chosen  to  conduct  seat  belt  observational  studies.    Five  team  members  conducted  observational  research  in  the  suburbs  of  Chicago,  while  three  different  team  members  conducted  research  in  Chicago,  Illinois.  The  locations  of  suburban  observations  were  near  schools  and  shopping  malls.    City  observations  took  place  near  churches  and  local  sporting  events.  A  spreadsheet  has  been  created  in  order  to  document  the  observed  data  in  which  data  was  evaluated  through  SPSS.  The  information  collected  included  driver’s  general  age,  gender,  and  race.  Team  members  also  inquired  on  vehicle  type,  passenger  age,  and  whether  or  not  vehicle  occupants  were  belted.  Date  and  location  were  noted.  

Population  Sampling  units  reflected  the  projected  target  market,  i.e.  Tweens  ages  8-­‐12,  parents/caregivers  of  Tweens  and  other  influencers  (of  all  ages).  Demographic  analysis  was  conducted  in  post-­‐active  research.  Due  to  the  extensive  demographic  information  that  was  obtained,  analysis  was  conducted  through  SPSS.  Selection  process  was  chosen  according  to  secondary  target  segments.  Hispanics  were  primarily  observed  in  the  urban  areas  of  Chicago.  Rural  observations  were  conducted  based  on  high  traffic  areas  for  the  primary  target  segment.  

Page 15: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

15    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Collection  Process  Data  was  collected  through  a  data  collection  spreadsheet.  Segments  of  the  document  included  information  pertaining  to  the  driver,  passenger,  and  additional  comments  (i.e.  direct  or  indirect  observation  and/or  where  the  passenger  was  sitting  i.e.  front  or  back).  

Method  of  Analysis  Data  analysis  was  conducted  through  SPSS  for  the  quantifiable  results.  Other  observed  comments  and  conclusions  were  documented  accordingly.    

Results  Descriptive  Analysis  Based  off  of  the  280  observations  that  were  made,  we  conducted  statistical  analysis  to  determine  any  specific  correlation  between  seat  belt  use  and  other  factors.  From  the  statistics,  we  observed  that  the  Tweens  predominately  sat  in  the  back  seat  without  a  booster  seat,  and  the  remaining  sat  in  the  back  seat  with  a  booster  seat  or  in  the  front  seat.  (These  results  do  not  take  into  account  all  the  280  observations,  only  82,  because  not  all  NHTSA  representatives  specified  the  position  of  the  passenger  in  the  vehicle).  

We  observed  Tweens  between  ages  8  and  12  and  the  graph  below  shows  the  distribution  of  the  data.  

 

Before  doing  the  observations,  we  believed  the  vehicle  type  would  influence  the  Tweens’  seat  belt  usage.  If  the  size  of  the  car  was  to  be  perceived  as  bigger,  it  would  mean  it  was  safer.    As  a  result,  there  is  no  correlation  between  the  type  of  vehicle  and  whether  or  not  the  Tween  buckled  up.      

28%

17%26%

9%

21%

Age  Distribution  of  Tweens

8

9

10

11

12

Page 16: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

16    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

We  also  assumed  the  location  of  the  Tween  in  the  vehicle  would  greatly  influence  the  Tweens’  seat  belt  usage.  The  analysis  determines  that  there  is  no  strong  evidence  supporting  a  correlation  between  the  location  of  the  Tween  in  the  vehicle  and  whether  or  not  the  Tween  buckled  up.  

 

We  conducted  a  correlation  analysis  between  the  driver’s  sex  and  race  vs.  Tween  seat  belt  use  and  driver’s  sex  vs.  driver’s  seat  belt  use.  The  races  that  were  predominately  observed  were  African-­‐American,  Caucasians,  and  Hispanics.  The  only  correlation  that  was  noticed  was  when  the  driver  buckled  up,  the  passenger  chose  also  to  buckle  up.    

53%

4%

31%

12%

Vehicle  Type

car

pick-­‐up  truck

suv

mini  van

30.5%

54.9%

14.6%

Location  in  the  Vehicle

Front  Seat

Back  Seat  (no  Booster  Seat)

Back  Seat  (Booster  Seat)

Page 17: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

17    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

                         

 

Otherwise,  the  correlation  coefficient  has  no  statistical  significance  and  we  can  therefore  conclude  that  there  is  no  significant  correlation  between  any  of  the  determinants  tested.  

 

Limitations  and  Caveats  Potential  Errors  After  finishing  the  observational  analysis,  we  found  that  there  was  potential  for  error  that  deviated  our  overall  results.  While  observing  if  Tweens  are  wearing  seat  belts  while  riding  in  cars,  the  hardest  part  was  determining  the  child’s  ages.  Knowing  that  our  target  has  to  be  between  the  ages  of  8  and  12  years  old,  we  had  to  make  assumptions  when  recording  the  data.    The  observations  were  done  during  the  winter  time,  making  it  difficult  to  verify  if  the  child  was  even  wearing  a  seat  belt  because  of  the  outerwear  that  they  had  on.  Other  potential  inaccuracies  that  impacted  our  results  were  the  difficulty  of  establishing  the  Tween’s  gender  and  race.  Most  of  the  data  did  not  record  the  type  of  vehicles  that  were  observed.    

Possible  Improvements  After  doing  indirect  observations,  we  realized  that  we  should  have  done  some  direct  observations  to  ensure  the  exact  demographic  of  our  target  group.  We  would  not  have  to  estimate  any  data  that  we  were  unsure  of  so  our  results  would  be  more  accurate.    

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  Focus  Group  Research  Design  In  order  to  explore  detailed  habits  and  opinions  of  our  primary  target  markets  the  team  conducted  a  total  of  seven  focus  groups.  The  focus  groups  took  place  at  the  UIC  Innovation  Center  and  University  Hall,  both  located  on  Harrison  Street.  Another  focus  group  was  done  in  Lemont,  IL  at  the  MB  Financial  Bank.  The  days  chosen  were  Saturday,  March  13th  from  10:00  AM  –  2:00  PM  for  the  Innovation  Center  

82%

18%

Driver  and  Seat  Belt  

Usage

yes

no67%

33%

Passenger  and  Seat  

Belt  Usage

yes

no

Page 18: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

18    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

and  Sunday,  March  14th  from  12:00  PM  -­‐  2  PM  for  University  Hall;  the  last  focus  group  took  place  on  Sunday,  March  21st  from  10:30  AM  –  12:30  PM  in  Lemont,  IL.    Participants  included  the  primary  target  segments.  The  differing  segments  were  each  separated  into  their  focus  groups  i.e.  parent  focus  group  and  Tween  focus  group.  Bagels  and  coffee  were  provided  for  the  Innovation  Center  and  UH  focus  groups  and  Doughnuts  and  coffee  were  provided  for  the  Lemont  focus  group.  Pizza  and  pop  were  provided  at  every  focus  group.  

The  Tween  focus  groups  were  concentrated  on  situations  in  which  Tweens  do  not  wear  seat  belts.  The  moderator  inquired  on  modes  of  transportation  and  Tween-­‐parent  seat  belt  awareness  and  education.  Questions  pertained  to  Tweens  who  do  not  buckle  up  and  what  would  get  them  to  wear  their  seat  belts.  Other  questions  related  to  Tweens  riding  in  the  car  with  friends.    The  parent  or  influencer  focus  groups  concentrated  on  struggles  and  decisions  for  buckling  up  their  Tweens.  The  moderator  inquired  on  parental  importance  of  buckling  up  and  strategies  they  have  used  to  overcome  Tween  resistance.  

Population  Sampling  units  reflected  the  projected  target  market,  i.e.  Tweens  ages  8-­‐12,  parents  and  or  caregivers  of  Tweens,  and  other  influencers  of  all  ages  (18  and  over).  Demographic  analysis  was  conducted  post-­‐active  research.  The  selection  process  consisted  mainly  of  our  friends  and  family,  informing  them  of  our  needs,  and  asking  for  participation.  We  also  passed  out  fliers  to  try  to  get  other  participants  not  known  to  us  to  partake  in  the  study.  Incentives  were  offered  as  mentioned  above.  Tweens  were  asked  to  participate  alongside  a  parent  or  influencer.  Limitations  of  the  selection  process  included  locations  and  transportation  liability,  in  addition  to  participant  agreeableness.  

Collection  Process  Data  was  collected  through  facilitator  notes  and  focus  group  videos.  In  the  Innovation  Center,  team  members  watched  and  took  notes  opposite  a  single  sided  mirror.  At  the  UH  and  Lemont  focus  groups,  team  members  took  notes  during  the  session  while  sitting  in  the  same  room.  

Method  of  Analysis  Data  analysis  included  revision  of  focus  group  videos  and  notes.  Specific  quotes  from  participants  in  addition  to  precisely  answered  questions  were  summarized  and  noted.  The  data  provided  assisted  in  improving  the  familiarity  of  the  target  segments.  

 

Results  Descriptive  Analysis  

Reasons  for  wearing  seat  belt  Participants  told  us  they  always  wear  their  seat  belt  because  it  became  a  habit  to  do  so.        The  motivation  behind  wearing  a  seat  belt  is  in  precaution  to  an  accident  that  may  occur.      According  to  one  participant,  she  would  “wear  [her]  seat  belt  all  the  time  if  I  got  paid.”  Other  reasons  include  annoyance  from  the  alarm  that  goes  off  in  the  vehicle  if  the  seat  belt  is  not  in  use,  or  the  seat  belt  is  automatic  when  closing  the  door.      

From  all  these  responses,  we  concluded  that  parents  or  guardians  should  have  more  involvement  in  educating  their  Tweens  to  wear  their  seat  belt  since  these  Tweens  look  up  to  their  parents.  It  is  startling  to  learn  an  accident  is  the  motivation  for  some  kids  to  use  seat  belts  every  time.  It  is  reported  that  

Page 19: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

19    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

parents  do  not  tell  their  Tweens  to  wear  their  seat  belts  as  much  compared  to  when  they  were  younger  and  parents  do  not  watch  them  if  they  have  their  seat  belts  on.  Parents  trust  them  to  put  it  on  their  own  since  they  are  old  enough.  

When  asked  what  they  would  do  when  a  friend  is  not  wearing  their  seat  belt,  only  a  few  Tweens  would  advise  their  friend  to  do  so.  Most  Tweens  answered  they  would  not  do  anything  because  they  do  not  pay  attention.  All  Tweens  assume  that  there  is  no  improper  way  to  wearing  a  seat  belt;  they  think  it  is  okay  as  long  as  they  click  it  on  even  if  it  is  under  their  arms  or  behind  their  backs.  When  asked  if  he  knows  the  proper  way  of  wearing  seat  belts,  one  individual  questioned,  “is  there  an  improper  way  of  wearing  a  seat  belt?”  

The  Tweens  have  been  taught  by  police,  parents,  and  grandparents  to  wear  seat  belts  to  prevent  injuries  in  the  case  an  accident  occurs.  They  have  been  told  “if  you  don’t  wear  your  seat  belt,  you  will  end  up  in  the  hospital”  or  they  can  get  injured  or  even  die.  The  Tweens  know  that  seat  belts  keep  an  individual  in  place  when  the  car  stops  immediately.  It  was  good  to  know  that  Tweens  were  aware  of  various  seat  belt  laws  and  campaigns,  particularly  the  Click  It  Or  Ticket  It  campaign.  Participants  also  knew  about  other  laws  regarding  seat  belt  laws  and  the  rules  and  regulations  concerning  where  to  sit  in  the  car  depending  on  the  height  of  the  person.  Finally,  when  asked  whose  opinion  Tweens  value  the  most,  as  predicted,  most  answered  either  their  mom  or  dad  or  any  close  relatives.  This  shows  that  family  play  a  big  factor  in  how  Tweens  interact  in  their  everyday  lives.  

Parents  For  the  parents’  focus  group,  we  wanted  to  determine  their  roles  in  whether  or  not  their  children  wear  their  seat  belts,  and  to  find  out  more  information  about  whom  and  what  influences  this  age  group  to  wear  or  not  wear  seat  belts.      

According  to  the  group  of  parents,  a  small  population  said  they  never  wear  their  seat  belts  in  cars;  unexpectedly,  one  of  them  is  a  male  police  officer.  It  was  intriguing  to  find  that  they  would  only  wear  their  seat  belts  in  bad  weather  conditions,  such  as  rain  or  snow,  but  not  wear  it  if  it  is  good  weather.  Seat  belts  being  “uncomfortable  and  too  restricted”  also  prompted  them  to  not  consider  putting  it  on.  One  individual  said  that  a  past  vehicle  that  he  owned  did  not  have  a  seat  belt,  he  just  got  used  to  not  wearing  seat  belts  when  riding  in  a  vehicle.  Similar  to  the  Tweens’  answers,  about  half  of  the  parents  sometimes  wear  their  seat  belt  and  the  other  half  said  they  would  always  wear  seat  belts.  For  those  who  sometimes  wear  their  seat  belt,  it  is  due  to  absent-­‐mindedness  and  not  anything  intentional.  

What  influences  adults  to  wear  seat  belts  All  of  the  adults  said  safety  is  the  primary  reason  why  they  wear  their  seat  belts,  with  one  parent  saying  “I  don’t  want  to  leave  my  son  without  a  mother.”  Other  answers  included  the  beeping  noise  the  car  makes  if  the  seat  belt  is  not  on  or  not  wanting  a  ticket.  Also,  wearing  a  seat  belt  is  just  another  force  of  habit  for  most  adults  to  avoid  injury  or  death  in  case  of  an  accident.    In  certain  situation,  most  adults  feel  as  if  wearing  a  seat  belt  is  not  the  utmost  important  thing  because  sometimes  seat  belts  “restrict  you  more  than  it  saves  you.”      

The  law  of  wearing  seat  belts  The  majority  of  parents  are  very  aware  of  the  seat  belt  law,  especially  the  “Click-­‐It-­‐Or-­‐Ticket”  law  that  is  made  apparent  through  advertising.  Some  are  unclear  about  what  exactly  is  the  seat  belt  law  and  end  up  going  with  their  own  beliefs  and  that  is  what  they  teach  their  children.      

Page 20: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

20    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Sitting  in  the  car  Most  parents  think  the  safest  seat  in  the  car  for  passengers  is  the  seat  right  behind  the  driver  “so  you  can  see  them  through  the  rearview  mirror.”  Most  parents  let  their  kids  choose  wherever  they  want  to  sit  in  the  car  because  they  do  not  think  seating  matters.  Some  parents  are  very  specific  about  where  their  children  sit  in  the  car,  depending  on  the  height  and  weight  of  the  child.  Other  parents  say  that  the  child  can  sit  in  the  front  seat  “when  the  seat  belt  fits  properly.”    One  parent  said  that  she  listens  to  whatever  their  pediatrician  says  about  where  their  child  should  sit  in  the  car.  Since  parents  have  higher  authority,  all  of  their  kids  listen  to  them  when  asked  to  wear  seat  belts.  There  seem  to  be  no  problems  wearing  seat  belts,  but  if  problems  were  to  occur,  they  would  check  to  see  if  their  children  are  wearing  seat  belts,  and  remind  them  to  if  they  are  not.  It  is  assumed  that  children  are  very  obedient;  however,  when  the  Tweens  were  asked  about  problems  wearing  seat  belts,  they  made  it  clear  that  wearing  seat  belts  is  their  choice  and  sometimes  they  do  not  wear  seat  belts.  The  kids  stated  that  parents  do  not  watch  them  to  see  if  they  are  wearing  seat  belt.      

If  parents  see  that  their  Tweens  are  not  wearing  seat  belts,  they  would  not  start  the  car  unless  they  put  it  on.  They  also  make  the  Tweens  aware  that  they  will  get  a  ticket  if  no  seat  belts  are  worn.  Parents  teach  their  kids  about  seat  belt  usage  at  a  young  age  to  tell  them  that  it  is  required  to  put  it  on;  however,  some  parents  are  okay  with  their  children  not  wearing  seat  belts  when  sitting  in  the  back  seat.  Parents  assume  that  their  child  know  how  to  put  on  the  seat  belt  correctly  because  they  are  not  aware  that  there  is  an  incorrect  way  to  wear  it.  

Information  about  seat  belt    Parents  obtain  their  information  about  seat  belt  usage  from  school,  magazine,  or  the  Internet.  While  explaining  the  dangers  of  not  wearing  seat  belt,  one  parent  said  that  “Princess  Diana  died  because  she  was  not  wearing  seat  belt.”  In  addition,  they  also  use  their  past  experiences  to  emphasize  the  important  of  seat  belt  usage;  however,  parents  let  their  children  decide  weather  or  not  to  wear  seat  belts  when  they  get  older  because  it  will  be  their  choice.      When  asked  why  some  parents  think  other  parents  let  their  Tweens  get  away  with  not  wearing  seat  belts,  most  answered  that  there  is  a  lack  of  concern  and  total  negligence.  

 

Limitations  and  Caveats  Potential  Errors  As  for  conducting  the  focus  groups,  it  was  difficult  finding  both  Tweens  and  parents  of  Tweens,  given  that  our  target  market  is  between  8  and  12  years  old.  We  found  it  difficult  to  establish  a  time  that  is  contingent  with  everyone’s  schedule  including  NHTSA  group  members  and  participants.  Many  participants  that  were  willing  to  participate  had  other  obligations  that  conflicted  with  the  timing.  Also,  the  focus  groups  had  to  be  conducted  on  campus;  consequently  many  people  had  a  hard  time  getting  to  our  location.  Other  big  issues  included  finding  parking  for  participants,  finding  a  place  to  conduct  the  focus  groups,  and  finding  cameras  to  record  the  sessions.  In  order  to  get  participants  to  come  to  the  focus  groups,  we  had  to  lure  them  in  with  incentives  such  as  pizza,  pop,  doughnuts,  coffee,  and  bagels  which  were  difficult  to  obtain  while  staying  within  our  budget.      

In  our  analysis,  many  of  the  questions  were  very  subjective;  therefore  we  cannot  assume  that  all  questions  were  answered  from  an  honest  perspective.  Many  answers  were  very  contradicting  and  we  assume  that  the  participants,  especially  the  parents,  altered  their  answers  in  their  favor.  

Page 21: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

21    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Possible  Improvements  With  18  members  setting  up  the  focus  group  process,  we  had  a  lack  of  communication  between  members  in  some  instances  and  the  process  could  have  been  faster  had  we  communicated  more  efficiently  with  each  other.  After  each  focus  group  session,  we  were  not  as  prepared  to  raffle  off  our  prizes  because  we  did  not  give  enough  time  to  put  everyone’s  name  in  the  drawing.  Other  preparations  that  needed  improvements  were  getting  the  food  for  the  focus  group  because  we  had  to  take  into  account  of  how  many  people  were  going  to  show  up  without  going  over  our  budget,  and  there  were  a  few  miscommunications  regarding  where  the  focus  groups  were  going  to  take  place.  

 

Methodology  for  Qualitative:  In-­‐Depth  Interview  Research  Design  In  addition  to  focus  groups,  we  also  set  up  in-­‐depth  interviews  in  order  to  have  more  specific  results  for  our  research.  We  conducted  two  in-­‐depth  interviews  overall,  with  one  interview  consisting  of  two  girls  face-­‐to-­‐face  and  the  second  one  with  three  girls  via  Skype.    During  the  interview,  one  team  member  asked  questions  and  one  recorded  the  interview  with  a  video  recorder.  The  same  question  sets  that  were  used  for  the  focus  groups  were  used  for  these  interviews.  

Results  Descriptive  Analysis  The  results  of  the  in-­‐depth  interviews  are  very  similar  to  those  of  the  focus  groups.  When  asked  how  often  they  wear  seat  belts  while  sitting  in  the  car,  they  said  they  would  always  wear  it  if  they  sat  in  the  front  and  they  would  sometimes  wear  it  if  they  sat  in  the  back.  One  interesting  finding  was  that  one  of  the  girls  said  she  avoids  wearing  seat  belts  sometimes  because  she  wanted  “to  look  cool”  like  her  friends.  This  shows  that  the  reason  some  kids  avoid  wearing  seat  belts  could  possibly  be  because  they  want  to  fit  in  along  with  their  peers,  which  makes  sense  considering  Tweens  are  among  the  primary  group  that  are  the  most  peer  pressured.      

Reasons  for  wearing  seat  belts  The  main  reason  why  these  girls  wear  their  seat  belt  is  for  safety,  and  it  is  apparent  that  they  wear  seat  belts  when  sitting  in  the  front  seat  because  they  think  it  is  easier  to  get  hurt  in  the  front  seat.  An  interesting  remark  was  when  a  Tween  mentioned  she  does  not  wear  her  seat  belt  when  riding  in  a  car  for  a  short  period  of  time  because  “five  minutes  is  not  long  enough  for  an  accident”  to  occur.  That  is  the  general  reason  for  Tweens  who  do  not  wear  their  seat  belts  when  riding  in  a  car  for  a  short  period  of  time.  Another  reason  is  when  parents  or  guardians  tell  them  to  wear  seat  belt,  they  would  do  it  without  arguing.  One  girl  even  pointed  out  that  her  parents  remind  her  constantly  to  wear  seat  belt.  

Influencers  Comparable  to  our  focus  group  results,  every  Tween  in  the  in-­‐depth  interview  said  that  their  parents  influence  them  the  most  concerning  seat  belt  usage.  One  Tween  said  that  between  her  mother  and  father,  she  values  her  father’s  opinion  more  because  they  are  much  closer  and  she  spends  more  time  with  him.  

Page 22: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

22    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Limitations  and  Caveats  Potential  Errors    The  biggest  problem  with  one  of  the  in-­‐depth  interview  was  that  the  parent  was  present  during  her  kids’  interview  and  she  would  sometimes  answer  for  them.  This  might  have  negatively  impacted  the  results  because  the  answers  were  not  directly  from  the  kids’  standpoint.  Another  big  problem  was  the  technical  difficulties  of  conducting  the  interview  through  Skype,  such  as  the  internet  freezing  a  few  times,  and  it  was  difficult  to  hear  one  another.  Finding  a  convenient  time  to  set  up  the  interview  was  also  a  problem  because  of  everyone’s  busy  schedule.  

Possible  Improvements  If  we  could  have  done  the  interview  in  person,  we  would  have  separated  the  parents  from  the  kids  so  they  are  free  to  answer  the  questions  and  avoid  any  technical  issues.  We  found  that  many  answers  were  repetitive  with  what  the  Tweens  said  during  the  focus  groups  so  if  we  would  have  asked  different  questions,  it  would  not  have  been  so  redundant.  

Conclusions  Observational  Study  From  the  results  we  obtained,  most  of  the  Tweens  who  sat  in  the  back  seat  without  seat  belts  and  those  who  sit  in  the  front  seat,  most  of  them  do  wear  seat  belts.  It  could  be  that  they  believe  sitting  in  the  front  seat  put  them  more  at  risk  in  case  of  an  accident.  Unfortunately,  not  all  of  the  data  collected  specified  where  the  Tweens  sat  so  it  was  difficult  to  determine  if  Tweens  do  wear  seat  belts  depending  where  they  sit.  There  were  no  correlations  between  the  type  of  vehicle  and  if  Tweens  wear  seat  belts.  The  only  one  noticed  was  that  if  the  drivers  were  wearing  their  seat  belts,  the  Tweens  were  also  wearing  their  seat  belts.  

Focus  Groups  and  In-­‐Depth  Interviews  After  analyzing  our  researched  data,  we  noticed  the  results  from  both  the  focus  groups  and  in-­‐depth  interviews  were  very  similar  as  mentioned  before.  Tweens’  biggest  influence  factor  would  be  experiences.  For  example,  we  asked  Tweens  what  would  be  a  prime  factor  for  them  to  wear  seat  belts  and  the  majority  of  them  answered  that  if  they  were  ever  to  be  in  a  car  accident,  they  would  be  more  inclined  to  wear  seat  belts  every  time.  The  main  difference  was  that  the  Tweens’  answers  were  more  direct  and  descriptive  because  it  was  more  one-­‐on-­‐one  and  they  are  able  to  be  more  expressive.  Compare  to  the  focus  group  findings,  the  in-­‐depth  interview  participants  stated  that  they  are  more  likely  to  not  wear  seat  belts  during  very  short  trips  or  very  longs  trips.  Aside  from  parents  influencing  them  to  wear  seat  belts,  these  Tweens  also  take  into  account  their  peers’  opinion  on  seat  belt  usage.  We  found  that  Tweens  do  understand  the  importance  of  seat  belt  usage  because  all  of  the  Tweens  either  wear  their  seat  belts  all  of  the  time  or  at  least  some  of  the  times.  It  seems  that  in  the  event  that  there  happen  to  be  a  short  trip  or  a  very  long  trip,  the  Tweens  are  less  apt  to  wearing  their  seat  belts.  For  the  short  trips,  it  is  a  belief  that  nothing  is  going  to  happen  when  sitting  in  the  car  for  five  minutes.  For  the  long  trips,  Tweens  prefer  to  be  more  comfortable  rather  than  being  strapped  in  the  seat  belts.  

   

Page 23: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

23    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Recommendations  Some  recommendations  that  would  promote  seat  belt  usage  would  be  using  people  that  Tweens  idolize  such  as  parents  or  celebrities.  If  parents  talk  to  their  kids  more  about  wearing  seat  belts,  they  would  be  exposed  to  the  message  at  an  early  age  and  more  likely  to  remember  it  as  they  grow  older.  Also,  using  celebrities  to  send  out  messages  about  wearing  seat  belts  would  influence  Tweens  greatly.  When  interviewing  the  parents,  most  of  them  were  unaware  of  seat  belt  laws  such  as  the  requirements  for  kids  to  sit  in  the  front  seat,  when  to  take  the  booster  seat  out,  or  what  the  consequences  are  if  someone  is  caught  not  wearing  seat  belts.  Many  parents  just  use  what  they  know  to  teach  their  kids  without  doing  any  research.  If  NHTSA  can  spread  awareness  about  seat  belt  laws  more  so  parents  are  able  to  understand  clearly  what  the  laws  are,  more  people  would  wear  their  seat  belts.  

Methodology  for  Quantitative  Research  Design  We  began  our  research  problem  by  closely  examining  the  resources  that  NHTSA  has  provided  for  us  to  determine  the  precise  objectives  that  would  define  our  survey  development.    The  main  objectives  we  ascertained  for  our  research  was  first,  to  provide  insight  on  Tween  perceptions  and  beliefs  on  seat  belts  and  seat  belt  usage,  and  second,  to  determine  who  and  what  the  primary  influencers  were  for  Tweens  in  regards  to  seat  belt  usage.    A  series  of  questions  were  provided  by  NHTSA  for  us,  to  use  verbatim,  in  two  surveys,  one  for  the  Tweens  and  one  for  their  parents.    We  developed  the  additional  questions  around  our  two  primary  objectives,  using  GoogleDocs  as  a  medium  to  better  communicate  within  the  group  while  developing  the  questions.    Once  the  surveys  were  finalized,  we  uploaded  them  onto  Qualtrics.    Due  to  legality  issues  (as  our  target  group  included  minors),  our  group  had  decided  to  send  out  copies  of  the  consent  letters  with  the  parent  surveys  first,  having  teachers  hand  them  out  to  their  students  to  bring  home  and  return  to  school  after  a  few  days.  Group  members  also  sent  out  the  link  to  the  Qualtrics  survey  via  email  and  social  networking,  targeting  parents  with  children  in  the  age  range  of  8  and  12  years  old.      

The  purpose  of  our  research  was  developed  to  answer  two  primary  objectives:  first  to  determine  the  opinions  of  the  Tween  population  about  seat  belts,  and  seat  belt  safety  and  usage.    The  second  objective,  which  our  research  hoped  to  gain  insight  on,  was  exactly  who  and  what  were  the  influencers  on  Tweens  on  the  subject  of  seat  belts  and  seat  belt  usage.    More  specifically,  we  wanted  to  see  what  actions  by  parents  have  the  most  influence  on  Tweens  to  get  them  to  buckle  up.    We  also  were  asking  a  series  of  questions  attempting  to  identify  who  the  key  influencers  are  for  Tweens  and  their  use  of  seat  belts  when  in  the  car.  

Population  For  our  research,  our  primary  population  being  studied  is  the  NHTSA-­‐labeled  ‘Tween  population’  –  children  within  the  age  range  of  8  and  12  years  old.    The  secondary  population  our  research  focused  on  is  the  parents  of  our  ‘Tween  population’.    Our  sampling  objective  was  to  survey  a  minimum  of  200  parents  and  50  Tweens  (as  directed  by  the  NHTSA  board).    We  began  our  sampling  process  by  compiling  a  list  of  schools  and  school  administrators  which  group  members  had  access  to,  and  creating  a  list  of  contact  information  for  these  elementary  and  middle  

Page 24: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

24    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

schools.    Because  the  majority  of  our  contact  schools  are  located  in  the  suburbs  of  Chicago,  we  also  are  researching  several  schools  located  within  the  Chicago  city  limits  to  contact  as  well.    We  wanted  to  represent  Tweens  both  in  the  urban  and  suburban  areas,  as  there  are  decidedly  different  transportation  patterns  for  each  group.        Due  to  legal  requirements,  we  were  unable  to  distribute  surveys  to  any  school,  public  or  private.    However,  each  group  member  was  able  to  obtain  between  five  and  ten  parent  surveys  and  five  Tween  surveys;  each  survey  was  distributed  to  and  filled  out  by  parents,  guardians,  or  influencers  of  Tweens.    The  distribution  channel  was  either  Qualtrics  or  physical  paper  forms.    In  addition,  one  member  contacted  the  Galileo  Scholastic  Academy  of  Math  and  Science,  which  is  a  middle  school  just  west  of  the  Chicago  Loop.    Our  member  was  able  to  distribute  about  20  Tween  surveys  at  this  school.  

Collection  Process  Survey  distribution  was  handled  through  two  channels  –  the  main  dispersal  of  the  survey  was  done  through  18  team  members.  Each  member  gathered  at  least  ten  parent  surveys  and  approximately  five  and  ten  Tween  surveys.  Physical  copies  of  the  parent  surveys,  along  with  the  consent  forms,  were  distributed  at  the  beginning  of  the  spring  recess,  and  both  English  and  Spanish  forms  were  provided  when  necessary.  One  week  later,  after  the  surveys  were  completely  filled  out  by  participating  subjects,  both  the  Tween  and  parent  surveys  were  collected  along  with  the  consent  forms.    The  second  channel  of  distribution  for  our  surveys  dealt  primarily  with  our  parent  surveys  –  the  parent  form  was  uploaded  onto  Qualtrics,  and  distributed  via  email  and  social  networking  groups  by  team  members.  This  second  wave  of  distribution  was  directed  at  individual  parents  and  parent  groups  whom  our  NHTSA  group  members  have  previous  contact  with.  This  wave  was  seen  as  a  supplement  aimed  at  boosting  our  collection  of  parent  surveys.  

Method  of  Analysis  The  results  from  the  paper  copies  of  both  the  Tween  and  parent  surveys  were  entered  by  group  members  into  the  Qualtrics  system  (to  keep  an  electronic  record).    Once  all  surveys  were  entered,  we  used  the  Qualtrics  software  to  create  an  SPSS  file  for  statistical  analysis.  The  main  SPSS  tools  we  used  are  the  frequency  and  distribution  analysis,  correlation  analysis,  and  regression  analysis  to  determine  applicability  of  the  sample  and  relationships  between  the  survey  variables.  We  used  the  correlation  analysis  and  regression  modeling  to  determine  the  significance  and  causality  relationships  between  survey  variables.  

 

Results  Demographic  Data  

Tween  Demographic  Data  A  slightly  larger  percentage  (53.1%  versus  46.9%)  of  survey  respondents  identified  themselves  as  ‘boys’  (instead  of  identifying  as  ‘girls’).    The  range  of  school  grades  was  relatively  uniformly  distributed  across  the  sample,  however  there  were  two  larger  groups  of  respondents  centered  around  3rd  and  6th  grade  survey  takers.      

Page 25: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

25    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

               

 

The  majority  of  Tween  survey  respondents  marked  they  wear  their  seat  belts  every  single  time  they  ride  in  a  moving  vehicle  (62.1%  of  valid  respondents),  and  an  overwhelming  majority  of  Tween  respondents  (84.8%)  claimed  to  wear  their  seat  belts  at  least  ‘most  of  the  time’  when  riding  in  a  moving  vehicle.        

   

Tweens  generally  report  sitting  in  the  backseat  of  the  vehicle  they  ride  in  (68.8%),  however  a  significant  proportion  answered  that  they  do  sit  in  the  front  seat  (26.6%),  which  may  be  linked  with  a  larger  cluster  of  respondents  who  are  on  the  older  end  of  the  Tween  ages  spectrum  (61.5%  reported  being  ten  years  old  or  older).    Older  children  tend  to  be  taller  and  weigh  more,  thus  face  less  risk  of  injury  in  the  front  seat  than  a  younger/smaller  individual  in  the  event  of  an  accident.    Although  the  majority  of  participants  reported  that  they  wear  their  seat  belt  “always,  every  single  time”  in  response  to  the  general  seat  belt  usage  question  at  the  beginning  of  the  question,  when  asked  last  if  they  used  their  seat  belt  when  riding  in  the  car  for  less  than  five  minutes  vs.  more  than  five  minutes,  Tweens  reported  more  variable  seat  belt  usage.          

53%47%

Gender

Boy

Girl

15%

23%

14%11%

37%

Age

8  Years  Old

9  Years  Old

10  Years  Old

11  Years  Old

12  Years  Old

62%23%

14%

1%

Tween  Seat  Belt  Usage

Every  Single  Time

Most  of  the  Time

Some  of  the  Time

Not  Very  Often

Page 26: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

26    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

   

   Nearly  the  entire  sample  reported  that  they  never  use  a  booster  seat  while  riding  in  a  vehicle  (76.6%),  and  this  may  correspond  with  the  data  trending  towards  higher  aged  respondents.    In  terms  of  seat  belt  placement,  the  majority  of  Tweens  reported  wearing  their  seat  belt  in  the  proper  fashion,  with  the  seat  belt  across  their  chest  and  lap  (85.9%).  Although  some  participants  did  report  wearing  them  inappropriately,  with  the  strap  either  under  their  arm  or  behind  their  back  (11%  of  responses).    This  may  be  explained  in  part  with  respondents’  perceptions  of  comfort  (or  discomfort)  when  wearing  a  seat  belt  in  a  vehicle  without  a  booster  seat  (which,  also  shown  by  survey  data,  the  mass  majority  of  Tweens  ride  in  a  vehicle  without  a  booster  seat).    The  distribution  of  reported  comfort  is  widely  varied,  although  more  concentrated  on  the  ‘comfortable’  end  of  the  spectrum.        

42.40%

16.70%21.20%

13.60%6.10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time Some  of  the  time Not  very  often Never

Seat  Belt  Usage  when  Riding  in  the  Vehicle  for  

Less  than  Five  Minutes

67.7%

21.5% 4.6% 4.6% 1.5%0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time Some  of  the  time Not  very  often Never

Seat  Belt  Usage  when  Riding  in  the  Vehicle  for  

More  than  Five  Minutes  

Page 27: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

27    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

   

To  get  more  detail  on  exactly  what  made  using  a  seat  belt  comfortable  or  uncomfortable,  we  asked  Tween  participants  to  specify  why  using  a  seat  belt  in  a  vehicle  was  or  was  not  comfortable.    

   

So  although  the  majority  of  responses  (42  out  of  the  74  responses)  did  highlight  comfort  leading  from  proper  seat  belt  usage,  the  next  two  highest  response  categories  included  improper  seat  belt  usage  and  discomfort  resulting  from  incorrect  seat  belt  and  seat  proportions  for  Tweens.    This  data  can  be  further  explored  by  South  Loop  Solutions,  and  used  in  their  campaign,  potentially  to  develop  more  comfortable  seat  belts  for  children,  especially  in  light  of  the  fact  that  most  Tweens  do  not  wear  booster  seats.    

30.00%

41.70%

21.70%

6.70%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Very  Comfortable Somewhat  Comfortable Somewhat  Uncomfortable

Very  Uncomfortable

Comfort  Level  Reported  while  Wearing  a  Seat  

Belt

42

10 11

2 2 70

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Comfortable  Across  Chest  and  Lap

Comfortable  because  Strap  is  Behind  Back  or  

Arm

Uncomfortable  because  Strap  Rubs  against  

Neck

Uncomfortable  because  Belt  is  Across  Stomach

Does  not  Sit  in  Vehicle  without  Booster  Seat

Unsure

Number  of  Responses

Reasons  behind  Comfort/Discomfort

Variables  Behind  Seat  Belt  Comfort

Page 28: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

28    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 Our  survey  also  attempted  to  understand  who  influences  Tween  behavior.    The  survey  results  found  that  overwhelmingly,  parents  have  the  largest  impact  on  Tweens  in  general,  although  siblings  also  had  a  significant  influence.    

   

Since  it  appeared  that  parents  and  guardians  played  the  strongest  impact  on  Tweens’  decision  making  in  general,  our  research  targeted  specific  parent  actions  to  see  which  specifically  played  a  large  role  in  Tween  seat  belt  usage.    A  large  proportion  of  Tweens  reported  that  their  parents  wear  their  seat  belt  in  the  car  every  time  they  operate  or  sit  in  a  moving  vehicle  (76.9%),  a  surprisingly  lower  percentage  than  Tween  self-­‐reported  usage  (62.1%).    This  could  be  indicative  of  parents  not  checking  or  following  up  on  their  Tweens  wearing  seat  belts  in  their  cars,  and  especially  their  Tweens’  seat  belt  usage  when  they  are  sitting  in  other  vehicles  (i.e.  a  friend’s  car).    

   

Another  important  parent  behavior  we  wished  to  observe  was  whether  or  not  parents  watched  their  children  buckle  up  before  starting  the  car.    The  results  were  well  distributed  across  categories,  which  was  especially  interesting  in  light  of  the  parents’  self-­‐reported  behaviors.      

58.10%

14.50%8.10% 8.10%

1.60% 3.20% 6.50%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Parents Siblings Teachers Friends Grandparents Television None  of  the  Above

Influencers

77.0%

13.8%4.6% 3.1% 1.5%

Parent/Guardian  Seat  Belt  Usage

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time

Some  of  the  time

Never

Don't  Know

Page 29: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

29    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

     

     

Parent  Demographic  Data  For  our  parent/guardian  survey  respondents,  a  larger  percentage  was  female  (58%)  compared  male  (42%).    Ethnicity  had  a  concentrated  distribution,  with  the  largest  percentage  of  survey  respondents  being  Caucasian  (64.3%).    

                   Parent  self-­‐reported  seat  belt  usage  closely  mirrored  what  Tweens  reported  in  their  survey  data,  with  the  majority  of  parents  reporting  they  wear  their  seat  belt  every  single  time  they  ride  in  a  vehicle.    

30.20%

15.90% 15.90%22.20%

15.90%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time Some  of  the  time Not  very  often Never

Parents  Observing  Tween  Buckle  Up  Before  

Starting  the  Vehicle

55%

45%

Gender

Male Female4%

13%

18%64%

1%

Ethnic  Background

African  American

Asian

Hispanic  or  Latino

Caucasian

Page 30: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

30    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

   

Our  research  attempted  to  uncover  several  behaviors  which  parents  were  or  were  not  engaging  in  while  in  the  vehicle  with  their  Tweens.    The  mass  majority  of  parents  did  report  encouraging  their  children  to  buckle  up  every  single  time  they  were  in  the  vehicle  with  them  (79.6%).    

   

We  also  wanted  to  uncover  the  methods  which  parents  employed  when  checking  to  see  if  their  child  was  buckled  up  in  the  vehicle  with  them  –  especially  those  which  would  be  most  effective  in  ensuring  that  Tweens  were  properly  buckled  into  their  seats  before  starting  the  vehicle.    The  majority  of  parents  asked  their  Tweens  if  they  were  buckled  up  (79%  of  all  valid  responses),  with  55.1%  of  parents  actually  visually  checking  to  see  if  their  child(ren)  has  indeed  buckled  up.    A  smaller  proportion  of  parents  physically  buckled  their  Tweens  in  themselves  (14.6%),  which  we  ascertained  to  be  more  helpful  when  the  Tween  in  question  was  at  the  younger  end  of  the  age  spectrum.    The  survey  also  asked  where  Tweens  generally  sat  in  the  vehicle  when  riding  with  their  parents,  as  certain  areas  of  the  vehicle  tend  to  be  safer  for  younger  individuals  (with  lower  body  weights  and  shorter  heights).    The  majority  of  parents  tell  their  Tweens  to  sit  in  the  backseat,  on  the  left  or  right  sides  (not  in  the  middle),  which  is  generally  agreed  up  to  be  the  safest  areas  of  the  car  for  children  in  the  event  of  a  car  accident.  

73.5%

18.8%

4.3% 2.4% 1.0%

Parent  Self-­‐Reported  Seat  Belt  Usage

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time

Some  of  the  time

Not  very  often

Never

80%

8%8% 3% 1%

Parents  Encouraging  their  Tween  to  Buckle  Up  

while  in  the  Vehicle

Always,  every  single  time

Most  of  the  time

Some  of  the  time

Not  very  often

Never

Page 31: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

31    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

         

   

Outside  of  monitoring  their  Tweens’  seat  belt  usage  in  the  car,  our  surveys  targeted  whether  or  not  parents  explained  the  importance  of  buckling  up.    The  majority  of  parents  reported  that  they  remind  their  children  of  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  frequently  (32.5%)  or  occasionally  (33.5%).    We  also  wanted  to  see  at  what  age  parents  believed  that  their  children  could  make  their  own  decisions  about  seat  belt  safety  and  buckling  up,  which  would  generally  indicate  when  they  would  stop  reminding  their  children  of  the  need  to  buckle  up  when  sitting  in  or  operating  a  moving  vehicle.  Surprisingly,  the  majority  of  parents  (51.2%)  felt  that  their  children  could  make  their  own  decisions  about  seat  belt  safety  at  18  years  or  older,  even  though  the  legal  driving  age  in  Illinois  is  16  years  old  to  hold  a  license.    

   

 

   

21.1%

65.2%

6.4% 5.4% 2.0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Front  Passenger  Seat

Backseat  on  the  Left  or  Right  Sides

Backseat  in  the  Middle

Far  Back  Seats  (SUV  or  Minivan)

Other

Tweens'  Location  in  the  Vehicle

3.00%14.80% 15.30% 15.80%

51.20%

0%

20%

40%

60%

5  years  and  younger 6  to  10  years  old 11  to  15  years  old 16  to  18  years  old 18  years  and  older

Age  at  Which  Parents  Think  their  Tween  can  

Make  their  Own  Decision  on  Seat  Belt  Safety

Page 32: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

32    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

 

Correlation  Analysis  Results  For  further  understanding  of  Tweens  and  their  use  of  seat  belts,  we  ran  more  tests  on  SPSS.  We  wanted  to  know  the  significance  between  certain  variables,  so  we  put  variables  together  to  understand  if  there  truly  are  significant  relationships  between  them.  In  running  these  tests,  we  found  that  there  were  positive  relationships  between  the  variables.  The  next  two  correlation  charts  below  are  tests  that  showed  the  importance  of  the  parents  and  influencers.      

The  first  correlation  result  chart  shows  there  is  significance  between  how  often  a  person  wears  their  seat  belt  and  if  that  person  also  encourages  their  children  to  wear  seat  belts  while  riding  in  the  car  with  them.  This  is  important  to  our  research  because  the  impact  that  parents  and  other  influencers  have  on  their  Tweens  about  seat  belt  usage  can  lead  to  the  Tweens  being  more  aware  about  their  safety  in  vehicles.    

Correlations

  How often do

you wear your

seat belt?

Do you encourage your

child(ren) to wear seat belts

when riding in the car with

you?

How often do you wear your

seat belt?

Pearson Correlation 1 .554**

Sig. (2-tailed)   .000

N 207 206

Do you encourage your

child(ren) to wear seat belts

when riding in the car with

you?

Pearson Correlation .554** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000  

N 206 206

** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

The  second  correlation  result  chart  shows  there  is  also  significance  between  how  often  someone  wears  their  seat  belt  and  whether  or  not  they  let  their  children  ride  in  the  vehicle  without  wearing  their  seat  belt.  Again,  we  can  see  that  parents  and  influencers  have  a  great  impact  on  Tweens  and  their  lifestyles.    

Page 33: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

33    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Correlations

 

Do you let your

child(ren) ride in

the car without

wearing a seat

belt?

How often do you wear your seat

belt?

Do you let your child(ren)

ride in the car without

wearing a seat belt?

Pearson Correlation 1 .453**

Sig. (2-tailed)   .000

N 204 204

How often do you wear your

seat belt?

Pearson Correlation .453** 1

Sig. (2-tailed) .000  

N 204 207

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

With  these  tests  in  mind,  we  understand  that  parents  and  influencers  who  do  wear  their  seat  belts  will  have  a  positive  impact  on  the  Tweens  and  show  them  the  importance  of  wearing  seat  belts  whenever  in  a  vehicle.    

Regression  Analysis  Results  

Parent  Tween  Regression  As  part  of  our  research,  we  wanted  to  find  out  the  factors  of  whether  parents  allow  their  children  to  ride  in  the  car  without  a  seat  belt,  and  if  so,  how  often.  We  used  regression  analysis  to  help  determine  what  variables  are  good  predictors  of  this.    We  chose  to  run  a  multiple  regression  analysis  to  help  explain,  predict,  and  control  a  dependent  variable  using  several  independent  variables.  In  our  Tween  parent  survey,  one  of  our  questions  was  “Do  you  let  your  child(ren)  ride  in  the  car  without  wearing  a  set  belt?”  with  options  being  “never,  very  rarely,  some  of  the  time,  most  of  the  time,  and  I  do  not  require  my  child  to  wear  seat  belt  in  the  car.”  We  chose  this  question  to  be  our  dependent  variable  for  our  regression  analysis.      

We  felt  that  parents  allowing  their  children  to  ride  in  the  car  without  a  seat  belt  can  be  predicted  by  several  independent  variables.  Where  the  child  sits  in  the  car  and  at  what  age  the  parent  feels  the  child  can  make  their  own  seat  belt  usage  decisions  are  two  of  those  variables.  We  explain  our  reasoning  because  if  a  parent  feels  that  a  child  can  make  their  decisions  at  a  younger  age,  then  they  are  more  likely  to  not  stress  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety.  In  contrast,  if  a  child  sits  in  the  front  seat,  parents  may  require  them  to  wear  seat  belts  more  often  because  they  can  see  the  child  better,  as  opposed  to  the  child  sitting  in  the  back  seat.    If  a  parent  has  explained  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  their  

Page 34: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

34    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

child,  they  are  more  likely  to  always  require  their  child  to  wear  a  seat  belt;  this  was  our  third  tested  variable.  Our  last  variable  was  whether  parents  agreed  or  disagreed  that  they  find  it  difficult  to  convey  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  their  child.  We  believe  this  is  a  good  predictor  because  if  they  find  it  difficult  to  convey  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  then  they  might  have  difficulty  having  their  child  wear  a  seat  belt  at  all  times.  We  did  our  testing  using  SPSS  software  and  have  concluded  with  the  following  results.  

 

 

 

Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .369a .136 .118 .710

a. Predictors: (Constant), Where do/does your child(ren) usually sit when in the car?, Do you explain to your tween the importance of seat belt safety and how seat belts save their lif…., to what extent do you agree with the following statement: “I find it difficult to convey the importa…., At what age do you believe your child(ren) can make their own decisions about using seat belts when…

ANOVAb

Model Sum of Squares

df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 15.327 4 3.832 7.599 .000a

Residual 97.320 193 .504

Total 112.646 197

a.  Predictors:  (Constant),  Where  do/does  your  child(ren)  usually  sit  when  in  the  car?,  Do  you  explain  to  your  Tween  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  how  seat  belts  can  save  their  life?  To  what  extent  do  you  agree  with  the  following  statement:  "I  find  it  difficult  to  convey  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  how  seat  belts  can  save  their  lives?  At  what  age  do  you  believe  your  child(ren)  can  make  their  own  decisions  about  using  seat  belts  about  using  seat  belts  when  in  the  car?  b.  Dependent  Variable:  Do  you  let  your  child(ren)  ride  in  the  car  without  wearing  a  seat  belt?

Page 35: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

35    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Coefficientsa  

Model Unstandardized Coefficients

Standardized Coefficients

t Sig. Collinearity Statistic

B Std. Error Beta Tolerance VIF

1 (Constant) 1.730 .287 6.023 .000

To what extent do you agree with the following statement: "I find it difficult to convey the importa...

-.067 .042 -.113 -1.601 .111 .900 1.112

Do you explain to your Tween the importance of seat belt safety and how seat belts can save their li...

.180 .050 .247 3.607 .000 .951 1.051

At what age do you believe your child(ren) can make their own decisions about using seat belts when...

-.122 .044 -.198 -2.787 .006 .886 1.129

Where do/does your child(ren) usually sit when in the car?

.000 .062 .000 .003 .997 .987 1.013

 

Our  model  indicates  that  the  four  predictors  account  for  13.6%  of  the  variation  in  our  dependent  and  that  there  is  close  to  no  linear  relationship  between  our  independent  and  dependent  variable.    With  the  standard  error  of  the  estimate  being  .710,  we  are  disappointed  to  find  out  it  is  not  as  precise  as  we  would  have  hoped  for.  Although  our  ANOVA  testing  showed  significance,  the  coefficients  chart  shows  only  our  second  independent  variable  is  a  predictor  with  a  significance  of  .000.  The  variable  of  whether  parents  explain  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  their  children  was  found  to  be  the  only  predictor  of  parents  allowing  their  children  to  ride  in  the  car  without  a  seat  belt.    

Page 36: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

36    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

From  our  results,  we  can  conclude  if  parents  are  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety,  it  will  lead  to  stronger  usage  among  Tweens.  We  can  predict  that  when  parents  are  stressing  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  their  Tweens,  then  those  parents  are  the  ones  not  allowing  their  children  to  ride  in  a  vehicle  without  being  buckled  up.  These  parents  are  the  positive  reinforcement  that  will  hopefully  encourage  Tweens  to  make  the  decision  on  their  own  to  wear  seat  belts  regularly.    Therefore,  we  determine  it  is  the  parents’  responsibility  to  educate  and  enforce  seat  belt  usage  instead  of  assuming  their  Tween  can  make  decisions  on  their  own.  

Tween  Regression  An  important  question  we  wanted  to  answer  was  not  only  if  Tweens  buckle  up  but  also  why  they  do  or  do  not.    To  do  this,  we  ran  a  multiple  regression  analysis  using  two  independent  variables  in  hopes  of  finding  a  predictor  for  our  dependent  variable.  In  our  Tween  survey,  we  asked  “do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  ride  in  this  vehicle?”  with  responses  including  “always,  every  single  time,  most  of  the  time,  some  of  the  time,  not  very  often,  and  never.”  We  chose  this  for  our  dependent  variable  in  order  to  find  an  answer  to  our  question  which  we  hoped  to  find  a  predictor  for.    Our  two  independent  variables  are  whether  parents  buckle  up  or  whether  the  parents  watch  to  make  sure  the  Tween  buckles  up.    We  feel  these  are  appropriate  variables  to  test  because  we  see  these  as  being  potential  factors  to  Tween  seat  belt  usage.  After  running  the  test,  we  analyzed  the  data  with  the  following  results.  

   

Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .527a .278 .254 .656

a. Predictors: (Constant), Do your parents wear their seat belts when they are driving in the car?, Do your parents/guardians watch you buckle your seat belt before starting the car?

ANOVAb

Model Sum of Squares

df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 9.946 2 4.973 11.565 .000a

Residual 25.800 60 .430    

  Total 35.746 62      

a. Predictors: (Constant), Do your parents wear their seat belts when they are driving in the car?, Do your parents/guardians watch you buckle your seat belt before starting the car?

b. Dependent Variable: Do you wear your seat belt when you ride in this vehicle? (Please mark only one answer)

 

Page 37: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

37    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Coefficientsa  

Model Unstandardized Coefficients

Standardized Coefficients

t Sig. Collinearity Statistic

B Std. Error Beta Tolerance VIF

1 (Constant) .758 .193   3.927 .000    

  Do your parents/guardians watch you buckle your seat belt before starting the car?

.102 .058 .199 1.753 .085 .929 1.076

Do your parents wear their seat belts when they are driving in the car?

.323 .084 .438 3.850 .000 .929 1.076

 

Our  model  indicates  that  the  two  predictors  account  for  27.8%  of  the  variation  in  our  dependent  and  that  the  linear  relationship  is  weak.    Our  standard  error  of  the  estimate  calculated  to  be  .656,  which  means  our  confidence  interval  is  not  as  precise  as  we  would  have  liked.  Our  F-­‐value  indicates  that  our  equation  is  significantly  better  than  chance,  although  our  R  Square  resulted  low.  The  F-­‐value  is  used  to  decide  whether  the  model  is  statistically  significant  and  the  R  Square  provides  a  measure  of  how  well  future  outcomes  are  likely  to  be  predicted  by  this  model.  Because  we  have  a  significance  of  .000  in  our  second  variable,  we  reject  the  null  hypothesis  that  the  independent  variables  are  not  related  to  the  dependent  variable.    

According  to  the  provided  information,  whether  the  parents  or  guardians  of  the  Tweens  wear  seat  belts  is  a  good  predictor  of  whether  or  not  a  Tween  will  wear  a  seat  belt  in  the  car.    We  can  conclude  that  if  a  parent  or  guardian  does  not  wear  their  seat  belt,  a  Tween  is  less  likely  to  wear  theirs  as  well.  What  this  means  for  our  research  is  that  the  driver  has  an  influence  on  the  Tween  passenger  and  that  should  be  something  addressed  in  the  campaign.      

Another  regression  test  we  ran  was  between  the  questions  regarding  Tweens  and  if  they  wear  their  seat  belts  properly  and  whether  or  not  the  positioning  of  the  seat  belt  they  wear  is  comfortable  to  them.    This  is  an  appropriate  dependent  and  independent  variable  because  if  Tweens  found  the  seat  belt  to  be  uncomfortable,  they  are  more  likely  to  not  wear  it.    We  then  analyzed  the  results  with  the  following  conclusion.    

 

 

Page 38: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

38    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate

1 .214a .046 .030 .638

a. Predictors: (Constant), How do you feel when you are wearing a seat belt?

ANOVAb

Model Sum of Squares

df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 1.137 1 1.137 2.796 .100a

Residual 23.596 58 .407    

  Total 24.733 59      

a. Predictors: (Constant), How do you feel when you are wearing a seat belt?

b. Dependent Variable: How do you wear a seat belt when in the car?

 

Our  test  indicates  that  the  predictors  account  for  a  mere  4.6%  of  the  variation  in  our  dependent  and  that  there  is  none  linear  relationship  between  our  independent  and  dependent  variable.    Our  ANOVA  output  showed  a  significance  of  .100,  which  is  greater  than  the  .05  we  use  to  continue.    This  means  that  there  is  no  significance  between  our  variables  and  there  is  no  need  to  continue  with  the  test.    

Limitations  and  Caveats    

Due  to  organizational  difficulties,  we  began  our  project  several  weeks  behind  according  to  the  projected  timeline.    This  setback  caused  all  of  our  timelines  to  be  pushed  back,  and  the  distribution  and  collection  of  the  quantitative  research  group’s  surveys  was  significantly  hindered.  Also  in  light  of  stringent  Institutional  Review  Board  (IRB)  forms  which  were  required  to  be  filled  out  and  approved  by  the  University  in  order  to  distribute  surveys  to  minors  in  the  elementary  and  middle  schools  Chicago  education  system.    Coupled  with  our  difficulty  in  attaining  IRB  approval  from  the  University  for  our  research,  all  of  the  public  schools  we  had  begun  contacting  were  in  the  process  of  state  testing  and  state  surveying.    Therefore,  many  of  the  administrators  were  unable  to  accommodate  us  because  they  were  extremely  busy  preparing  students  by  administrating  and  collecting  the  IGAP  and  ISAT  tests.    Because  we  are  a  student  research  group  at  the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago,  we  were  also  limited  in  our  ability  to  create  a  representative  sample  for  the  research.    Generally,  we  were  only  able  to  distribute  parent  and  Tween  surveys  with  a  geographic  area  around  Chicago,  as  we  did  not  have  

Page 39: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

39    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

national  resources  in  obtaining  sampling  data  from  across  the  United  States.    This  significantly  limited  the  extrapolation  of  our  data  to  the  population  of  Tweens  and  influencers  in  the  entire  United  States,  as  there  may  be  strong  geographic  differences  in  seat  belt  perceptions  and  behaviors  across  regions  of  the  country.    We  did  attempt  to  distribute  surveys  to  both  urban  (city)  and  suburban  target  groups,  in  an  attempt  to  create  a  more  representative  sample.    In  the  survey  creation,  there  were  some  wording  and  recording  issues  with  specific  questions,  especially  those  that  were  open-­‐ended  (allowed  respondents  to  write  in  what  they  thought  the  most  accurate  answer  was).    However,  we  were  able  to  recode  most  open-­‐ended  responses  using  SPSS  and  Qualtrics,  and  actually  have  better  control  of  variable  definition  (for  example,  leaving  respondents  the  ability  to  write  in  the  zip  code  they  lived  in  instead  of  asking  them  if  they  lived  in  an  urban,  suburban,  or  rural  area  allowed  us  to  control  the  criteria  for  what  we  would  denote  as  ‘urban’  or  ‘suburban’).    As  in  most  survey  distribution,  we  did  have  some  non-­‐response  error,  with  some  participants  neglecting  to  answer  all  survey  questions.    Fortunately,  the  SPSS  program  took  non-­‐response  of  individual  questions  into  account  and  created  ‘valid’  percentages  for  all  data  (accounting  for  those  surveys  where  participants  did  not  fully  answer  all  questions).    There  was  also  the  possibility  of  respondent  intentional  error  or  bias,  because  the  subject  matter  (especially  for  parents)  reflected  on  safety  habits  regarding  their  children  and  themselves  (which  can  be  an  emotionally  charged  subject  for  disclosure).    We  attempted  to  control  for  this  type  of  error  as  much  as  possible  by  reassuring  participants  that  their  surveys  would  remain  completely  anonymous  and  were  being  used  strictly  for  research  purposes.    We  also  wrote  several  questions  for  the  parent  survey  attempting  to  remove  ‘blame’  –  including  questions  targeting  parents’  belief  on  the  difficulty  on  transmitting  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  their  Tweens.        We  also  recorded  both  Tween  and  parent  responses  on  overall  seat  belt  usage  and  seat  belt  usage  for  short  (less  than  five  minutes)  and  longer  (more  than  five  minutes)  car  rides.    When  comparing  data  from  overall  seat  belt  usage  to  more  specific  criteria,  we  did  notice  some  discrepancies  between  reported  answers  (approximately  62%  of  Tweens  reported  wearing  their  seat  belt  ALWAYS,  every  single  time  they  rode  in  a  vehicle,  however  only  42.4%  reported  wearing  their  seat  belt  when  riding  in  the  car  for  less  than  five  minutes).    This  indicates  that  there  is  some  level  of  respondent  bias  in  the  data.      

Conclusions  Frequency/Descriptive  Analysis    

Upon  reviewing  the  survey  results  for  both  parents  and  Tweens,  our  group  has  devised  several  conclusions  regarding  the  frequency  and  descriptive  analysis.  Both  the  Tween  and  parent  respondents  had  a  neutral  gender  distribution.  In  regards  to  age,  12  year  olds  accounted  for  over  1/3  of  the  sample  data.  When  Tweens  were  asked  about  general  seat  belt  usage,  85%  of  the  respondents  admitted  to  wearing  their  seat  belt  at  least  “most  of  the  time.”  During  trips  of  more  than  five  minutes,  2/3  of  Tweens  claimed  they  always  wear  their  seat  belts.  Trips  consisting  of  less  than  five  minutes  had  a  greater  variance  of  how  often  Tweens  actually  used  their  seat  belts  regularly.  Regarding  Tweens’  

Page 40: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

40    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

location  while  riding  in  a  vehicle,  nearly  2/3  of  the  respondents  said  they  sit  on  either  the  left  or  right  hand  side  of  the  back  seat.    The  remaining  Tweens  said  they  sit  in  the  front  seat,  which  may  be  explained  by  our  amount  of  12  year  old  participants.  Our  group  also  concluded  that  over  half  of  the  Tween  respondents  declared  that  their  parents  were  major  influencers  in  whether  or  not  they  wore  their  seat  belts.  75%  of  the  parents  reported  that  they  always  wear  their  seat  belts,  while  80%  of  parent  responses  indicated  that  they  encourage  their  children  to  buckle  up.    

Correlation  Analysis  In  addition  to  the  frequency  and  descriptive  analysis,  the  correlation  analysis  provides  us  with  a  direct  relation  to  various  survey  questions.  One  correlation  that  was  performed  was  between  the  usage  of  seat  belts  and  whether  parents  encouraged  their  children  to  buckle  up.  There  was  a  strong  relationship  among  these  two  variables,  implying  that  parents  are  a  major  influencer  of  their  children’s  actions.      Another  significant  correlation  was  between  the  type  of  vehicle  and  whether  the  Tweens  wear  their  seat  belts  over  long  periods  of  time.  Depending  on  the  comfort  level  of  the  seat  belt,  Tweens  were  either  more  prone  to  wearing  or  not  wearing  their  seat  belt  properly.  Many  of  the  variables  that  we  believed  that  would  have  a  significant  relationship  with  one  another  were  not  significant  at  all.  For  example,  age  and  the  knowledge  of  seat  belt  safety  did  not  have  any  correlation  to  one  another.  One  would  assume  that  age  would  imply  further  knowledge  of  seat  belts  and  how  it  could  save  lives,  however,  our  analysis  did  not  show  that  this  was  the  case.    

Regression  Analysis  The  concept  of  regression  analysis  requires  the  use  of  one  dependent  variable  followed  by  several  independent  variables.  The  goal  is  to  show  how  the  dependent  variable  is  predicted  by  the  other  variables.  For  the  parents,  we  used  three  separate  variables  that  we  thought  would  predict  our  dependent  variable  of  “Do  you  let  your  children  ride  in  the  car  without  wearing  a  seatbelt?”      Our  findings  indicated  that  the  only  predictor  was  whether  or  not  the  parents  explained  seat  belt  safety  to  their  children.  This  regression  analysis  concludes  that  if  parents  were  to  spend  the  time  explaining  seat  belt  safety,  then  they  would  emphasize  seat  belt  usage  and  ensure  that  their  Tweens  buckled  up  on  a  regular  basis.    Regarding  Tweens,  our  dependent  variable  was  “Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  ride  in  this  vehicle?”  We  had  two  independent  variables  for  this  question,  and  after  running  a  regression  we  can  reject  the  null  hypothesis  that  our  independent  and  dependent  variables  are  not  related.  This  regression  shows  us  that  the  parent's  decision  to  wear  their  seat  belt  has  a  major  impact  on  whether  their  Tween  decides  to  buckle  up  as  well.  One  last  regression  test  that  we  conducted  was  between  how  Tweens  wore  their  seat  belt  in  relation  to  the  comfort  associated  with  the  seat  belt.  The  results  indicated  that  the  independent  and  dependent  variables  were  not  significant.  This  led  us  to  cease  analysis  on  the  remaining  variables.    

   

Page 41: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

41    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Recommendations  After  analyzing  all  of  the  data  that  was  collected,  we  have  a  couple  of  different  recommendations  for  NHTSA  and  their  ongoing  campaign  to  enforce  seat  belt  usage  for  Tweens.  One  recommendation  is  NHTSA  needs  to  motivate  parents  and  influencers  to  understand  and  talk  to  their  Tweens  about  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety.  Through  the  research  that  we  conducted,  we  were  able  to  find  that  parents  and  influencers  were  a  major  impact  on  whether  or  not  Tweens  buckle  up.  Another  recommendation  is  to  create  a  campaign  to  increase  awareness  of  seat  belt  safety  that  is  geared  towards  the  Tweens.  In  our  analysis,  56%  of  Tweens  have  seen  a  TV  commercial  for  seat  belt  safety  and  38%  have  not.  Within  the  56%  of  Tweens  that  have  seen  an  ad  on  TV,  only  27%  said  that  seeing  the  commercial  made  them  want  to  buckle  up.  With  that  in  mind,  the  ad  campaign  should  encourage  Tweens  to  buckle  up  regardless  of  how  long  the  trip  is  or  where  they  are  sitting  in  the  vehicle.    

Advertising  Objectives  South  Loop  Solutions  has  developed,  created,  and  organized  an  innovative  and  integrative  advertising  campaign  through  the  use  of  traditional  and  nontraditional  media.  Based  on  our  research,  our  team  would  guide  a  marketing  campaign  using  the  following  objectives.    

Increase  awareness  of  seat  belt  safety  importance  for  Tweens  and  parents   Develop  an  integrative,  creative  branding  campaign  for  seat  belt  safety   Create  a  communication  plan  that  utilizes  optimal  marketing  mix  variables  incorporating  

unconventional  methods  and  tactics  to  effectively  reach  and  engage  the  target  market   Create  a  catchy  yet  effective  slogan  that  resonates  with  the  Tween  market  

These  objectives  are  the  basis  for  the  marketing  decisions  and  direction  that  would  be  recommended  by  South  Loop  Solutions.  Our  strategic  marketing  plan  would  utilize  creative  and  innovative  tactics  to  not  only  meet  these  objectives,  but  to  exceed  them  as  well.  

Demographics   Children  ages  8-­‐12  (Tweens)  

Parents  of  children  ages  8-­‐12  

Main  Slogan  “Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  -­‐  This  slogan  is  short,  simple,  and  outlines  seatbelt  safety  importance.  

Other  Slogans   “One  Click  Can  Save  Your  Life”    “Ensure  Your  Future”    “Clicked  for  the  Future”   “Life’s  a  Trick  –  Just  Click”    “Car  –  Seatbelt  =  Injury”   “Safety  is  Just  a  Click  Away”   “Encourage  Seatbelts,  They  Save  Lives!”  

Page 42: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

42    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

   

 

 

 

   

Page 43: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

43    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

   

Page 44: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

44    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Page 45: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

45    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

 

Page 46: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

46    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

   

Page 47: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

47    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Page 48: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

48    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

Page 49: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

49    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Advertising  Campaign  The  objectives  of  the  advertising  department  are  to  utilize  a  variety  of  promotional  methods,  to  execute  an  effective  and  creative  campaign,  and  to  develop  a  branding  campaign  that  appeals  to  our  target  market.    The  advertisement  department  developed  a  total  of  10  advertisements.  These  advertisements  focused  on  the  benefits  of  seat  belt  safety  and  concentrated  on  increasing  seat  belt  usage.  The  advertisements  were  inspired  by  the  research  results  and  focused  on  reaching  the  target  market  (Tweens  and  their  parents)  while  altering  their  perceptions  and  increasing  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  for  them.  

South  Loop  Solutions  would  use  several  different  media  sources  to  display  the  advertisements.  In  order  to  receive  maximum  exposure,  the  campaign  would  focus  on  using  promotional  outlets  that  are  popular  among   our   target   market.   Media   sources   would   include   full   size   posters,   postcards,   and   a   banner  prominently  displayed  in  the  schools  with  Tween  markets.  Each  medium  served  a  different  purpose  in  the  campaign  process.  The  quantity  of  each  medium  that  will  be  produced  is  as  follows:  

Posters:  80   Postcards:  2,000   Banner:  1  

Posters,  12  x  19  inch,  will  be  positioned  throughout  each  elementary  school  inside  hallways  and  class  rooms.  They  will  attract  a  substantial  amount  of  attention  due  to  their  large  size  and  positioning  in  strategic  locations.  

Caution  signs  with  our  tagline  will  be  placed  near  elementary  schools.  These  signs  will  be  able  to  reinforce  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  encourage  to  Tweens  put  the  seat  belt  on  if  they  have  not  done  so.  In  addition  to  the  caution  signs  there  will  be  billboards,  cabs,  and  buses  will  help  capture  our  target  market  as  they  are  passengers  in  cars.  By  positioning  these  advertisements  in  high  traffic  areas,  they  will  be  able  to  generate  increased  exposure.  

Our  online  marketing  campaign  will  open  up  new  fronts  of  access  to  our  customers.  The  core  for  the  online  strategy  is  to  develop  an  impressive  website;  to  increase  traffic  for  our  website  we  will  implement  various  search  engine  marketing  tactics.  We  would  also  utilize  banner  ads  on  the  sites  frequented  by  the  Tween  market.    

In  addition  to  traditional  media  it  would  be  beneficial  to  partner  with  a  company  such  as  Disney  that  would  allow  public  service  announcements  at  their  amusement  parks  and  on  their  movie  trailers.  This  access  would  be  critical  to  reaching  the  maximum  exposure  with  the  hope  that  major  studios  would  be  willing  to  offset  the  traditional  costs  associate  with  such  a  tactic.    

Summary  South  Loop  Solutions  would  be  able  to  increase  seat  belt  safety  awareness  by  using  several  integrated  advertising  strategies.  By  utilizing  multiple  media  vehicles  that  resonate  with  the  Tween  market  and  their  parents,  the  campaign  could  secure  an  increase  in  usage  and  save  lives.  The  results  of  the  main  advertising  will  not  only  shift  perception  on  the  use  of  seat  belts,  but  also  help  build  seatbelt  safety  habits  through  continued  advertisement  exposure.  

Page 50: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

50    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Public  Relations  The  Public  Relations  Department  objectives  would  be  to  create  seat  belt  awareness,  maximize  exposure  for  our  marketing  campaign  through  a  variety  of  media  outlets,  and  generate  awareness  for  the  main  event  held  near  a  Tween  dominated  event.  Exposure  will  be  gained  through  several  press  releases.  

The  press  releases  would  be  our  primary  point  of  contact  between  UIC  Advertising  Research  and  local  media  outlets  and  the  school  districts  within  the  community.  The  first  press  release  will  be  designed  to  introduce  the  media  to  our  agency  while  the  second  press  release  will  be  focused  on  informing  the  media  of  our  main  events  that  would  take  place  at  several  elementary  schools.  Our  third  press  release,  which  will  be  sent  out  to  our  media  contacts,  will  detail  our  research  finding  results  and  the  importance  of  seat  belt  usage  and  the  overall  success  of  our  campaign.  

South  Loop  Solutions  would  provide  our  findings  to  a  morning  news  program  to  run  a  short  special  that  will  outline  the  importance  of  seat  belts.  The  news  special  will  also  describe  the  school  events  that  will  be  happening  around  the  area  and  generate  significant  buzz  at  the  schools  involved  and  also  with  the  untapped  parent  market.    

Summary  Throughout  the  campaign,  the  Public  Relations  Department  will  strive  to  maximize  the  exposure  for  the  main  event  and  promote  seatbelt  awareness.  It  would  do  this  by  utilizing  multiple  media  outlets  in  a  very  cost  effective  way.  Because  of  the  fact  that  our  campaign  would  be  providing  a  public  service  to  the  community,  we  would  expect  significant  support  within  the  local  media.  Overall  the  Public  Relations  Department  would  be  a  critical  component  in  an  integrative  marketing  campaign  and  be  a  solid  contributor  to  the  overall  success.  

Campaign  Strategy  The  objectives  of  the  Campaign  Strategy  Department  would  be  to  formulate  a  strategy  that  encompassed  all  the  departments  and  their  efforts  in  creating  and  implementing  an  innovative  and  comprehensive  marketing  campaign.  In  order  to  secure  success,  it  would  critical  to  coordinate  each  department’s  objectives  and  goals  while  maintaining  fiscal  responsibility.  The  main  event  will  occur  at  several  select  elementary  schools  in  their  gymnasium.  We  would  invite  Milton  Jacobs,  a  seat  belt  safety  speaker  and  consultant,  to  discuss  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety.  We  would  encourage  local  media  to  cover  our  event.  

Members  of  South  Loop  Solutions  would  greet  parents  and  their  Tweens  at  the  entrance  of  each  of  the  school  parking  lots.  Tweens  that  have  their  seat  belts  on  will  be  rewarded  with  candy  and  each  parent  will  be  given  a  postcard  that  talks  about  seat  belt  safety.    

Within  the  school,  multiple  tables  and  stations  would  be  arranged  providing  additional  information  and  advertisements  of  seat  belt  safety.  They  will  also  have  raffle  bowls  for  a  grand  prize  of  a  Nintendo  Wii,  with  the  winner  being  announced  at  the  end  of  the  event.  Before  the  event  will  begin,  members  of  agency  would  visit  select  classes  and  give  a  quick  preview  of  what  the  event  will  be  about.  In  addition  we  will  market  the  event  via  a  public  address  to  students.    

The  main  event  will  consist  of  Milton  Jacobs  performing  his  presentation  on  seatbelt  safety  and  the  importance  of  being  buckled  up  at  all  times  while  in  a  vehicle.  At  the  end  of  the  event,  the  winner  of  the  raffle  will  be  announced  and  presented  the  award.    

Page 51: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

51    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Summary  As  a  result  of  the  main  event,  we  would  successfully  target  Tweens  and  discuss  the  importance  of  seatbelts.  South  Loop  Solutions  believes  that  the  event  would  successfully  target  both  parents  and  Tweens.  In  addition,  the  event  would  be  an  integral  part  of  the  entire  campaign  as  the  public  relations  campaign  and  advertisement  campaign  work  to  promote  the  overall  event.  We  would  be  hopeful  that  the  campaign  would  generate  a  high  enough  return  on  investment  to  warrant  a  successful  launch  throughout  the  country.  

Conclusion  By  closely  following  our  objectives  of  increasing  seatbelt  safety  awareness,  developing  an  integrative  and  creative  branding  campaign,  and  creating  a  communication  plan  that  utilizes  optimal  marketing  mix,  South  Loop  Solutions  would  be  able  to  successfully  reach  out  to  our  target  market  with  multiple  promotional  components.  These  advertising  proposals  can  and  would  be  utilized  in  delivering  an  effective  tone  and  message  that  resonates  with  the  Tween  market.      

Financial  Highlights    

With  the  given  $1,000  budget,  we  initially  devised  a  rough  draft  budget  to  help  us  determine  how  our  budget  would  be  allocated.  After  all  our  costs  occurred,  we  were  able  to  establish  a  return  on  investment  of  116%,  meaning  we  more  than  doubled  the  value  of  the  campaign.  We  were  able  to  save  a  significant  amount  of  our  budget  by  utilizing  volunteers,  friends  and  family  members  to  contribute  to  our  primary  research  and  focus  groups.  Through  the  aid  of  business  contacts,  we  were  able  to  acquire  donations  to  help  maximize  the  value  of  our  budget.    

Our  campaign  relied  upon  the  work  ethic  of  18  team  members.  Upon  completion  of  our  research  project  we  believe  the  value  of  what  we  have  submitted  far  exceeds  the  dollar  amount  in  the  exhibit  below.  Our  goal  as  a  team  was  to  go  above  and  beyond  the  initial  scope  of  the  research  campaign  brief.  We  not  only  conducted  more  research  than  expected  w  also  created  branding  materials  and  strategies  for  a  future  integrative  marketing  campaign.  

The  overall  experience  of  our  campaign  was  that  together  with  teamwork  we  were  able  to  accomplish  all  of  the  objectives  set  forth  at  the  beginning  of  the  semester.  We  are  grateful  to  be  all  key  members  in  this  rewarding  experience.    

 

Department   Estimated  Cost   Estimated  Value   Actual  Cost   Actual  Value  

Surveys   $12.00   $108.00   $0.00   $108.00  Focus  Groups   $597.07   $972.07   $603.99   $1,601.08  Research   $15.00   $23.00   $0.00   $28.72  Reporting   $118.00   $118.00   $396.01   $396.01  Miscellaneous  expenses   $0.00   $25.00   $0.00   $25.00  Total   $742.07   $1,246.07   $1,000.00   $2,158.81  

   Return  on  Investment   116%  

 

Page 52: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

52    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

             

         

Surveys2%

Focus  Group80%

Research2%

Reporting16%

Miscellaneous  Expenses

0%

Estimated  Cost

Surveys9%

Focus  Group78%

Research2%

Reporting9%

Miscellaneous  Expenses

2%

Estimated  Value

Page 53: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

53    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

 

               

 

Surveys0%

Focus  Group60%

Research0%

Reporting40%

Miscellaneous  Expenses

0%

Actual  Cost

Surveys5%

Focus  Group74%

Research1%

Reporting19%

Miscellaneous  Expenses

1%

Actual  Value

Page 54: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

54    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  A    Focus  Group  Moderator  Guide:  Parents  

Focus  Group  Moderator’s  Guide  (Parents/Influencers)  

Introduction:  Hello,  and  thank  you  for  joining  us  today.  As  most  of  you  are  aware,  we  are  UIC  students  working  on  a  research  study  with  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration.  The  purpose  of  this  project  is  to  learn  about  what  children  between  the  ages  of  8  and  12  (Tweens)  think  about  seat  belt  use  and  safety,  as  well  as  how  they  perceive  seat  belt  use  between  peers.  We  are  asking  that  you  be  a  part  of  this  focus  group  to  help  us  determine  the  role  you  as  a  parent/gaurdian  play  in  whether  or  not  your  children  use  seat  belts  when  you  or  another  adult  is  driving.  We  want  to  find  out  more  information  about  whom  and  what  most  influences  this  age  group  to  wear  or  not  wear  seat  belts.  Motor  vehicle  crashes  are  the  leading  cause  of  death  for  children  between  ages  3-­‐6  and  8-­‐14.  Determining  the  key  influencers  regarding  seat  belt  use  among  this  group  will  assist  NHTSA  in  developing  an  integrated  marketing  communications  plan  to  reach  this  key  demographic  and  help  save  lives.  We  will  put  together  everyone’s  comments  from  all  of  the  focus  groups  combined.  This  information  will  be  summarized  in  a  brief  report.  The  report  will  not  use  any  specific  identifying  information,  such  as  your  name.    

 

Once  again,  we  greatly  appreciate  your  participation  and  ask  that  you  be  completely  open  and  honest  in  your  responses  as  we  ask  you  the  following  set  of  questions.    

 

1. What  type  of  Vehicle  do  you  drive?  2. With  a  show  of  hands,  how  many  of  you  have  NEVER  worn  your  seat  belts?  3. How  many  wear  your  seat  belts  sometimes?  (Half  the  times)  4. How  many  wear  your  seat  belts  ALL  the  time?  5. For  those  of  you  who  have  never  worn  your  seat  belt,  why  don’t  you  wear  it?  6. For  those  of  you  who  sometime  wear  it,  why  only  sometimes?  7. For  those  of  you  who  do  wear  it,  what  influences  you  to  buckle  up?  8. Why  do  you  think  it  is  important  to  wear  a  seat  belt?  9. With  a  show  of  hands,  who  knows  about  the  law  of  wearing  your  seat  belt  in  Illinois?  10. How  do  you  determine  when  your  child  is  ready  to  ride  without  a  booster  seat?  11. Where  does  your  Tween  usually  sit  when  in  the  car?  Why?  12. How  do  you  determine  when  your  child  is  ready  to  ride  in  the  front  seat?  13. What  problems  have  you  encountered  getting  your  Tween  to  wear  their  seat  belt?  

How  was  it  resolved?                  14. For  those  of  you  who  successfully  got  your  Tween  to  buckle  up,  how  was  it  accomplished?  15. What  strategies  do  you  use  to  have  your  Tween  comply  with  wearing  their  seat  belt?  16. How  often  do  you  encourage  your  child  (ren)  to  wear  seat  belts  when  riding  in  the  car  with  you?  17. How  often  do  you  let  your  Tween  ride  in  the  car  without  wearing  a  seat  belt?  18. How  often  do  you  watch  to  make  sure  that  your  Tween  effectively  buckle  up  BEFORE  putting  

the  car  in  motion?  19. How  often  do  you  watch  to  make  sure  that  your  Tween  effectively  buckle  up  AFTER  putting  the  

car  in  motion?  

Page 55: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

55    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

20. How  often  do  you  check  to  make  sure  that  your  Tween  is  wearing  his/her  seat  belt  CORRECTLY  (with  the  strap  securely  across  their  chest  and  lap)  before  putting  the  car  in  motion?  

21. From  where  do  you  get  your  information  on  proper  restraint  use  for  both  you  and  your  Tween?  22. Have  you  explain  to  your  Tween  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  how  seat  belts  can  save  

lives?  23. At  what  age  do  you  think  your  child(ren)  are  old  enough  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they  

should  wear  a  seat  belt  while  riding  in  the  car?  24. Why  do  you  think  some  parents  let  their  children  not  wear  their  seat  belts?  

 

Focus  Group  Moderator  Guide:  Tweens  

Focus  Group  Moderator  Guide  (Tweens)  

 

Introduction:    Hi  Everyone.  We  want  to  thank  you  for  joining  us  today.  As  many  of  you  know,  we  are  UIC  students  working  on  a  research  study  with  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration.  We  want  to  find  out  more  information  about  whom  and  what  most  influences  you  to  wear,  or  not  wear,  seat  belts.  This  information  will  help  NHTSA  save  lives.  We  will  put  together  everyone’s  comments  from  all  focus  groups.  We  will  then  write  a  brief  report.  This  will  not  use  any  specific  information,  such  as  your  name.    

Once  again,  we  greatly  appreciate  your  participation  and  ask  that  you  be  completely  open  and  honest  in  your  responses  as  we  ask  you  the  following  set  of  questions.    

 1. How  do  you  typically  get  to  school  (other  than  on  the  bus)?  2. What  other  activities  are  you  involved  in  that  require  you  to  get  in  a  vehicle?  3. What  type  of  vehicle  do  you  ride  in  with  your  parents/influencer?  4. With  a  show  of  hands,  how  many  of  you  sit  in  the  back  seat  of  the  car?  

In  the  front  seat?   Anywhere  else?  Where?   Where  do  you  sit  MOST  of  the  time?  Why?   If  you  could  always  choose  any  seat  in  the  car,  where  would  it  be?  Why?  

5. What  are  the  good  things  about  sitting  in  the  front  seat?  Why?  Bad  things?  6. What  are  the  good  things  about  sitting  in  the  back  seat?  Why?  Bad  things?  7. With  a  show  of  hands  again,  how  many  of  you  NEVER  wear  your  seat  belts?  

How  many  wear  your  seat  belts  sometimes?  (Half  the  times)   How  many  wear  your  seat  belts  ALL  the  time?  

8. For  those  of  you  who  never  wear  your  seat  belt,  who  is  usually  in  the  car  with  you?   How  often  do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  your  parents  are  not  around?   Why  do  you  or  don’t  you  wear  it  when  your  parents  are  not  around?  

9. For  those  of  you  who  sometimes  wear  your  seat  belt,  who  is  usually  in  the  car  with  you?   How  often  do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  your  parents  are  not  around?   Why  do  you  or  don’t  you  wear  it  when  parents  not  around?  

10. For  those  of  you  who  always  wear  your  seat  belt,  who  is  in  the  car  with  you?  11. Are  there  situations  when  you  feel  you  don’t  need  to  wear  your  seatbelts?    What  are  they  and  

why?  

Page 56: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

56    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

12. Are  there  any  bad  parts  about  wearing  a  seat  belt?  Why?   Are  there  any  good  parts  about  wearing  a  seat  belt  and  why?  

13. What  makes  it  hard  to  wear  your  seat  belt?   What  makes  it  easier?  

14. For  those  of  you  who  sometimes  wear  your  seat  belt,  why  do  you  wear  it?   Those  who  always  wear  it,  why?  

15. For  those  of  you  who  never  wear  your  seat  belt,  why  don’t  you  wear  it?  16. For  those  of  you  who  never  wear  your  seat  belt,  what  would  make  you  put  on  your  seat  belt  

more  often?  17. For  those  of  you  who  sometime  wear  your  seat  belt,  what  would  make  you  put  on  your  seat  belt  

every  time?    18. How  often  do  your  parents/guardian  wear  their  seat  belts  in  the  car?  19. How  often  do  your  parents  have  to  tell  you  to  wear  your  seat  belt?  20. With  a  show  of  hands,  how  many  of  your  parents  watch  you  buckle  your  seat  belt  before  

starting  the  car?   For  those  of  you  whose  parent’s  don’t  watch  you  buckle  up,  have  they  ever  watched  you?   When?   Why  do  you  think  they  don’t  watch  you  anymore?  

21. Please  describe  the  step  by  step  process  you  go  through  once  you  enter  the  car  and  before  it  starts  moving.  

22. Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  are  in  the  car  for  a  short  trip  like  5  minutes?   Yes  Why/No  Why?  

23. Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  are  in  the  car  for  a  long  period  of  time  more  than  5  minutes?  

Yes  Why/  No  Why?  24. How  often  do  you  ride  in  your  friend’s  car  or  a  car  that  is  not  your  parents’?  

How  often  do  they  have  to  tell  you  to  wear  your  seat  belt?  25. If  you  were  riding  in  a  car  with  a  friend  that  was  not  wearing  a  seat  belt,  what  would  you  do?  26. Do  you  know  the  proper  way  of  wearing  your  seat  belt?  

Who  taught  you  how  to  wear  your  seat  belt?   Please  describe  how  you  wear  your  seat  belt.   Do  you  think  it  is  comfortable  the  way  you  wear  it?  Why?  

27. Has  anyone  ever  talked  to  you  about  wearing  your  seat  belt?   Who?   What  did  they  say?  

28. Do  you  understand  how  seat  belts  can  keep  you  safe  in  the  event  of  an  accident?  Please  explain  how?  

29. What  do  you  know  about  the  law  of  wearing  your  seat  belt?  30. Who  is  the  person  that  is  most  likely  to  tell  you  to  wear  your  seat  belt?  31. Whose  opinion  do  you  care  about  the  most  when  they  tell  you?  

             

Page 57: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

57    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

Focus  Group  Flyer    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

   

Page 58: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

58    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  B  Survey:  Parents  

Tween  Parent  Survey  

 

Please  check  the  best  answer  that  applies  to  you.    Only  check  one  answer.    Your  answers  will  

remain  completely  anonymous,  and  will  be  strictly  used  for  research  purposes  only.  

   1) How  often  do  you  wear  your  seat  belt?  

___Always,  every  single  time  I  get  in  a  vehicle                                ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time                                                                                                                        ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

   2) Do  you  encourage  your  child(ren)  to  wear  seat  belts  when  riding  the  car  with  you?  

___Always,  every  single  time  I  get  in  a  vehicle                                ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time                                                                                                                          ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 3) Do  you  watch  to  make  sure  that  your  child(ren)  effectively  buckle  up  BEFORE  putting  the  

car  in  motion?  ___Always,  every  single  time  I  get  in  a  vehicle                    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time                                                                                                              ___Not  very  often  ___Never    

   4) Do  you  watch  to  make  sure  that  your  child(ren)  effectively  buckle  up  AFTER  putting  the  car  

in  motion?  ___Always,  every  single  time  I  get  in  a  vehicle                              ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time                                                                                                                                              ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 

 

Page 59: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

59    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

5) To  what  extent  do  you  agree  with  the  following  statement:  “I  find  it  difficult  to  convey  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  to  my  child(ren).”  ___Strongly  Agree  ___  Agree  ___Neither  Agree  nor  Disagree  ___  Disagree  ___Strongly  Disagree  

   6) How  do  you  usually  check  to  make  sure  that  your  child(ren)  have  buckled  their  seat  belts?  

___I  buckle  my  child(ren)  in  myself  ___I  ask  them  if  they  have  buckled  their  seat  belts  and  visually  check  to  verify  ___I  ask  them  if  they  have  buckled  their  seat  belts  and  trust  that  they  are  telling  the    

truth  (do  not  visually  check)  ___I  do  not  check  to  make  sure  my  children  have  buckled  their  seat  belts  

   7) Do  you  check  to  make  sure  your  child(ren)  are  wearing  their  seat  belts  CORRECTLY  (with  the  

strap  securely  across  their  chest  and  lap)  before  putting  the  car  in  motion?  ___Always,  every  single  time  I  get  in  a  vehicle                              ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time                                                                                                                                              ___Not  very  often  ___Never    

8) Have  you  shown  your  child(ren)  how  to  properly  buckle  their  seat  belts  by  first  demonstrating  and  then  having  them  try?  ____  Yes  ____  No  

 9)  Do  you  let  your  child(ren)  ride  in  the  car  without  wearing  a  seat  belt?  

____  Never,  I  always  require  them  to  wear  their  seat  belt  ____  Very  rarely  ____  Some  of  the  time  ____  Most  of  the  time  ____  I  do  not  require  my  child(ren)  to  wear  seat  belts  in  the  car    

 

10) Where  do/does  your  child(ren)    usually  sit  when  in  the  car?  ___Front  passenger  seat                                                                                              ___Backseat  on  the  left  or  right  sides  ___Backseat  in  the  middle  seat                                                

Page 60: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

60    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___Far  back  seats  (of  an  SUV  or  minivan)  ___Other  (Please  Specify)  _______________________________________________  

 11) At  what  age  do  you  believe  your  child(ren)  can  make  their  own  decisions  about  using  seat  

belts  when  in  the  car?  ___5  years  and  younger  ___6  to  10  years  old  ___11  to  15  years  old  ___16  to  18  years  old  ___18  years  or  older  

   12) Do  you  explain  to  your  Tween  the  importance  of  seat  belt  safety  and  how  seat  belts  can  

save  their  lives?  ___Constantly              ___Frequently  ___Occasionally                                                                                                                        ___Rarely  ___Never  

 13) Indicate  your  age:  

___17-­‐20                                                        ___21-­‐24                                                        ___25-­‐28                                                        ___29-­‐32  ___33-­‐36                                                        ___37-­‐40                                                        ___41-­‐44                                                        ___45-­‐48  ___49-­‐52                                                        ___53-­‐56                                                        ___57  and  older  

 14) Indicate  your  gender:  

___Male                                                          ___Female  

   15) How  many  children  do  you  have  under  the  age  of  16?  _____      16) Indicate  the  zip  code  in  which  you  live:  ______      17) Indicate  your  ethnic  background:  

___African-­‐American                                                          ___American  Indian  or  Native  American                              ___Asian  ___Hispanic  or  Latino                                                          ___Caucasian                                                                                                                                              ___Pacific  Islander  

                                                       

Page 61: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

61    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

18) Indicate  which  of  the  following  includes  your  annual  household  income:  ___Under  $30,000                                                          ___$30,000-­‐$50,000                                                          ___$50,001-­‐$70,000  ___$70,001-­‐$90,000                                                          ___$90,001-­‐$110,000                                                          ___over  $110,000  ___Prefer  not  to  answer  

Thank  you  for  your  participation!  

 

Survey:  Tweens    Tween  Survey  

 

Please  check  the  best  answer  –  only  choose  one  answer  per  question,  unless  otherwise  

instructed.    No  one  will  know  what  you  answer  for  each  question  (it  will  remain  anonymous).  

 

 

1) What  type  of  vehicle  do  you  ride  in  most  of  the  time  (not  counting  the  bus)?  ___Car  ___Pickup  Truck  ___SUV  ___Mini-­‐van  ___None  of  the  above  ___Don’t  know  

   Please  think  about  the  vehicle  that  you  ride  in  most  of  the  time  (your  answer  for  #1)  when  answering  the  following  questions.        2) Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  ride  in  this  vehicle?  (Please  circle  only  one  answer.)  

___Always,  every  single  time  ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

   3) Where  do  you  usually  sit  when  you  ride  in  this  vehicle?  (Please  circle  only  one  answer.)  

___Front  seat  ___Back  seat  ___Way  back,  behind  the  back  seat  

Page 62: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

62    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___In  the  bed  of  a  truck      4) When  you  ride  in  this  vehicle,  how  often  do  you  ride  in  a  booster  seat?    

___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  ___I  do  not  know  what  a  booster  seat  is  

   

5) Do  your  parents  wear  their  seat  belts  when  they  are  driving  in  the  car?  ___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  ___Don’t  know  

 6) Do  your  parents/guardians  tell  you  to  put  your  seat  belt  on  when  you  are  in  the  car  with  

them?  ___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 7) Do  your  parents/guardians  watch  you  buckle  your  seat  belt  before  starting  the  car?  

___Always,  every  single  time  ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 8) Do  your  friends/classmates  wear  their  seat  belts  when  they  are  in  the  car  with  you?  

___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

Page 63: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

63    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___Don’t  know      

9) Do  your  friends’/classmates’  parents/guardians  ask  you  to  buckle  your  seat  belt  if  you  are  riding  in  their  car?  ___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  ___I  don’t  ride  in  their  car  

   10) Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  are  in  the  car  for  a  short  trip  (5  minutes)?  

___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 11) Do  you  wear  your  seat  belt  when  you  are  in  the  car  for  a  long  period  of  time  (more  than  5  

minutes)?  ___Always,  every  single  time    ___Most  of  the  time  ___Some  of  the  time  ___Not  very  often  ___Never  

 12) Do  you  understand  how  seat  belts  can  keep  you  safe  in  the  event  of  a  car  accident?  

___Yes,  I  learned  at  school  the  importance  of  seatbelt  safety  ___Yes,  my  parents  explained  it  to  me  ___Yes,  I  have  heard  about  it  from  my  friends/classmates  ___No,  no  one  has  ever  explained  to  me  why  seat  belts  are  important  ___I  am  not  sure  

   13) Who  has  explained  to  you  the  importance  of  seatbelt  safety  and  how  to  wear  your  seat  belt  

properly  (Check  ALL  answers  that  apply)?  ___Teachers    ___Parents    ___Brothers  or  Sisters  ___Grandparents  ___Police  Officer  

Page 64: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

64    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___Other  Adult  ___No  one  has  explained  to  me  the  importance  of  seatbelt  safety  

14)  How  do  you  wear  a  seat  belt  when  in  the  car?  ___Across  my  chest  and  lap  

         

___Behind  my  back  and  across  my  lap            

___Under  my  arm  and  across  my  lap            

___I  do  not  wear  a  seat  belt  when  riding  in  the  car      15) How  do  you  feel  when  you  are  wearing  a  seat  belt?  

___Very  comfortable  ___Somewhat  comfortable  ___Somewhat  uncomfortable  ___Very  uncomfortable  

 16)  Does  the  seat  belt  fit  you  comfortably  when  you  are  riding  in  the  car  without  a  booster  seat  

(Check  ALL  answers  that  apply)?  ___Yes,  the  seat  belt  fits  comfortably  across  my  chest  and  lap  ___Yes,  the  seat  belt  fits  comfortably  because  I  am  able  to  move  the  strap  behind    

my  back  or  under  my  arm  ___No,  the  seat  belt  is  uncomfortable  because  it  rubs  up  against  my  neck  ___No,  the  seat  belt  is  uncomfortable  because  it  sits  too  high  across  my  stomach  ___I  never  sit  in  the  car  without  a  booster  seat  ___I  am  not  sure  

 17) Do  you  ever  sit  in  someone’s  lap  because  there  are  too  many  people  in  the  car  and  not  

enough  seat  belts?  

Page 65: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

65    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___Never  ___Sometimes  ___Very  often  ___All  the  time    

18)  In  general,  who  influences  you  the  most?  ___Parents  ___Siblings  ___Teachers  ___Friends  ___Grandparents    ___Television    ___None  of  the  above  influence  me    

19) Have  you  seen  a  seat  belt  safety  commercial  on  T.V.?  ___Yes  ___No    

20) Did  the  seat  belt  safety  commercial  make  you  want  to  buckle  up?  ___Yes  ___No  ___I  always  buckle  up  

 21) How  old  are  you?  (Circle  your  choice)  

___8  years                              ___9  years                                                          ___10  years                              ___11  years                              ___12  years                              

   22) Please  complete  this  sentence:    I  am  a….  

___Boy                                                          ___Girl  

   23) How  tall  are  you?    (Write  your  answer)  _____      24) What  grade  are  you  in  school?  (Circle  your  answer)  

___2nd  grade                              ___3rd  grade                              ___4th  grade                              

Page 66: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

66    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

___5th  grade                              ___6th  grade                              ___7th  grade                              ___8th  grade  

   25) What  is  the  zip  code  where  you  live?  (Write  your  answer)    ______    26) Please  circle  any  of  the  following  groups  that  describe  you.    

___African-­‐American  (Black)                                                          ___American  Indian  or  Native  American                              ___Asian  ___Hispanic  or  Latino                                                          ___Caucasian  (White)  ___Pacific  Islander                                                          

   

Thank  you  for  your  participation!    

   

Page 67: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

67    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  C  Budget    

   

Check  Distribution    

   

Page 68: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

68    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

   

Value  Estimation    

 

 

       

Page 69: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

69    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  D  Contact  Information    

 

Name   Phone  Number   Email  Laura  Swetin   847-­‐476-­‐0085   [email protected]  

Rachel  Reitemeier   630-­‐596-­‐6890   [email protected]  

Sagar  Shah   847-­‐219-­‐9845   [email protected]  

Colette  Lakoma   708-­‐825-­‐3081   [email protected]  

Rakhee  Bhakta   309-­‐721-­‐2979   [email protected]  

Marta  Lagowska   773-­‐507-­‐8502   [email protected]  

Ruth  Yang   847-­‐830-­‐8139   [email protected]  

Anna  Budz   630-­‐631-­‐7197   [email protected]      

Joanna  Kowalczyk   630-­‐362-­‐1333   [email protected]  

Anna  Lyszczarczyk   708-­‐289-­‐1939   [email protected]  

Alejandra  Mojica   309-­‐230-­‐4097   [email protected]  

Khrystyna  Prokhorenko   773-­‐987-­‐6414   [email protected]  

Andres  Piatsevich   847-­‐791-­‐0725   [email protected]  

Chris  Laskowski   847-­‐387-­‐0865   [email protected]  

Natalie  Cho   847-­‐420-­‐3455   [email protected]  

Charade  McCauley   708-­‐577-­‐8809   [email protected]  

Minh  Pham   309-­‐912-­‐2271   [email protected]  

Steve  Braciszewicz   708-­‐297-­‐5222   [email protected]  

 

   

   

   

Page 70: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

70    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  E  Donation  Request  Letter    

South  Loop  Solutions  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago  601  S.  Morgan  Suite  1111  University  Hall  Chicago,  IL    60607    

 

 

To  Whom  It  May  Concern,  

We  are  students  working  on  a  research  study  with  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration  (NHTSA)  as  part  of  a  Marketing  Advertising  and  Research  course  at  the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago.    The  purpose  of  the  project  is  to  learn  about  what  children  between  the  ages  of  8  and  12  (“Tweens”)  think  about  seat  belt  use  and  safety  as  well  as  how  they  perceive  seat  belt  use  among  their  peers.    We  want  to  find  out  more  information  about  who  and  what  most  influences  this  age  group  to  wear  or  not  wear  seat  belts.    Motor  vehicle  crashes  are  the  leading  cause  of  death  for  children  ages  3  to  6  and  8  to  14.    Determining  the  key  influencers  regarding  seat  belt  use  among  this  group  will  assist  NHTSA  in  developing  an  integrated  marketing  communications  plan  to  reach  this  key  demographic  and  help  save  lives.    

We  will  be  conducting  focus  groups  where  we  will  be  providing  food  items  for  the  participants.    With  the  budget  we  were  given  from  NHTSA,  we  have  many  expenses  that  come  into  play  for  our  project.    We  are  looking  into  allocating  our  money  directly  to  the  campaign  and  establishment  of  safety  amongst  our  demographic.      

I  am  asking  you  to  help  us  by  providing  coffee  donations  for  our  focus  groups.  We  are  working  very  hard  in  preparing  for  this  project,  and  I  hope  we  can  count  on  you  for  a  generous  donation  of  the  coffee.    

If  you  require  additional  information  about  NHTSA  or  our  research  study,  please  contact  me  and  I  will  be  happy  to  answer  any  questions  you  may  have.    

I  thank  you  for  your  time  and  consideration.  We  look  forward  to  whatever  support  you  can  provide.          Best  Regards,    Laura  Swetin  Coordinator  

Page 71: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

71    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  F  South  Loop  Solutions  Backgrounder  South  Loop  Solutions  is  a  new  marketing  team  comprised  of  students  at  the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago.  Our  objective  is  to  conduct  market  research  in  an  effort  to  develop  a  better  understanding  as  to  why  Tweens  are  one  of  the  leading  populations  of  individuals  who  do  not  wear  seat  belts.  Overlooked  by  EdVenture  Partners,  South  Loop  Solutions  is  conducting  this  research  in  order  to  meet  client  objectives,  for  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration.  

Objectives  set  out  for  South  Loop  Solutions  include:  

Conduct  secondary  research,  conduct  observational  research,  hold  focus  groups  in  efforts  to  gain  first  hand  research,  conduct  in-­‐depth  interview,  develop  and  distribute  surveys  to  parents  and  Tweens  and  create  an  advertising  campaign    

South  Loop  Solutions  developed  smaller  groups  within  our  team  to  help  achieve  our  objectives;  however,  all  members  helped  out  in  all  departments  of  the  campaign  (excluding  coordinators).  The  groups  and  their  responsibilities  are  as  follows:  

Coordinators  

The  coordinators  will  oversee  all  team  members  of  the  NHTSA  research  project.  In  addition  to  keeping  all  members  on  schedule  with  the  projected  timeline,  the  coordinators  will  also  administer  all  tasks  to  necessary  subgroups.  Keeping  in  close  contact  with  the  client,  all  objectives  will  be  met  and  completed,  while  keeping  all  team  members  involved  in  the  completion  of  the  research  campaign.  

Quantitative/  Qualitative  

The  quantitative  research  team  will  seek  out  our  target  market  in  order  to  distribute  surveys  to  parents  and  Tweens.  They  will  input  all  of  the  data  into  a  statistical  analysis  software  program  and  analyzed  the  data  from  the  research  done  from  both  the  qualitative  and  quantitative  aspects.  The  qualitative  department  is  responsible  for  conducting  observational  studies,  focus  groups,  and  in-­‐depth  interviews  regarding  Tweens  and  their  perceptions  of  seat  belt  usage.    The  team  will  use  the  results  to  analyze  how  Tweens  are  influenced  by  adults,  specifically  parents  or  family  members,  as  well  as  the  correlations  between  drivers  and  Tweens.      

Finance  

The  finance  department  is  responsible  for  managing  and  tracking  all  monetary  transactions  that  occur  for  the  campaign.  The  team  will  also  be  responsible  for  maximizing  the  value  of  the  campaign  through  securing  donations  and  receiving  discounts  from  local  businesses.  

Advertising  

The  advertising  department  is  responsible  for  developing  advertisements,  posters,  banners,  and  fliers  to  promote  the  message  set  out.  The  agency  will  use  the  research  results  to  deliver  the  most  effective  message  and  tone  to  their  target  market.  Multiple  medial  forms  will  be  utilized  including  social  networking,  press  releases,  and  events.  

Reports  and  Presentations  

The  reports  and  presentation  department  is  in  charge  of  managing  and  creating  the  PowerPoint  presentations  that  will  be  used  in  the  final  presentation.  In  addition,  reports  and  presentation  is  in  charge  of  compiling  all  the  documents  to  ensure  consistency  throughout  the  reports  and  presentation.  

Page 72: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

72    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

APPENDIX  G  Thank  You  Letter    

South  Loop  Solutions  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago  601  S.  Morgan  Suite  1111  University  Hall  Chicago,  IL    60607              To  Whom  It  May  Concern,      On  behalf  of  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration  (NHTSA)  campaign  interns  at  the  University  of  Illinois  at  Chicago,  I  would  like  to  thank  you  for  your  generous  donation  of  [whatever  that  was  donated]  from  [the  place].    Your  commitment  to  helping  our  campaign  is  sincerely  appreciated.      Your  contribution  makes  it  possible  for  us  to  save  on  our  expenses  for  the  campaign  and  focus  on  developing  an  integrated  marketing  communications  plan  to  reach  a  key  demographic  and  help  save  lives.    Thanks  again  for  your  generous  support.        Best  regards,      Laura  Swetin  Coordinator      

Page 73: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

73    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”  

   

Page 74: NHTSA Case Study, Spring 2010

NHTSA  Tween  Seat  Belt  Use  Research  Program  

 

74    

“Buckle  Up  For  The  Future”