DOES THE USE OF SEAT-BELTS LEAD TO 'COMPENSATORY' BEHAVIOUR?

Road safety measures do not always turn out positively or come up to the expectations of those who conceived them. Assuming that one is dealing with a basically efficient measure, the reason for its ineffectiveness can sometimes be found in the willingness and ability of the human being to adapt. He does not react passively to changes in the person-road-vehicle system but adaptively, which leads, for example, to variations in the effectiveness of safety instruments in the vehicle. The existence of such processes has been described in a series of studies, incorporated in theoretical concept and in some cases viewed quite critically. To minimize the theoretical dispute the OECD (1990) called together a panel of experts charged with throwing more light on the adjustment mechanisms in various fields. In this connection the term adaptation was introduced. Based on this, Pfafferott & Huguenin (1991) discussed variations in the adaptation process following the introduction of safety measures. (A) For the covering abstract see ITRD E110175.