Why don't more Israelis wear seat belts in the back seat?--a possible explanation.

BACKGROUND: Most Israelis wear seat belts in the front seat of automobiles; most do not wear them in the back. A possible explanation is considered, that Israelis believe seat belts to be less necessary in the back, and that this is related to the relative discrepancy in seat belt use. METHOD: A telephone survey of 1148 Israeli adults was conducted in September 1996, using random-digit dialing. RESULTS: On a six-point scale of perceived risk, respondents rated seat belts as more necessary for passengers in the front than in the back seat [D = 0.6, SD = 1.0, t (873) = 18.3; p < .001]. Moreover, respondents' self-reported use of seat belts in the back seat (35% overall) was significantly higher among respondents who believed seat belts in the back to be necessary [46%; chi 2 (N = 882, df = 2) = 20.6; p < .001)], yet was not significantly higher among respondents who believed wearing seat belts in the front to be necessary [38%; chi 2 (N = 903, df = 2) = 3.8; p > .05)]. Respondents' reports of buckling their children in the back seat (55% overall) were significantly higher among respondents who believed seat belts in the back to be necessary [62%; chi 2 (N = 309, df = 2) = 7.0; p < .05)], yet were not significantly higher among respondents who believed wearing seat belts in the front to be necessary [57%; chi 2 (N = 313, df = 2) = 0.9; p > .05)]. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a potentially effective strategy in Israel for promoting the use of seat belts in the back seat of automobiles should include convincing the public of the necessity of wearing seat belts in the back, by increasing the perceived risk of injury to back seat passengers.