Analyses by Sex and Age

Sex by Age

It will be seen that there are only small differences in the proportions of men and women and of people in different age groups who made various replies. A somewhat higher proportion of men than of women in the middle age group thought the Problem very serious. This was also found in the July 1945 inquiry.

Analysis by Economic Group

It is clear that people in the higher economic groups take a somewhat more serious view of the problems then in the lower group. A similar difference as found in the inquiry made in July 1945. It will be remembered that those in the higher economic groups had more frequently seen publicity about road dangers.

Analysis by Region

There are no very marked differences between the regions. It was found in the inquiry made in July 1945 that the proportions saying “very serious” in Scotland and the northern regions were somewhat higher than the corresponding proportions in the Midlands and the southern regions. No difference of this sort is noticeable in the results of the present inquiry.

In the inquiries made in January and March 1946 informants were asked a further question, “Do you honestly think you yourself take sufficient care when crossing a busy road?” 80% and 89% respectively in the two inquiries said they thought they did. There was thus a small increase in the proportion saying that they took care.

It is perhaps to be expected that most people would take care when crossing a “busy” road, and people might be more inclined to be careless when crossing roads which are less busy and on which the traffic is moving more quickly. In the May inquiry a slightly different question was asked. This was “Do you think you yourself always take sufficient care when crossing roads?”

83% of the sample said that they always did rake care. These may be compared 32 with 80% in the January inquiry saying that they were sufficiently careful when crossing busy roads.

It appears that people have become slightly more aware of the need to be careful as a result of the publicity campaign. The results of direct question on this point are given later in this section.

Analysis by Sex and Age

There is no difference in the proportions of men and women saying that they are careful enough. A higher proportion of younger than older people admitted that they were not sufficiently careful or were doubtful about it.

There are no considerable differences in the proportions making different answers in the three economic groups or the four region.

Those who said they were not always careful were asked “In what particular circumstances do you think you are apt to be careless?” 43% of these said that they were apt to be careless when they were in a hurry or running to catch a bus. 32% said they were careless when their minds were preoccupied with other thing or when they were tired. The others gave various answers.

A further question was asked of those who had noticed publicity about road danger. “Do you think this publicity is making you more careful with regard to road dangers, or is it having no effect on you?” This question was asked in all three inquiries made in 1946.

There is a fairly marked increase in the proportion of those who had seen publicity saying that it had made them more careful. The campaign therefore, according to people’s own accounts of how it has affected them, does seem to be achieving its purpose. It is likely that those who said they had seen publicity in May had in fact seen much more publicity than those who said so in August. Whereas the effect of seeing one or two advertisements might be slight, the effect of seeing many does, it appears, make people more careful.

It should be noted that the percentages given in the table above are based on the number of people in the sample who saw publicity and not on the whole sample. 47% of the whole sample (May) thought they were more careful as a result of seeing publicity. 33% said they had always been careful, 8% had not seen any publicity and so were not asked the question, and the remainder, 12%, thought the publicity had had no effect on them or were doubtful.

Analysis by Sex and Age

A rather higher proportion of the women than of the men who had seen publicity said that it had made them more careful. More of the men gave other answers.

There is a marked difference in the proportions of those in different age groups making the various answers. Older people more frequently said that they had always been careful and a higher proportion of the younger ones said that the publicity had made them more careful. The difference between the age groups is more marked amongst the women than amongst the men. The group with the highest proportion admitting the influence of publicity is women aged under thirty-five, the group with the lowest proportion women aged fifty-five and over.

Analysis by Economic Group

A slightly lower proportion of those in the higher economic group said the publicity had made them more careful, and rather more in this than in the lower groups said they had always been careful.

Analysis by Region

The North is the only region which differs considerably from others. Here a higher proportion than elsewhere said they had been influenced by publicity.

Summary

It is clear from the answers given to these questions that the public has become more conscious of the problem of road danger since the commencement of the publicity campaign.

There is evidence that the problem is being taken more seriously and a considerable proportion of people said on being asked that they are taking more care on the roads.