Abstract
Some of the noticeable external variations in the appearance of vehicle systems are direct reflections of structural differences while others are more “cosmetic” in nature. It was hypothesized that judgements of vehicle safety, although often a function of structural design and operator personal experience, may be influenced by essentially cosmetic external variations in design that do not represent salient differences in vehicle structure. Individuals were asked to rate the general and specific safety characteristics of automobiles from viewing a series of photographs of each of several body styles. The general safety rank orderings, obtained in two separate samples, were expected, placing sedans and station wagons safest with convertibles least safe. Those cars initially ranked as less safe than average exhibited further reductions in average rated safety as viewing distance decreased. Rated likelihood of injury increased, on average, as viewing distance decreased. Rated likelihood of rollover ejection was affected by whether occupant would or would not be wearing a seat belt and did not interact with body style, which also influenced the ratings. Models that were structurally equivalent were rated differently depending upon whether removable roof panels were installed or removed. It appears that the presence of some removable sections or accessories may actually decrease the operator's perception of the hazard present although the actual hazard may not have been decreased.
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