Physicians' Attitudes Toward Discussing Motor Vehicle Safety With Their Patients

This investigation used constructs from the Health Belief Model to examine physicians’ attitudes toward educating patients about motor vehicle safety.  The setting was a community in the Midwest. Participants (n=188) indicated they lack the time and expertise to counsel their patients in certain areas. Perceived barriers and self-efficacy predicted 40% of the variance in physicians counseling on this subject. However, perceived benefits were not statistically significant. Training physicians on motor vehicle safety via in-services, conference seminars, or as an addition to their current curriculum may result in decreased fatalities and injuries from car crashes.