The high school age groups are among the highest automobile crash injury and fatality rates. Younger drivers, especially males, overestimate driving skills and are more likey than others to engage in risk-taking behaviors. We sought to determine the effects on knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviors of a one week course of injury control and crash safety information integrated within a high school physics curriculum. An intervention high school, group A(n= 129), was compared to a control high school, group B(n=74), enrolled in a comparable physics curriculum. A standardized survey was administered prior to instruction (T 1), 2 weeks (T2) and six months (T3) after instruction was completed.

At T2, students in group A reported attitudes that were less favorable toward risk-taking in regard to speeding and seatbelt use. At T3, there was still a difference in attitudes toward speeding but not seatbelt use. The intervention significantly altered knowledge of the course participant and these changes persisted to the final testing at T3.

The behaviors measured were self-reported use of seatbelts, speeding, and intentional behaviors. The strongest and most persistent change was that students in group A reported increasing their use of seatbelts when riding as a passenger (seatbelt use as a driver was high for both groups). Group A showed a significant increase in their one year intentions to use seatbelts both as a driver and as a passenger. There was no change in the intentions of group B.

Knowledge and attitudes significantly changed in group A and these changes persisted over time. Self-reported behaviors also improved. Future studies measuring observed behaviors are needed.