For many years the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that pediatricians discuss safety with parents. Value and effectiveness of this type of discussion have been questioned. In the following study, an effort was made to determine whether a physician is able to implement safety education by recommending that his patients install seat belts. The purpose of the study was to measure the effectiveness of personal influence and specifically to determine if the personal urging of a pediatrician was more influential than mass media in effecting the installation of seat belts.