Who Really Knows about Reclining the Passenger Seat?

Abstract

Warnings are important for several reasons. They provide information about hazards to those who may be unaware of them. They may also serve as reminders about hazards in circumstances where the hazard may be forgotten, and they present information about how to avoid the hazards warned against. Some hazards are deemed open and obvious because they are presumed to be either known to all who might encounter them or people are presumed to recognize their risks by their characteristics. The present research considers a hazard (reclining the automobile passenger seat) that might seem to be obvious. One report indicated this might be the case. However, more recent research has shown it is not the case. This research examines the fact that different procedures produce different estimates of how well understood the hazard is. The conclusion is that it is important to consider experimental techniques in evaluating results.