Background Memo  

This study was conducted by Fairleigh Dickinson University's PublicMind and co-sponsored by the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety. The survey was conducted by telephone from April 25 through May 22 using a randomly selected sample of 947 New Jersey residents aged 17 and over who report they drive regularly. The sampling error for 947 randomly selected respondents in a statewide survey is +/-3 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling error. This kind of error, which cannot be measured, arises from a number of factors including, but not limited to, non-response (eligible individuals refusing to be interviewed), question wording, the order in which questions are asked, and variations among interviewers. All interviews were conducted by professionally trained interviewers using a CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing) system.  Random selection >is obtained through computerized random-digit dialing. This technique gives every person with a land-line phone number an equal chance of being selected, including those with unlisted numbers. Results may be weighted to match known demographics. A complete questionnaire, all tables, and descriptive narrative can be found in the document: 2007 Survey of Driver Attitudes and Behavior: Summary of Findings.

Question: How would you rate your own driving skills compared to most other drivers on the road? Would you say that your skills are…[READ]?

Question: How often do you wear your seatbelt…READ?

Question:  How often would you say you drive over 65 miles an hour on the turnpike or interstate highway… READ?

Question:  The posted speed limit is 65 on most highways in New Jersey, but what would you say is the actual speed limit—the speed at which you can go on a New Jersey highway without getting a speeding ticket?

Question: When it comes to enforcing speed limits, do you think the police should enforce the limits more strictly than they do, or not?

Question: What do you think are your chances of being in a life threatening car crash at some point…[READ]?

Question: Thinking about drivers from the states around you… which state would you say has the worst drivers…[READ: ROTATE]?

Question: By the way, to the best of your knowledge, are drivers in New Jersey actually required by law to stop for people in a crosswalk or is it not a legal requirement?

Question:  Now let me ask about driving and cell phones. How often do you personally drive your car and at the same time hold your cell phone and talk into it…READ?

Question:  Currently, police in New Jersey cannot stop and ticket a driver just for driving and talking on a hand-held cell phone. Do you support or oppose changing the law so police can stop and ticket a driver just for using a hand-held phone while driving?

Question: Some people have proposed that cameras should be used to enforce speed limits and red lights. The cameras would take photographs of drivers who speed or run lights and a ticket would be mailed to the car owner's home.  The ticket would carry a fine--but no points.  Do you support or oppose using cameras for this purpose?

Question: In the past three years have you personally…[Read/Rotate List]

Question:  Finally, just give me your best estimate… about how many people in New Jersey are killed in car crashes each year?

Question: [Ask married and living as married only] How do you rate your spouse's driving skills…?

Question:  And would you say your spouse is a better or worse driver than you?

see also:
Survey Analysis
Tabular Results

Copyright © 2007, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. FDU PublicMind Poll [Latest update 070627]