Previous research indicates that most consumers are unaware that older tires can deteriorate and lead to tread separation which could result in crashes. Even if they were to know about this hazard, the task of determining the date of manufacture (DOM) on tires is difficult. In the U.S., consumers must decode a 4 digit number at the end of a longer U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) identification number in small, black print embossed onto black sidewalls. Eighty-three participants (45 students and 38 adult non-students) were asked to decode 6 different date of manufacture (DOM) markings. Analyses showed that people have difficulty with determining dates in the current U.S. DOT format and that date formats resembling common U.S. date representations were more understandable to participants. Additionally, only half of the participants reported having knowledge of tire aging issues and few have looked at the DOT identification number before participating in this research. Discussed are implications for date formatting, followed by guidance on designing a more consumer-friendly DOM.

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The present research examined a set of fire warning statements that could be used to facilitate evacuation of a multi-story building by manipulating the statements' wording and order. Participants (N = 105) evaluated how acceptable each of 13 statements would be in a fire emergency. Manipulated in the statements were two types of components: (a) 3 levels of egress immediacy: "exit now," "exit immediately," or none, and (b) 3 levels of egress directives: "use stairs," "do not use elevator," or none. Results showed that participants rated statements containing egress-immediacy and egress-directive components higher than statements without those components. There were no significant differences between the two egress immediacy components or between the two egress directives. An additional component order manipulation showed no effects. Implications and suggestions for future research on warning statement composition are discussed.

This study examined people’s safety perceptions concerning consumer products. Participants (n=129) were asked about their overall beliefs concerning safety of consumer products sold in the U.S. Beliefs regarding government and industry policies concerning safety were also collected. Results showed that participants gave ratings indicating believing that consumer products sold in the U.S. are safe. People tended to trust U.S. government’s policies towards product safety. However, participants’ responses indicate skepticism about manufacturers’ motivations. Implications for HF/E research in risk communication are discussed.