Previous studies have demonstrated that reading and following safety instructions, such as warning
labels and product manuals, may serve as a defense against hazards and can prevent injuries. This paper
examines the predictive value of four factors that might determine whether students read and follow
safety instructions: students’ safety norm, students’ safety attitude, the sensation seeking trait and type
A personality. Our investigation was carried out with 172 university students (mean age = 20.01,
SD = 1.56) who participated in a paper-and-pencil survey. Regression analyses revealed that students’
safety norm and attitude were positively related to reading and following safety instructions, while
sensation seeking was inversely related. Type A personality had no predictive value. Our statistical
findings further revealed that female students read and follow more safety instructions than male
students. Based on these research results, recommendations are formulated.