NCJ Number
128996
Date Published
1989
Length
247 pages
Annotation
The first of its kind in Germany, this study examines hitchhiking practices and dangers with special emphasis on hitchhiking for short distances.
Abstract
Information was gathered in 1986 and 1988 from police records, interviews of several random samples of high school and college students, and interviews with a volunteer group of hitchhikers regarding negative hitchhiking experiences. The interviews indicated that nearly half of the sample had hitchhiked, most often because no other transportation was available. Police records do not include a separate category for offenses against hitchhikers, so official statistics on these offenses are not available. However, contrary to media and police expectations, few of the interviewed 144 hitchhikers had become crime victims. Although they frequently complained of hazardous driving, verbal slurs, and an overall feeling of uneasiness, only 0.8 percent of the female hitchhikers had been sexually assaulted. The authors recommend improvements in public transportation, especially in rural areas and during night hours, and conclude that a flexible door-to-door transportation system would be the safest alternative to hitchhiking. Tables and references