世論せろん What Japan Thinks

With another recent survey on earthquake preparedness (untranslated by me) showing over two in three rather worried about The Big One hitting, this survey on earthquake early warnings presents a look at a different aspect of the same topic. The survey was conducted by JR Tokai Express Research Inc and published on the japan.internet.com web site.

Demographics

On the 18th of August 2008 331 members of the JR Tokai Express Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 84.3% of the sample were male (it said the survey was conducted with just internet users, but that’s an even heavier bias towards men than even their panels of employed people!), 4.8% in their twenties, 35.3% in their thirties, 44.7% in their forties, 12.4% in their fifties, 2.1% in their sixties, and 0.6% aged seventy or older.

The early warning system is not predictions of earthquakes, but instead sensors all over the country can detect an earthquake nearby, and since radio messages travel faster than the earthquake P and S waves, they basically radio ahead to warn that something nasty is coming, usually giving no more than 10 seconds warning, just enough time to dive under a handy table. As The Big One for Tokyo is predicted to likely occur under the city, it does seem rather pointless for the residents of that city.

Research results

Q1: How much do you know about the earthquake early-warning system? (Sample size=331)

Know a lot	39.3%
Know a little	44.4%
Don’t know much	9.1%
Don’t know at all	1.8%
Don’t know what it is	5.4%

Q2: Do you have an earthquake early-warning system in your home or on your mobile phone? (Sample size=331)

Yes	11.2%
No (to SQ)	88.8%

Q2SQ: Would you want to use an earthquake early-warning system in the future? (Sample size=294)

Definitely want to use	2.8%
Would want to use if I had the opportunity	64.3%
Don’t want to use	12.9%

Some of the main reasons given for not wanting to use one is that people didn’t trust the system, they didn’t know how to install one, and they didn’t really think it would make much difference.