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Published on: September 18, 2012
A perceptual map for understanding concern about unsafe driving behaviours.
Ward Vanlaar1, Herb Simpson, Robyn Robertson
1Traffic Injury Research Foundation, 171 Nepean Street, Suite 200, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2P 0B4. wardv@trafficinjuryresearch.com
Accident; Analysis and Prevention
|September 2, 2008
Summary
Public concern about dangerous driving behaviors like drunk driving and speeding is influenced by perceived risk and others' concern. Understanding these factors can improve road safety initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Transportation Safety
Background:
- Public concern is a key factor in addressing dangerous driving behaviors.
- Previous risk perception models provide a foundation for understanding concern genesis.
- Six specific dangerous driving behaviors were examined: drinking and driving, speeding, distracted driving, cell phone use, fatigued driving, and drug-impaired driving.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a model explaining public concern regarding dangerous driving behaviors.
- To investigate the relationship between personal concern and perceived social concern, prevalence, risk, and injury severity.
- To leverage understanding of concern to enhance safe driving strategies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from two independent Canadian driver samples (n=750 in Ontario, n=1201 nationwide).
- Employed telephone surveys for data collection in 2006.
- Applied multidimensional scaling and logistic regression for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Identified two primary dimensions influencing public concern: perceived risk and perceived concern of others.
- Developed a perceptual map summarizing these relationships.
- Demonstrated the relevance of the perceptual map in explaining concern factors for various unsafe driving behaviors.
Conclusions:
- Perceived risk and the perceived concern of others are significant drivers of public apprehension towards dangerous driving.
- The developed model and perceptual map offer valuable insights for public safety campaigns.
- Understanding the psychological underpinnings of concern can inform targeted interventions to promote safer driving practices.
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