Psychology and Driver Safety

David L. Wiesenthal

SmartRisk

November 6, 2008

What is an “accident”?

1. An unforeseen an unplanned event or circumstance.

2. An unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance.

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

Conceptualizing “Accidents”

• Accidents don’t just happen

• Determinism versus fatalism: determinism is the scientific belief that events have a cause. Fatalism is the belief that mishaps are predestined by fate or supernatural forces

Victim Blaming

• Bad drivers cause accidents.

• Stems from the belief that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.

OUTCOME:Safe Trip

Or Mishap

Driver

Vehicle

Environment

We often focus on only one aspect of this trinity, while

ignoring the others, along with the complexity of their

interrelationships.

The Blind Men and the Elephant by John G. Saxe

snake?

tree?

wall?

Fan?

Rope?

Conceptualizing Driving

• Human-machine system• Social system• Human-environment system• Environment-vehicle system• Competitive activity• Recreational activity• Expressive activity• Instrumental activity

A useful way to conceptualize road safety is the journalist’s 5 Ws and and an H

• Who (driver)

• What (vehicle)

• Where (environment)

• When (time)

• Why (risk factors)

• How (description/analysis of the mishap)

Who• Age• Gender• Previous driving offences• History of criminal offences• Frequency of driving• Driving licence classification• Stress level• Mood state• Learning history

What

• Vehicle type

• Safety features of vehicle

• Mechanical fitness of vehicle

• Quality of lighting

Where

• Location of mishap

• Type of roadway

• Quality/Clarity of signage

• Quality of road maintenance

• Presence of obstacles on roadway

When

• Weather conditions

• Season

• Time of day

• Day of week

• Driver’s circadian rhythm

Why• Driver inexperience• Driver inattention/distraction• Aggressive/vengeful driving• Alcohol/drug involvement• Poor visibility• Attempt to avoid road hazard• Excessive speed• Failure to signal intentions• Density of traffic may trigger antisocial

behaviours

How

• Description/analysis of mishap

• Reconstruction of mishap

• Role of simulation

Psychological Strategies for Reducing Mishaps: Norms

• Norms may not defined or perceived equally by all drivers

• Different driving “cultures” exist across a community

• Norms change over time in response to media influences, traffic volumes, enforcement, driver training, etc.

• Risky driving may be due in part to a lack of clear standards and informal norms

Psychological Strategies for Reducing Mishaps: Behaviour

Modification

• To discourage one behaviour, encourage another

• Examine the rewards and costs of engaging in various behaviours

Encouraging & Discouraging Behaviours: Examples

• Provision of free nonalcoholic beverages and pub food to designated driver

• Free public transportation all night during celebration evenings

• Free pub buses from university residences• Coupon distribution for taxi rides• Promotion of coffee houses rather than

alcohol culture on campus

Media Effects on Driver Behaviour

• Frequent depictions of car chases and illegal racing in recent motion pictures. Hero is often portrayed as initiating the chases, engaging in reckless driving or pursuing others.

• Media might emphasize the role of alcohol in the causation of collisions and the failure to wear seatbelts

• Media has the power to influence attitudes and make drunk driving socially unacceptable

Psychological Strategies for Reducing Mishaps

• Complex behaviour may have a variety of motivating factors, so no approach targeting a single factor is likely to eliminate all forms of risky driver behaviour.

• Changing the balance between rewards and costs in risky driving. What is the value of risk for those drivers?

Risky Driving

Rewards:

• Fun, excitement, exhilaration

• Self definition as an adventurous person

• Display of competence

Risky DrivingCosts:• Injury, death • Arrest/punishment--the perception of the

likelihood of apprehension rather than the severity of penalties may be more of a deterrent

• Property damage• Higher insurance costs• Loss of driver licence• Seizure of vehicle

Psychological Strategies for Reducing Mishaps

• Change attitudes towards unsafe and aggressive driving

• Encourage stress reduction techniques

towards unacceptable behaviour• Role of the media in the modelling of both

positive and negative driving • Broaden the notion of the “problem driver”

A variety of perspectives is most likely to yield positive results!

Intervention Strategies

• Varied response may be necessary• Community level approach• Identify nature and extent of the problem• Interventions based upon the assessment of

the problem• Evaluate costs & benefits of the intervention

strategy• Design a programme evaluation prior to

implementation

Intervention Strategies & Evaluation Research

• Analysis of the exact nature of the problem• Development of interventions/initiatives• Community involvement in the process• Defining the assessment measures• Cost/benefit analysis of the intervention• Publicizing the results of the intervention• Documenting the intervention