Traffic Psychology, Road Safety, and Health: The Decade of Action

The United Nations: Decade of Action for Road Safety ( ) “The Decade of Action for Road Safety can help all countries drive along the path to a more secure future…Today, partners around the world are releasing national or citywide plans for the Decade…Together, we can save millions of lives.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Road Safety Statistics 1.2 million die in road traffic crashes each year Approximately 50 million are injured or disabled by collisions each year Every day 3,500 die in a road crash Speed contributes to at least 30% of crashes and deaths For every 1 km/hr reduction in average speed, there’s a 2% reduction in crashes World Health Organization (2005) The United Nations has declared as the Decade of Action for Road Safety

Road Safety Statistics 90% of road casulties are from developing countries 1.9 million road deaths forecast for 2020 Traffic injuries are the #1 cause of death for young people worldwide Economic cost to developing countries approx. $100 billion/yr. By 2015, traffic injuries will be the leading health burden for children over 5 yrs.

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Public Health Agency of Canada (2012). Injury in review: Spotlight on road and transport safety, 2012 Edition. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada.

Public Health Agency of Canada (2012). Injury in review: Spotlight on road and transport safety, 2012 Edition. Ottawa: Public Health Agency of Canada.

What is traffic psychology? Definition: the study of the behaviour of road users and the psychological processes underlying that behaviour (Rothengatter, 1997). There is no single theoretical framework for the field, but rather several competing models, many of which are drawn from social psychology (e.g., Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour, driver stress, the General Aggression Model, risk compensation, personality theory etc. Glendon (2011) identified 174 theories, conceptual frameworks, or models with a psychological component in his review. Source: Rothengatter, T. (1997). Psychological aspects of road user behavior. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46,

Traffic Psychology’s Roots Ergonomics/human factors Cognitive psychology Clinical psychology Social psychology Personality psychology Environmental psychology Perceptual processes Behavior modification Epidemiology

A Large Proportion of Vehicle Crashes are Attributable to Behavioral Issues Distraction Aggression Vision & Perceptual errors Perception of risk Fatigue/sleep deprivation Drug & alcohol consumption Inadequate training And the list goes on…and on…

Issues for Psychology’s Involvement Alcohol Drugs/OTC medications Aggressive driving/attributional processes Driver education Driver assessment/licencing Sleep/fatigue Aging Young drivers Media influences Way-finding Program evaluation Anger management Risky drivers (street racing/stunt driving) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Rehabilitation programs Stress reduction Medical conditions & fitness to drive Distraction Risk perception & risk evaluation Development of assessment tools Informatics in vehicles Bicycles,motorcycles,pedestrians (VRUs)

Journals Accident Analysis and Prevention Transportation Research, Part F Journal of Safety Research Human Factors Ergonomics Safety Science Applied Ergonomics Personality and Individual Differences Work and Stress Basic and Applied Social Psychology Aggressive Behavior Violence and Victims

Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP) International Association of Applied Psychology (Division 13: Traffic and Transportation Psychology) Professional Organizations

Behaviours that could be studied on roadways: Prosocial behaviours (helping, courtesy, cooperation, etc.) Anti-social behaviours (aggression, violence, vengeance, etc.) Social influence processes (conformity, modelling, norm formation, etc.) Deindividuation Cognitive processes (attention, distraction, workload) Perceptual processes Wayfinding & route learning Stress and coping

Aggressive Driving: Interventions Technological Solutions: Radar cameras recording licence plate data Sending /texting to other drivers who registered to receive these communications from other motorists Speed camera lotteries awarding cash prizes to those drivers recorded driving below the speed limit. Contacting police via cell phones Signs in automobiles that communciate apologies for driving errors Source: Wiesenthal, D. L., Lustman, M., & Roseborough, J. (In press). Aggressive driving: Current perspectives in theory and research. In A. Smiley (Ed.), Human factors in traffic safety (3 rd edition). Tucson, AZ: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co.

Aggressive Driving: Interventions Psychological Strategies Cognitive behavior therapy for drivers diagnosed with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (DSM) through court orders Feedback from passengers Music listening Deep breathing relaxation therapy Source: Wiesenthal, D. L., Lustman, M., & Roseborough, J. (In press). Aggressive driving: Current perspectives in theory and research. In A. Smiley (Ed.), Human factors in traffic safety (3 rd edition). Tucson, AZ: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co.

Aggressive Driving: Interventions Source: Wiesenthal, D. L., Lustman, M., & Roseborough, J. (In press). Aggressive driving: Current perspectives in theory and research. In A. Smiley (Ed.), Human factors in traffic safety (3 rd edition). Tucson, AZ: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co. Legislation aimed at specific offences (e.g., stunt driving, street racing, burnouts) Increased police apprehension of speeding, distracted drivers, drinking drivers, etc. Media campaigns against drinking driving, Australian pinky wiggling commercials, etc. Promotion of mass transportation. Prohibiting dangerous driving depictions in television commercials

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.

Five Pillars of Road Safety Road safety management Safer roads & mobility Safer vehicles Safer road users Post-crash response

The Blind Men and the Elephant John G. Saxe (1816–1887) Reality Perception

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

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