By Tor-Olav Nævestad
Better roads, safer vehicles, traffic laws and enforcement all matter. But they are not enough on their own. To make roads safer, we also need to understand the everyday beliefs, habits and expectations that shape how people behave in traffic.
This is what we mean by traffic safety culture. It concerns what people in a group see as normal and acceptable: Is it normal to speed? Is it acceptable to drive after drinking? Do friends encourage risky driving, or do they speak up? Do parents model safe driving for young people? Such shared expectations may influence how people behave on the road.
In our study, we reviewed a large body of international research on the relationship between traffic safety culture and road safety among private road users, including drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. The studies examine traffic safety culture at different levels and in different types of formal and informal social groups.
The review indicates that traffic safety culture may be relevant for road safety, particularly through its relationship with behaviour. A recurring theme in the literature is the role of shared norms. People may be influenced by what they believe others usually do, and by what they think others accept. These expectations can support both safe and risky behaviour.
The reviewed research also points to the importance of close social relationships. Young drivers, for example, may be influenced by parents’ driving habits, family rules and peer expectations. Local social norms around alcohol use may also be relevant for understanding drink-driving. At a broader level, social values and shared expectations may contribute to understanding why road safety outcomes differ between places.
At the same time, the relationship between traffic safety culture, behaviour and crashes is complex. Not all studies find the same patterns, and the field still faces important methodological challenges. More research is needed to better understand how traffic safety culture can be measured, how it relates to behaviour and safety outcomes, and how it can be influenced in practice.
This work is important because road deaths and injuries affect everyone: families, local communities, health services, employers and public authorities. Safer road cultures can help protect children, young people, older people, cyclists, pedestrians and drivers alike.
The purpose of this review is to improve knowledge about which aspects of traffic safety culture appear most relevant for road safety. This can help identify what needs to change, and where road safety efforts should be targeted. In the TRUST project, we will also develop knowledge about how traffic safety culture can be influenced in practice. The long-term goal is to strengthen safer shared norms, attitudes and behaviours, and thereby contribute to reducing the number of people killed and injured on our roads.
