Road safety and road user behaviour

Focusing on human factors to improve road safety May 14th 2012, Malaysia

Dr. Maura Houtenbos

Overview

• Introduction • Theoretical Framework • Lessons learned • Conclusions Road safety and road user behaviour 2

Dr. Maura Houtenbos

Introduction

• Objective • Context – Enforcement – Motorbikes (& helmet use) – Alcohol – Speed Road safety and road user behaviour 3

Theoretical Framework

Sustainable Safety & Human Factors Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 4

Theoretical Framework

Crash causes Infrastructure: 12-46% Vehicle: 4-25% Dr. Maura Houtenbos Human: 63 95% Road safety and road user behaviour 5

Proactive system approach

(after Reason, 1990) Latent errors Unsafe actions Dr. Maura Houtenbos System design Quality control Psychological precursors for unsafe actions Actions during traffic participation Defence mechanisms CRASH Road safety and road user behaviour 6

Reasons for unsafe actions and conformity

Behaviour Intentional Unintentional • • • Cause of violation Perceived costs < benefits Feeling of comfort Incredible rules Indifferent environment • • • Cause of conformity Normative viewpoint Perceived costs > benefits Fear of punishment • • • • Imitating incorrect behaviour of others Incorrect habits System invites correct behaviour Road layout and vehicle provoke incorrect behaviour • • • Road layout Vehicle Behaviour of others Error

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Penalties in traffic

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 7

Task capability model

(Fuller, 2005; Vlakveld 2001) Task demands Physical conditions Psychological conditions Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 8

Lessons Learned:

Enforcement & penalties

Issue: • Human behaviour largest cause of crashes "Solution": • Enforcement & penalties N.B: • Proactive approach

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Penalties in traffic

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 9

Mechanism of police enforcement

Source: Wegman, F. & Aarts, L. (red.) (2006).

Advancing Sustainable Safety; National Road Safety Outlook for 2005-2020

. SWOV, Leidschendam (Figure 8.1 ) .

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 10

Lessons Learned:

Speeding

Issue: • Speeding "Solution": • Reduce speed limit N.B: • Credibility

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Speed cameras: how they work and what effect they have

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 11

Poll

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 12

Safe and credible speed management

Both 50 kph. Both safe? Both credible?

1.

Safe speeds and safe speed limits 2.

Credible speed limits 3.

Informing drivers 4.

Enforcement 5.

Dynamic speed limits & ISA

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Towards credible speed limits & Measures for speed management

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 13

Predictable roads and traffic behaviour as basis for safe traffic

• Preventing errors by: – Recognizable situations: consistency in road design – Predictable road course: continuity in road design • Anticipated result: – More routine traffic behaviour: fewer errors – More predictable behaviour of other road users Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour Through road Distributor road Access road 14

Credibility features

• Accelerators: – Open road environment – Wide road – Straight road stretches – High quality road surface • Decelerators: – Dense road environment – Narrow roads – Short road stretches – Physical speed reducers – Low quality road surface

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Towards credible speed limits

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 15

Lessons Learned:

Speeding

Issue: • Speeding "Solution": • Lower average speed driven N.B: • Greater speed differences could cancel out safety effects!

Source: SWOV Fact sheet The relation between speed and crashes

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 16

Lessons Learned:

Alcohol

Issue: • Drunk driving "Solution": • Higher penalties N.B: • Effectiveness

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Driving under the influence of alcohol & Penalties in traffic

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 17

Lessons Learned:

Enforcement

Issue: • Weak enforcement "Solution": • Increase enforcement N.B: • Effectiveness ↑ when…

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Police enforcement and driving speed

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 18

Lessons Learned:

Enforcement

N.B: • Effectiveness ↑ when… – Location with speed related problem – Average speed checks – Clearly visible – Purpose (road safety) = clear

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Police enforcement and driving speed

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 19

Lessons Learned:

Campaigns

Issue: • Road safety affects entire population "Solution": • Campaigns that target entire population N.B: • Target specific groups  Effectiveness

↑

Source: Hoekstra, T & Wegman, FCM (2011).

Improving the effectiveness of road safety campaigns: current and new practices

. IATSS Research, 34(2), 80-86

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 20

Lessons Learned:

Campaigns

Issue: • Road users’ behaviour "Solution": • Education N.B: • Road users are not rational!

Source: Hoekstra, T & Wegman, FCM (2011).

Improving the effectiveness of road safety campaigns: current and new practices

. IATSS Research, 34(2), 80-86

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 21

Lessons Learned:

Young novice drivers

Issue: • Lack of experience "Solution": • Extra training N.B: • More inclined to drive in dangerous conditions!

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Post-licence training for novice drivers

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 22

Lessons Learned:

Motorcyclists

Issue: • High risk for motorcyclists "Solution": • Use car instead N.B: Measures • Visibility & conspicuousness • Extra training (motorcyclist & car driver!) • Road environment • Protective clothing

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Motorcyclists

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Lessons Learned:

Motorcyclists & Moped riders

Issue: • Head injury "Solution": • Helmets N.B: • Wearing

Source: SWOV Fact sheet Motorcycle and moped helmets

Dr. Maura Houtenbos Road safety and road user behaviour 24

Dr. Maura Houtenbos

Conclusions

The solution to road safety issues: • are not simple!

• require taking human factors into account • require a proactive approach • require combined efforts Road safety and road user behaviour 25

Dr. Maura Houtenbos

More information: www.swov.nl

• Factsheets – Up to date information on road safety topics • Publications – Reports on SWOV road safety research • Library – Netherlands’ largest road safety research catalog • Newsletter – Subscribe online (or leave me your business card) • Contact: [email protected]

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