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The Dynamics between the Resilience and Safety Culture of Traffic System and Driver Behaviours?

Author(s): Ozturk, Tumer, Oz

Poster Presentation:

2D-Ozturk

Abstract:

Background:

The traffic system can be related to road users’ attitudes, decisions and behaviours with all its dynamics and components. Various studies have found that traffic safety climate had significant associations with many variables related to road safety, such as driver behaviour, road traffic accidents etc.

Aims:

The present study investigates the relations of drivers’ perception of the resilience of traffic system and traffic safety culture with driver behaviours.

Methods:

A total of 228 drivers (91 Female and 138 Male) between the ages of 19 and 32 (M = 22.91, SD = 2.35) participated in the study. Participants completed a questionnaire package involving a demographic information form, Traffic System Resilience Scale, Traffic Safety Climate Scale and Driver Behaviour Questionnaire. After getting ethical approval from Middle East Technical University, the research was distributed through Qualtrics, an online platform. Participants were recruited via snowball and convenience sampling.

Results:

The hierarchical regression analyses showed drivers who perceive the traffic system higher in terms of resilience and external affective demands revealed more lapses, errors and aggressive violations. Moreover, traffic system resilience was also positively related to ordinary violations. Contrary to these, drivers who perceive the traffic system as having stronger internal requirements reported more positive behaviours and less aberrant driver behaviours.

Discussion:

Drivers’ perception of traffic system resilience and traffic safety climate has significant relationships with driver behaviour. As the traffic system was perceived as externally demanding or resilient, drivers also showed more aberrant driver behaviours. Besides, drivers perceiving the traffic system demanding higher skills and abilities reported less aberrant driver behaviours and more positive driver behaviours.

Conclusions:

While designing road safety policy and interventions, it is believed to be crucial to consider both macro-level effects and reflections on driver behaviours at the micro-level.