Understanding Traffic Safety Culture Implications for Increasing Traffic Safety

Despite the success of various engineering, education, and enforcement measures, fatalities and injuries from traffic collisions remain one of the major global problems. It has been advocated that addressing this massive problem requires a fundamental transformation in the traffic safety culture of road users. Measuring and understanding traffic safety culture has gained growing attention in the field of traffic safety. This study, believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, aimed to (a) measure traffic safety culture related to distracted driving, impaired driving, and speeding; (b) investigate how perceptions of these major issues are associated with self-reported behavior and support for related enforcement and policy; and (c) explore the effect of respondents' sociodemographic characteristics on traffic safety culture. A telephone survey based on a stratified random sample of approximately 1,000 residents in the Edmonton region of Alberta, Canada, was conducted in 2014. Descriptive analysis, multivariate confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed. The results demonstrate statistically significant correlations among perceived threat to personal safety, acceptability of behaviors, self-reported behaviors, support for enforcement, and support for law and policy. Perceived threat to personal safety has a statistically significant influence on self-reported behavior, support for enforcement, and support for law and policy. Various sociodemographic characteristics have a significant effect on the perceived threat of traffic behaviors to personal safety. The results can be used to guide educational campaigns to transform traffic safety culture from one that is risk receptive to one that is protective.