Ten Principles of Traffic Safety Culture

Abstract Our commitment to the goal of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries requires consideration of innovative traffic safety thinking. There is growing recognition that this goal requires a change in our culture as it relates to traffic safety (traffic safety culture). And yet, there is no consensus about a definition for traffic safety culture, no explicit theory-based model to predict the effect of traffic safety culture, and no practical guidance for applying these models to develop effective culture-based strategies. This chapter seeks to address these omissions from both an academic and practitioner perspective. This chapter proposes a standard definition of traffic safety culture based on a model that integrates relevant theories of willful and intentional behavior. Importantly, a set of 10 principles are identified that provide the context and foundation from which the definition and model are derived. An understanding of these principles provides the logic and purpose for developing strategies that can transform traffic safety culture: (1) Traffic crashes are a significant public health concern. (2) Most traffic crashes are caused by human behavior, not the roadway, vehicle, or environment (e.g., weather). (3) Human behavior is influenced by beliefs. (4) Beliefs develop based on experience (actual and vicarious) and socialization. (5) Socialization is the process whereby an individual develops beliefs which align with the culture of a group with which the individual identifies (social identity). (6) Individuals can form an identity with many different groups in their social environment, each with a different degree of bonding. (7) A stronger bond results in greater conformity and motivation to abide with the group culture. (8) The shared beliefs of a group that affect behaviors related to traffic safety are called traffic safety culture. (9) The traffic safety culture of a group emerges from actions taken by stakeholders across the social ecology. (10) Traffic safety culture strategies increase actions by stakeholders across the social ecology to improve traffic safety culture among various groups. For the academic, these principles can also serve as hypotheses that can be explored to expand our knowledge about traffic safety culture. For the practitioner, these principles represent the basic logic and impetus for transforming traffic safety culture. By effectively communicating these principles and their connecting logic, we can express the importance of traffic safety culture and the need for supporting resources with other stakeholders.