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School of Civil Engineering
Highway Traffic and Safety Analyses Lecture 26: Human Behavior and Road Safety Purdue University School of Civil Engineering West Lafayette
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Human Behavior 85-95 percent of crashes are attributed by experts to faulty human behavior
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Human Behavior Theories Behavioral issues Countermeasures
Perceived vs. accepted risks Theory of rational choice Homeostasis theory Behavioral issues Aggressive driving Runs on red Speeding Road rage Countermeasures
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Theories
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Perceived vs. Accepted Risks
Perceived risk Traffic and road situation Driver traits Driver experience (knowledge) Driver state Accepted risk Driver state and traits Travel purpose and time constraints Perceived gain from taking a risk
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Perceived and Accepted Risks versus Objective Risk
Road Traffic Driver Objective Risk
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Perceived and Accepted Risks versus Objective Risk
Road Driver Behavior Traffic Driver Objective Risk
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Perceived and Accepted Risks versus Objective Risk
Perceived Risk Road Driver Behavior Accepted Risk Traffic Driver Objective Risk
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Perceived and Accepted Risks versus Objective Risk
Sweden changed to driving on the right. It resulted in 17% less road deaths in the first year (Guardian, 26 January 1996). Accepted risk , perceived risk => Risk-taking behavior After introducing free-market economy in Poland in late 1980s, the crash rates increased by 30 percent. Accepted risk , perceived risk => Risk-taking behavior
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Theory of Rational Choice
Drivers consider Alternative behaviors (slow down, accelerate, change lane, etc.) costs associated with each behavior (likelihood of crash and its outcome) benefits associated with each behavior (time gain, personal satisfaction) Drivers select the alternative with the highest net benefit
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Risk Homeostasis Drivers have their own target risk
They reduce (compensate) risk with more cautious behavior if Perceived Risk > Target Risk They change behavior towards more dangerous if Perceived Risk < Target Risk
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Risk Homeostasis Examples of risk-taking behavior The first indicator
Risky leisure activities (mountain climbing, rodeo riding, gambling, etc.) The first indicator In 1968, Congress mandated seat belts and several other safety equipment 20-percent reduction in fatalities were predicted as a result of improving millions of cars Safety researches found no difference in fatalities
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Risk Homeostasis Seat belts Speed limit
Volunteers drove go-karts with and without seat belts The average speed of people wearing seat belts was higher than those who did not Speed limit In 1987, the federal government allowed for raising speed limit from 55 to 65 miles/hour Fatalities in states with the 65 speed limit where lower than in the other states by three percent WATCH: Do Safer Cars = Dangerous Drivers?
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Behavioral Issues
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Percent of Respondents
Aggressive Driving What behavior is aggressive? – survey of Canadian drivers Percent of Respondents Behavior 1999 2000 Tailgating 93 Passing on the shoulder 88 87 Making rude gestures 86 Pulling into someone else's parking space 80 82 Changing lanes without signaling 75 73 Flashing high beams at car in front 74 72 Drive through yellow lights turning red 69 Merge at last second with traffic on highway 66 Speeding (20km/h or more over speed limit) 65
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Aggressive Driving Red Signal Running
In 1998, there were 89,000 red light running crashes that resulted in 80,000 injuries and 986 deaths. 56 percent of Americans admit to running red lights.
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Aggressive Driving Red Signal Running
Indiana drivers’ survey (2000/2001) 56 % see red signal running several times a week 55 % think that drivers are in hurry 27 % think that drivers do not pay attention 68 % think that less than 10% violators are ticketed by the police 59 % believe in enforcement 78 % would support photo-enforcement
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Aggressive Driving Red Signal Running
West Lafayette research (2001/2002) No enforcement: 20 % of drivers arriving at the beginning of red signal runs it Residual effect of police enforcement: 5 % of drivers arriving at the beginning of red signal runs it The residual effect does not last long Violation rate significantly lower if students aren’t in the flow (vacation)
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Aggressive Driving Speeding
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Aggressive Driving Speeding
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Cultural norms of disrespect = Road Rage
More congestion + Cultural norms of disrespect = Road Rage
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Road Rage Verbal Quiet Epic yelling, honking, rude gestures, insulting
rushing, competing, resisting Epic cutting in, blocking, chasing, fighting, shooting
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Countermeasures
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Countermeasures Perceived vs. Accepted Risks
Increase the risk perception Educate about human limitations Provide road hazard facts to public Educate about drug impacts Display warning signs Law and enforcement (additional risk) Decrease the risk acceptance Gratification of safe driving (premium by employer) Any other ideas?
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Countermeasures Aggressive Driving – AAA Survey of Agencies http://www
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Countermeasures Red Signal Running http://safety. fhwa. dot
Photo-enforcement 1997, Oxnard, California, population 151,000 Nine camera sites, $104 fine and one point on the driver's license. A 30-day warning period during which red light cameras photographed violators, but no tickets were issued. The red light violation rate reduced 42 percent. Increase of red signal compliance on unequipped intersections as well
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Countermeasures Speeding –Survey of Drivers http://www. nhtsa. dot
More police assigned to traffic (85%) More frequent ticketing (82%) Double or triple fines (81%) Revoking licenses more often (81%) Increased insurance costs (80%) Road design changes (78%)
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Countermeasures Road Rage webpages.marshall.edu/~harrison2
Database of Unsafe Driving – license plate numbers of drivers who were acting upon road rage Quality Driving Circles – groups of drivers who meet discuss their difficult driving experience Education - educational materials, public service announcements, self-tests, self-help and self-education through the Internet
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Countermeasures Road Rage http://www. aaafts
Legislation directed at controlling road rage in 17 states Enforcement: unmarked cars, plain-clothes police officers, helicopters, airplanes, video cameras, air patrols in contact with grounded policemen (TRIAD – Targeting Reckless, Intimidating, and Aggressive Driving in Ohio)
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Countermeasures Improve the Road www.nous.org.uk/reform.html
"Don't attempt to reform man. An adequately organized environment will permit humanity's original, innate capabilities to become successful. Politics and conventionalized education have sought erroneously to mould or reform humanity.“ Utopia or Oblivion, Buckminster Fuller, 1969. "increasing safety and decreasing accidents by engineering improvements of motor vehicles while also providing overpasses and banked turns for the vehicles to drive on, instead of trying to reform the vehicle-drivers' behaviors" . Critical Path, Buckminster Fuller, 1981.
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