Age-related differences in attitudes and perception on road safety issues in Montenegro

Abstract

Traffic safety is a challenge and a very serious problem on a global level due to the high number of traffic fatalities and injuries. In the driving context, road users’ personality characteristics, attitudes and behavior may influence how individuals, especially young people, respond to certain driving situation. Young drivers are among the most vulnerable road users, particularly during the first few months of independent driving. While they represent only a small percentage of licensed drivers, they are more likely to be involved in fatal and injury crashes than older ones. The main aim of this paper is to explore differences of attitudes between young adults and others. This study explores changes of the road safety perceptions through the following questions: which road safety problems are perceived as the most serious; what national authorities should do and what road safety measures for young drivers, citizens want to be a priority for the government. The results are presented in regard to road users’ age (under 24 years old and older), with both, gender and driving experience as control variables. The study showed that the perception of the overall safety situation differs related to different age group; that older and more experienced drivers generally have more unfavorable attitudes than younger ones; that among the five driving risk factors, driving under the influence of alcohol is considered the most important issue of drivers’ behavior, especially in female; and that the zero-alcohol initiative for young drivers received the greatest support from respondents of all categories.