Psychological perspectives on changing driver attitude and behaviour

Abstract

From a psychological viewpoint, several behaviour change techniques may be used to change unsate driver behaviour, e.g. informing, persuading rewarding, punishing etc. The motivation underlying the behaviour determines to a large degree how successful these behaviour change strategies may be. In the article, three broad classes of explanation for driver behaviour are distinguished: reasoned or planned behaviour, impulsive or emotional behaviour and habitual behaviour. Reasoned behaviour is under voliitional control of the driven and is determined by intention to commit the behaviour, which is in turn dependent on attitudes and subjective norms. Emotional behaviour may take range of expressive forms, varying from impulsive reactions to unexpected traffic situations to aggressive driving behaviours elicited by perceived norm-violations of other road users. Habitual behaviour occurs mindlessly, without forethought or conscious information-processing. The transfer of objective knowledge, the cornerstone of persuasive road safety campaigns and road safety education, may be useful in itself in changing reasoned driver behaviour, but may be amiss in changing unplanned, emotionally or habitually driven behaviours. For addressing these types of behaviour, other or additional strategies are considered.