Views of US drivers about driving safety.
OBJECTIVE
To assess how drivers view dangers on the highway, what motivates them to drive safely, how they say they reduce their crash and injury risk, and how they rate their own driving skills.


RESULTS
Most drivers rated their skills as better than average. The biggest motivating factor for safe driving was concern for safety of others in their vehicle, followed by negative outcomes such as being in a crash, increased insurance costs, and fines. The greatest threats to their safety were thought to be other drivers' actions that increase crash risk such as alcohol impairment or running red lights. In terms of reducing crashes and injuries, drivers tended to focus on actions they could take such as driving defensively or using seat belts. There was less recognition of the role of vehicles and vehicle features in crash or injury prevention.


CONCLUSIONS
Knowing how drivers view themselves and others, their concerns, and their motivations and techniques for staying out of trouble on the roads provides insight into the difficulty of changing driving practices.
Williams
Allan F
AF
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1005 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22201-4751, USA. research@iihs.org
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012449:Safety; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology