Driver attitudes, behaviour and engineering speed management strategies

Musselwhite, Charles Brian Alexander (2004) Driver attitudes, behaviour and engineering speed management strategies. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Abstract

This project addressed differences between drivers, putting driver attitudes and behaviour at the centre of the research, with an overarching aim to critically examine the role of individual differences, in terms of background characteristics and perceptions, on engineering speed management strategies (specifically addressing speed humps, Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Black Box Technology) and their subsequent effect on driving behaviour. To address this aim a two-part methodology was adopted. First, a total of 57 in-depth interviews were carried out using a semi-structured emergent design. From the results of the interviews 4 questionnaires were developed, all assessing driving behaviour with one questionnaire each assessing speed humps, ISA, ACC and Black Box Technology. A total of 1557 individuals completed the questionnaires and their background characteristics (37.82 years old mean age; 114.93 mean miles driven per week; 53.6% male; 46.4% female) showed that generalisations to the driving population as a whole could take place. Furthermore, a degree of validity and reliability were found with the questionnaires. Overall Black Box Technology was thought to have the greatest effect at reducing speed and accidents of road vehicles and mandatory ISA that limits speed was thought to have the least effect.

It was found that although most drivers took risks, through speeding and other risky driving behaviours, there were different motivations for this. Four groups were identified based on the motivations for showing risk; those that took risk unintentionally formed the largest group. Three smaller groups were also found, a reactive risk taking group who took risks when reacting to stress or being in a hurry, a calculated risk taking group who took risks when they felt it was safe to do so, such as late at night or on well-known roads, and a continuous risk taking group who often took risks for their own sake. Each of these groups would approach engineering speed management strategies differently. Speed humps and the perceived use of ISA decreased overall safety of drivers in all groups except those in the unintentional risk taking group. The perceived use of ACC increased overall safety for all drivers except continuous risk takers. The perceived use of Black Box Technology increased overall safety for all drivers except reactive risk takers. A number of recommendations are discussed including introducing a variety of new measures and including attitudes and motivations of individuals, when evaluating the implementation of speed management strategies in order not to treat the driving population as a homogenous group, showing that one solution is unlikely to fit all drivers.

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