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A rule-breaking epidemic?
A SERIES of research studies both in Australia and overseas have shown that most drivers break road safety laws whenever it suits them. In Britain, the US, and locally, "normal" law-abiding motorists have been found to jump red lights, exceed speed limits as they like and in the UK "deliberately take risks" just for the adrenalin rush.
In Perth, motorists appear to be Australia's worst offenders. A national survey by the State Government Insurance Office (SGIO) has found 82% of Perth drivers admit to breaking road laws and that they are more likely than any others in the country to confess to speeding.
US researchers who were trying to measure both the awareness motorists have of road safety and their tendency to breach road rules, found most only too happy to blame others for bad driving when in fact their behaviour was no better.
Meanwhile in South Australia a report sponsored by the Motor Accident Commission has examined "road courtesy and road safety" and come out with a controversial suggestion.
The author, Mr T P Hutchinson of Adelaide University's Centre for Automotive Research, believes its time to use psychotherapy in an attempt to alter the attitudes of some of the worst offenders - teenaged or 20-something drivers.
Mr Hutchinson admits the idea is only a personal opinion, but he suggests taking 8000 randomly selected 17-year-olds seeking driving licences and providing each with $500-worth of individual and group psychotherapy to "treat attitudes and behaviours that might broadly be labelled discourteous".
"A comparison group would receive no treatment, and a crash record of both groups would be monitored," he wrote.
"Five years later, there would be enough data that the answer, one way or the other, would be known with confidence."
The scan also showed:
Driver ignorance
If US motorists are any guide, drivers exhibit a high degree of hypocrisy when it comes to road safety. Many happily blame others for dangerous driving when in reality they themselves will have probably committed the exact same offence only days previously. Yet despite their self-confessed litany of past wrong doings, three-quarters of American motorists believe they are more careful than other drivers. "While motorists are quick to blame the 'other guy' for deadly practices like drunk, aggressive or distracted driving, too often those pointing the finger are themselves part of the problem," says Peter Kissinger, CEO of the Washington-based AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The AAA has just completed the first of what it hopes to be an annual survey of America's "traffic safety culture". After interviewing 2500 people by phone, they have found:
- 82% rate distracted driving a serious problem, yet half admit to using mobile phones while driving - and even sending text messages.
- 70% rate red light running a serious problem - yet half admit to speeding up to get through amber lights, and 5% say they have even run through red lights.
- 75% rate speeding as a serious problem although 40% admitted that in the past month they had driven 25 km/h above a prevailing speed limit too.
According to Mr Kissinger, one of the most worrying aspects of the poll was the high level of ignorance it uncovered about how many people die on US roads each year. The actual toll is more than 40,000 annually yet only a third of respondents guessed a figure between 10,000 and 100,000. About 25% thought the figure was under 10,000.
Professional risk
A psychological study of more than 400 professional drivers has found the main reason they are likely to be in a crash is that they deliberately take risks. Dr Gerhard Manogg of Britain's University of Swansea said "sensation seeking and venting" emerged as the most important cause of a variety of self-reported traffic offences and violations.
Learning for life
Would roads become safer if many more people studied for advanced driving certificates? According to the UK Government there is ample evidence to suggest that today's level of training is not adequate. Leaving aside the fact that in Britain one in five people have a crash within six months of passing their driving test, a full 55% of the country's motorists still say they could do with more instruction on parking three years after collecting their licence. Now the government is studying the idea of making "lifelong learning" part of standard driver training. A consultation paper released in May raises the concept and suggests that advanced driving certification could be used to bring down insurance premiums. Whether that will be sufficient an incentive to persuade motorists to sign on for extra courses, no one knows. "Currently most drivers consider their driver education is complete once they have passed their practical test," the paper says. In fact today less than 0.5% of UK licence holders have passed an advanced test. The government's Driving Standards Agency is now working with four companies that provide advanced instruction to develop a "post-test training brand" and common assessment system. The agency says motorists will be given "incentives" to sign up - but it has yet to spell out just what those incentives will be.
The age of reluctance
In Canada a poll has found that three-quarters of Canadians want elderly drivers to complete retraining courses after they reach 70. The poll comes in the wake of US research showing crash figures would drop if elderly drivers were retrained. Nonetheless the poll has found Canadians are only "moderately concerned" about elderly drivers being a safety issue. For example, most did not want elderly drivers stripped of their driving privileges if they were responsible for a collision. "Canadians don't believe elderly drivers should turn in their keys at a certain age," says Paul Boase, of Transport Canada, and a sponsor of the poll. "Canadians are saying it's ok for seniors to drive, so long as they can do so safely." But an analysis of the poll also showed elderly drivers were the least supportive of new elderly training programs.
Nothing beats sleep
A number of roadside cafés on WA's country routes offer passing motorists "free coffee" - but does coffee really fight fatigue? Adelaide University's Centre for Automotive Safety Research has just conducted an extensive literature review and has added a few caveats to the practice. According to the researchers, there has been concern that encouraging coffee stops might also encourage drivers to continue driving when they really should be resting. "Based on empirical research evidence, there is some support for the provision of coffee at roadside rest stops to temporarily alleviate fatigue when driving," they say. "However, the combination of drinking caffeine (approximately two cups of coffee) and napping (i.e. 15 minutes) during a break appears to be more beneficial than caffeine alone." But even then, the combined effects will only last about two hours. That being the case, the researchers warn against promoting coffee alone as a substitute for sleep.
