Attitudes to road safety

Alun HumphreyResearch DirectorNational Centre for Social Research

Attitudes to Road Safety

Alun Humphrey

Presentation to Road Safety GB National Conference

Chester, 15th November 2011

Findings and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the DfT

Background

• Survey commissioned by Department for Transport• Understanding the views and behaviour of the population as a

whole• Differences between sub-groups• Interaction between attitudes and behaviour• Provide baseline measure for future tracking

• Proposals for changes to speed limits

Agenda

• Methodology• Views about harshness of penalties• Driving styles and risky behaviours• Drink driving• Speeding

The NatCen Omnibus

• Random Probability sampling• Representative sample of adults aged 16+ in Great Britain

• Fieldwork conducted February/March 2010• 1,538 CAPI /CASI interviews conducted (response rate of 55%)

• Questionnaire covered• Travel behaviour• Driving style• Views about road safety• Driving experiences• Restraint use• Speed• Drink driving• Accidents

30

14

13

13

13

5

5

3

1

61

37

36

34

39

25

18

16

16

0 20 40 60 80 100

Driving after drinking alcohol

Drivers exceeding the speed limit

Driving when tired

Road users not paying enough attention to the road

Drivers going too fast for the conditions

Using a hand-held mobile phone while driving

Following the vehicle in front too closely

Overtaking when it is dangerous

Taking illegal drugs and driving

Most common In top three

Perceptions of causes of accidents

Base: All respondents (1,534). Respondents could give up to 3 answers

1446

45

20 2236

3525

36 42

41

16 8

40 3421

0

20

40

60

80

100

Drink driving Exceedingthe speed

limit

Using hand-held mobile

Drivingunder

influence ofdrugs

Driving orriding

dangerouslyor carelessly

Much too low

A little too low

About right

A little too high

Much too high

Views about police enforcement

Base: All respondents (varies between 1,434 and 1,517)

7

7 4

166

39

50

2822 32

34

22

3638

41

247

2938

24

0

20

40

60

80

100

Drink driving Exceedingthe speed

limit

Using hand-held mobile

Drivingunder

influence ofdrugs

Driving orriding

dangerouslyor carelessly

Much too lenient

A little too lenient

About right

A little too harsh

Much too harsh

Views about harshness of penalties

Base: All respondents (varies between 1,401 and 1,496)

5

21 1632 31

56 63 3457

20 22

20 718

6

5

23

312 14

5

43

40

2911

0

20

40

60

80

100

I think I'm asafer driverthan most

I sometimesget annoyed

with otherdrivers

I preferdriving tobeing a

passenger

I considermyself to bea law abiding

driver

I amsometimes

nervousdriving

I enjoydriving fast

Stronglydisagree

Disagree

Neither agreenor disagreeAgree

Strongly agree

Driving styles

Base: All who had driven in last 12 months (1,057 or 1,058)

54

3

21

1912

856913

41

3116

1778

2019

6

18

4466

748582

6664

9399

1110

0 20 40 60 80 100

Driven when very tired

Parked on double yellow lines

Overtaken when think can just make it

Not worn seat belt when driving

Not worn seat belt when a passenger

Used hand-held mobile to speak/text

Driven after drinking 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks

Driven when think over legal limit

Driven after taking illegal drug

Driven over the speed limit

Very often Fairly often Occasionally Once or twice Never

Prevalence of ‘risky’ behaviours

Base: All who had driven in last 12 months (1,056 - 1,058), ‘Not worn a seat belt’: all travelled as passenger in last 12 months (1,181)

Prevalence of risky behaviours at least ‘once or twice’ in last 12 months by age

0102030405060708090

100

Driven whenvery tired

Parked ondouble yellow

lines

Overtaken whenthink can just

make it

Not worn seatbelt when driving

Not worn seatbelt as

passenger

16 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or over

Base: All who had driven in last 12 months 224 (16 to 34), 207 (35 to 44), 223 (45 to 54), 207 (55 to 64), 197 (65 or above); (As passenger: 292 (16 to 34), 196 (35 to 44), 217 (45 to 54), 207 (55 to 64), 269 (65 or over))

0102030405060708090

100

Used hand-heldmobile tospeak/text

Driven afterdrinking 1/2

alcoholic drinks

Driven whenthink over legal

limit

Driven aftertaking illegal

drug

Driven over thespeed limit

16 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 or over

Base: All who had driven in last 12 months 224 (16 to 34), 207 (35 to 44), 223 (45 to 54), 207 (55 to 64), 197 (65 or above)

Prevalence of risky behaviours at least ‘once or twice’ in last 12 months by age

54

33

25

15

16

30

35

7

1

89

0 20 40 60 80 100

Driven when very tired

Parked on double yellow lines

Overtaken when think can just make it

Not worn seat belt when driving

Not worn seat belt as passenger

Used hand-held mobile to speak/text

Driven after drinking 1/2 alcoholic drinks

Driven when think over legal limit

Driven after taking illegal drug

Driven over the speed limit

Risky behaviours undertaken by those considering themselves ‘law abiding drivers’

Base: All who consider themselves law-abiding drivers (943); (As passenger: 721)

16

5

6

19

46

58

15

37

38

28

6

13

23

19

10

13

7

9

39

27

22

10

38

4

18

11

11

3

47

0 20 40 60 80 100

Most drivers will drive after drinking alcohol if they thinkthey are under the limit

Having one or two alcoholic drinks doesn't make driversmore likely to crash

People I know sometimes drive when they might be overthe limit

It is difficult to know how much alcohol you can drink andbe safe

Drivers should not drink any alcohol before driving

People should be free to judge how much they can safelydrink

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

Attitudes to drink driving

Base: All respondents (1,481 – 1,488)

26

55

30

17

5

22

60

34

52

52

24

45

6

8

6

10

12

22

22

9

5

3

7

14

39

10

43

4

9

39

0 20 40 60 80 100

Most drivers will drive a bit over the speed limit if they think itis safe

The faster the speed the more likely that someone will suffer aserious injury in an accident

People I know sometimes break the speed limit when driving

It is sometimes difficult to keep to the speed limit

Drivers should keep up with the traffic flow even if it is abovethe limit

Drivers should always stay within the speed limit

People should be free to drive as fast as they feel safe to

Strongly agree Agree Neither agree nor disagree Disagree Strongly disagree

Attitudes to speeding

Base: All respondents (1,482 – 1,489)

10

7

23

14

37

27

19

25

11

27

0 20 40 60 80 100

30 mph road

60 mph road

Very often Fairly often Occasionally Once or twice Never

Frequency of exceeding speed limit

Base: All who had driven in last 12 months (1,037)

35

35

18

19

5

6

40

30

27

10

7

7

0 10 20 30 40 50

You are keeping up with other traffic

Don't see the sign until too late/were notfamiliar with the road

You believe it is safe to drive faster

You find it difficult to keep the car's speeddown

You don t think you will be caught

Or for some other reason

30 mph roads 60 mph roads

Reasons for exceeding speed limit

Base: All who had exceeded speed limit (915 – 30mph; 722 – 60 mph)

3

9

43

54

53

37

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

30 mph roads

60 mph roads

More than 10 mph 5 to 10 mph Less than 5 mph

How far above limit usually go

Base: All who had exceeded speed limit (918 – 30mph; 721 – 60 mph)

Key findings

• In general people think enforcement/penalties too low/lenient

• Most consider themselves safe, law abiding…• …and most recognise dangers of speeding• Yet most exceed the speed limit

More info

www.natcen.ac.uk

http://www.natcen.ac.uk/study/attitudes-to-road-safety

http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/rsrr-theme5-natcen-2010-survey