This paper aims at examining risk perception, worry and demand for risk mitigation in transport and to compare judgements among lay people, politicians and experts. The results are based on three self completion questionnaire surveys carried out during autumn and winter 2004. The first study was among a representative sample of the Norwegian population, the second sample were a group of Norwegian politicians and the third a group of experts on transport safety. Studies carried out previously have given support to the idea that consequences are more important for demands for risk mitigation than probability assessments. In the present study it is hypothesised that this may be because they are associated with worry and that worry is better related to demands for risk mitigation than evaluation of consequences. The results of SEM-modelling showed that worry was a stronger and more significant predictor of demands for risk mitigation compared to consequences. Probability assessment was a totally insignificant predictor. In accordance with studies carried out previously, the results showed that experts demanded less risk reduction than lay people and politicians. The results indicate that this is because they stress the probability more than the other two groups (A). For the covering abstract of the conference see E217780.
Abstract