In the first half of the paper the authors are concerned with the question of why, in the face of enormous numbers of casualties caused by road accidents, individuals seem so little concerned with safety. Three experiments are outlined in which drivers are asked to describe imaginary road accidents. It is shown that drivers perceive that they personally are less likely than others to be involved in an accident and this is because of their own personal skill. It is also shown that these illusory biases could be countered and in doing so drivers' attitudes to speed changed. The second half of the paper examines hazard perception. Various categories of drivers were tested using a video containing a range of hazards. Experts were much quicker at perceiving hazards than novices and further investigation established training to be more important than experience. The implications for driver training indicate a need for more emphasis on hazard perception training. The Hazard Perception Test is also recommended for use in assessing the effects of drugs, alcohol and fatigue on driver performance.
Abstract