The focus of this paper is on major issues from other policy arenas that have been prominent on the public agenda and in which fundamental cultural change has been the preeminent policy goal - solid waste recycling, drug abuse, and tobacco use. By examining their basic goals and parameters, detailing their practical applications and approaches, and assessing their relative effectiveness, related anti-waste, anti-drug, and anti-smoking intervention strategies can provide practical insights to inform future efforts for improving traffic safety culture. A crucial point derived from consideration of various cultural initiatives is that, even if change initially occurs, it cannot be maintained in the face of inconsistent norms in the larger society without subsequent reinforcement. Traffic safety recommendations are offered focusing on (1) education programs addressing home, school, and community influences; (2) multilevel strategies addressing social environments; and (3) interventions addressing social and economic conditions. Moreover, these recommendations are linked to a variety of intervention approaches using multiple tactics at multiple levels of influence, involving a variety of societal sectors, focusing on general cultural determinants, and employing both short- and long-term perspectives. Coordinated, sustained, multilevel approaches offer the greatest promise for realizing a traffic safety culture.
Abstract