The Haddon Matrix illustrates the range of opportunities for countermeasures, in terms of human factors, vehicles, and the physical and social environment, that can be applied before, during, and after a crash. Although most road accidents involve ordinary drivers, the concepts of short-term and long-term accident proneness explain much of what happens. The concept of accident liability is an excellent way of envisaging increased crash risk, and can encompass both short-term and long-term accident proneness. The implications of the findings of the behavioural research programme are divided into four major areas: (1) driver education, training, licensing, and monitoring; (2) enforcement and adjudication; (3) environmental factors; and (4) methodology. For each of these areas, important findings and research issues are outlined. Three major areas of future issues should be addressed: population changes including behavioural changes, the potential applications of emerging technologies to safety, and the potential for changes in social norms in relation to traffic safety.
Abstract