The Government's Respect Action Plan is a cross-departmental initiative aimed at addressing the problems caused by `a lack of respect for values that almost everyone in this country shares - consideration for others, a recognition that we all have responsibilities as well as rights, civility and good manners'. The Plan advances six main strands through which to deal with the minority who demonstrate this 'lack of respect'. These focus on families and parenting, schooling and activities for young people, and strengthening and protecting community life. But the Government's overall conception of 'respect' is wider than this, and includes attitudes to people working in the public services, relations between the generations and race and faith groups, and the need to engender the feeling among all young people that they are valued members of society. In short, it seeks to uphold and promote `the basic decencies in behaviour which should be the hallmark of all our encounters with others'. The Department for Transport wished to understand how this wider conception of respect relates to behaviour on the road, how respectful attitudes can be encouraged, and how the factors which influence disrespect can be addressed. There is evidence to suggest that road users are displaying an increasing lack of respect towards others; in December 2005, DfT considered this issue and identified a number of activities which should be considered disrespectful because they are either illegal or conducive to anti-social behaviour. The Department wished to understand how these and other such activities are viewed by the public, and the influences on those who partake and disapprove of them. Qualitative research was required to explore these issues. (Author/publisher)
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