Social norms are individual's beliefs about the attitudes and behaviour that are normal, acceptable, or even expected in a given social context. In many situations, people's perceptions of these norms will greatly influence their behaviour. Social norms theory provides a model for understanding human behaviour that has important implications for driver education and traffic safety programs. It states that our behaviour is influenced by incorrect perceptions of how other members of our social groups think and act. The theory predicts that over estimations of problem behaviours will increase these problem behaviours, while under estimates of healthy behaviours discourage individuals from engaging in them. Thus, correcting these misperceptions is likely to result in decreased drinking or increased prevalence of safe, protective behaviours. This article considers these hypotheses as they relate to driver education and traffic safety. (Author/publisher)
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