Do we need traffic psychology models ?

In this chapter the author shows how the development of traffic psychology is characterised by the fact that in the past 25 years a large number of experiments and investigations were carried out to provide answers to individual questions and solutions for parts of a problem. In so doing, behavioural models or theories relating to road traffic were seldom used as the foundation for processing the data in an integrated way and for developing a theoretical basis for traffic psychology. Although more and more psychological models are being developed in this field (see, for example, Michon, 1989, IRRD 822781, or Ranney, 1994), all too often individual results are placed alongside each other in an unrelated way and the benefits of a theory which would integrate this knowledge remain unexplored.