The article highlights some issues that form the behavior of the driver as the main participant in road traffic environment. It is shown that, along with individual psychological characteristics that influence vehicle control, there are also some social norms and rules acquired by the driver both at the interaction level (for example, peer influence) and in organizational and structural formalities (for example, pressure from other road users), that will affect his or her driving. The interaction of individual and social factors with environmental factors (infrastructure and formal rules) substantially complements the concept of the specific behavioral manifestations of the car driver. The article presents a brief overview of the main areas of applied research in modern traffic psychology, which allow for a more detailed consideration and a better definition of the “subject matter” of this direction within the framework of the study of the human factor in a traffic environment, as well as its overall impact on road safety.

The present material is a short summary report of the 15th meeting of practical traffic psychologists from 15 countries held in Amersfoort, the Netherlands on 4—5 June 2018. It provides an overview of the main ideas of speeches and presentation at the meeting. The given material can be considered as a support in developing plans of realization of the Russian road safety strategy, training programs for driver schools and traffic psychology in Russia.