Differences in the Assessment of Safe and Risky Driving Behaviors: Pedestrians Versus Drivers

Abstract

Interactions between pedestrians and drivers are an important traffic safety issue. Psycho-social factors such as thoughts, perceptions and attitudes toward other people can be reliable predictors of riskier or safer behaviors among road users. The aim of this study was to assess how frequently participants perceive that drivers perform safe and risky road behaviors through drivers’ self-reported behavior and pedestrians and other drivers’ external perceptions. The results show that pedestrians assess the road behaviors of drivers in a seriously negative way. Meanwhile, drivers perceive their own behaviors as more appropriate than those performed by the rest of drivers. Women attribute more favorable assessments to other users’ road behavior. Similarly, older drivers do the same, and consider themselves “safer” users. On the contrary, younger drivers report a higher frequency of self-rated unsafe behaviors. The study highlights the importance of working on the awareness of self-rated road behaviors. Road safety interventions and programs in Spain must consider the differences related to gender and age.

Analysis of pedestrian accident severity by considering temporal instability and heterogeneity

“…Sergio et al [ 8 ] presented the Walking Behavior Questionnaire (WBQ), which identifies traffic violations as an issue of road user safety, to thoroughly describe the validation of an instrument for measuring the walking risky and positive behavior on the road, using the Walking Behavior Questionnaire. Francisco et al [ 9 ] evaluated the differences between safe and dangerous driving behaviors from the perspectives of pedestrians and drivers, and the results showed that pedestrians had a very negative evaluation of the driver's road behavior. At the same time, drivers believe that their own behavior is more appropriate than the behavior of other drivers.…”

Evaluation of Psychophysical Fitness in Drivers over 65 Years of Age

“…As a consequence, the quality of many of the skills should be measured with reliable instruments for vulnerable people [ 10 , 11 ]. These skills are also necessary as safe driving performance decreases [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ], which is reflected in crash rates and their severity. The involvement of older people in fatal accidents is estimated to increase by 155% by 2030, accounting for 54% of the total projected increase in the number of total fatal accidents [ 19 ].…”