Is campaigning an effective toolagains aggressive driving?

Matti JärvinenDirectorLiikenneturvaFinland

People tend to get annoyed and lose their temper in traffic more easily than is the case in many other fields of life.

We are annoyed when somebody goes against these common rules – even if the offense takes place by accident.

Negative behaviour is quite visible in traffic and it has a tendency to spread quickly.

The driver sits inside a closed-off shell, the opponent is unknown and there is no meeting eye-to-eye. It´s easy to behave badly!

Especially the men feel that they are ”above average” as drivers. So it is his duty to “teach” the other driver by cutting in, shouting and by holding strictly onto his own rights. This kind of a “teacher” is not even sorry for his bad behaviour, because he was right!

What is ‘aggressive driving ?

• direct physical assaults on other road users – road rage• an intention to injure, harm or frighten other road users• a deliberate driving style that show disregard to other road users safety

“Reckless driving” : • excessive speeding• fail to give right of way• tailgating• ignoring the red-lights

• rude gesturing• flashing headlights• sustained horn-honking and • yelling

Are you one of the crowd?

• The atmosphere on the roads had declined

• Reckless and selfish driving and intentional bothering ha´d increased

• Use of seat belts had decreased

The objectives:

• to support the appropriate traffic behaviour of the majority of drivers• to make drivers frown on disregard for the common rules • to decrease the number of traffic fatalities and injuries

Focus on driving style

The problems:

Awareness -campaign for 3 years:

• Animals as an example• Strong communication strategy (press, tv, radio, internet, infopackage )• Regional aspect (local press and radio, events) • Cooperation with the police and other interest groups

The main themes

• abiding by the speed limits• safe driving distances• use of seatbelts• cutting down on running a red light cases

Stop for read

Keep the distance

Keep the distance

Don’t sleepin a car.

Have a break.

Results:

• lots of writing and speech in media• no critics against the campaign• change in athmosphere ?• no inpact in statistics• increase in the use of safety belts

Was the campaign successful or just sympathetic ?- problem analysis?- target groups?- mixture of means ?

The prevalence of aggressive driving

• certain traffic situations: the traffic is slowed down unexpected (e.g. queue outside rush-hour; slow driving of other drivers)

• certain characteristics of the driver : low frustration tolerance, low empathy, mild social deviance and a need for seeking excitement > young male drivers !

• characteristics of the vehicle /driver: new cars with high engine power, fast acceleration ability nd a “sporty” image.

The problem and target analysis

Measures to reduce aggressive driving

• improved road infrastructure and environment

• increased police surveillance (excessive speeding and red-light running)

• combined surveillance and media attention (awareness , social pressure)

• campaigning has not proved to be an efficient tool against reckless driving !

• the use of “green numbers”: dialing the licence number of a reckless driver

• anger-management courses for aggressive drivers: long term effects ?

And first of all

• to develop the traffic system as a whole !

Every one of us can reduce aggressiveness in traffic when we

• don´t respond to aggressive challenges on the road • try to forgive other road users´ their unintentional mistakes• don´t surprise other drivers• don´t tailgate and always follow the read lights• use the turn signal to show our intensions • say we are sorry, even if we didn’t commit a mistake