Citation

Williams A, Haworth N. Accid. Reconstr. J. 2008; 18(1): 52-56.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Accident Reconstruction Journal)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

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Abstract

An effective highway safety culture is an environment in which public and political attention is paid to motor vehicle injuries and causes, commensurate with the scope of the problem, and there exists a balanced, evidence-based approach for reducing the issues and factors involved, incorporating behavioral, environmental, and vehicle aspects. There are barriers to achieving an effective safety culture, largely due to the psychology of driving. In this paper, these barriers are dealt with in the context of the United States, which has a weak safety culture. Other countries have made greater strides in overcoming these barriers, with Australia being one such country. The paper also discusses the experience of Australia in relation to that of the United States, and an assessment is made of what can be learned from this comparison to establish a more effective highway safety culture.