Driving Attitude

Neelz Singh, Lami

Attitudes alone are not the key to safe driving.

Young people often believe that driving skills and knowledge about driving are all that is needed for them to be safe on the roads.

However, one of the most important influences on driving ability is their attitude towards driving and the resultant behaviour on the roads. Attitudes towards the road environment and driving can impact on our driving behaviour. Unfortunately, an increasing number of road traffic crashes and incidents are being caused by aggressive drivers.

Often safety training is based on the notion that if we can change a person’s attitude then their behaviour will change. To achieve a culture of road safety we need to focus on behaviour change in preference to attitude change. Why?

Because objective, observable behaviour, ie the application of new knowledge, awareness and practical skills can be accomplished as a result of learning whereas changing attitudes is not easy to assess and may not ultimately affect driver behaviour on the road. Typically, young men have been blamed for their poor attitudes and behaviour when driving.

However, the number of young women showing aggressive road user behaviour is increasing.

Drivers are encouraged to understand that attitude does influence the driving task.

Many drivers have the belief that they are good drivers and are reluctant to review their behaviour. Changing driving behaviour through attitude change is unlikely. Additionally, changed behaviour through repetition in practice as part of the learning process and subsequent reinforcement, may lead to changed attitudes.

A bad driver attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere until you change it.