This guide highlights research and associated resources concerned with the topic of traffic safety culture, including but not limited to research products created as a part of the ongoing Traffic Safety Culture pooled fund project. The ultimate aim of studying traffic safety culture is to support Vizion Zero, i.e., the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and severe injuries on the road. Please use the tabs above to navigate through the information compiled within this guide.
According to NCHRP Report 1091: Traffic Safety Culture Research Roadmap (2024), traffic safety culture refers to "the complex system of interacting social (i.e., relating to interactions between individuals) and cultural (i.e., relating to shared values, beliefs, practices, artifacts, etc.) factors that produce certain outcomes within the surface transportation system in the United States" (p. 1).
On an individual level, Traffic Safety Culture refers to the choices we make behind the wheel and beyond. It includes the behaviors of drivers that can increase or decrease the risk and severity of accidents. Examples can include aggressive driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or distracted driving.
