Identification of General Risk-Management Countermeasures for Unsafe Driving Actions. Volume 1, Description and Analysis of Promising Countermeasures

Jones, R. K. (Ralph K.); Joscelyn, Kent B. · 1981 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This report, produced by the Highway Safety Research Institute at the University of Michigan for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), addresses the development of general risk-management countermeasures to reduce unsafe driving actions (UDAs). The study was motivated by evidence that UDAs are a primary cause of traffic crashes and that deliberate driver decisions are susceptible to intervention. Initially, the project targeted speeding, following too closely, and driving left of center. However, definitional studies revealed that following too closely and driving left of center posed lower risks or resulted from non-deliberate loss of control rather than conscious decision-making. Consequently, the research focused exclusively on speed-related UDAs, aiming to identify countermeasures that influence driver behavior through risk management rather than relying solely on police enforcement. The methodology employed a conceptual framework based on risk management and driver decision-making. The authors posited that drivers balance the utilities (benefits) and disutilities (costs) of committing a UDA. To influence this balance, the study identified four basic strategies: decreasing the utility of committing the UDA, increasing the utility of not committing it, increasing the disutility of committing it, and decreasing the disutility of not committing it. The researchers conducted a literature review, developed operational definitions for the UDAs, and generated preliminary countermeasure concepts. These concepts were refined through review by a panel of practitioners and researchers. The final analysis categorized countermeasure elements into three functional areas: detection, information, and action. The study identified seven specific countermeasure elements across three domains: traffic law systems (e.g., increasing sanction severity and targeted police enforcement), informational measures (e.g., providing drivers with data on crash consequences), and technological measures (e.g., automated detection devices, operating speed recorders, and on-board speed warning systems). These elements were synthesized into three comprehensive countermeasure programs: (1) increased enforcement and punitive sanctions, (2) automatic detection devices with civil-law sanctions, and (3) on-board detection and warning systems. Each program was assessed for feasibility and effectiveness, with specific attention to how detection, informational, and action components interact to deter speeding. The significance of this work lies in its shift from traditional "general deterrence" (relying on the threat of legal punishment) to a broader "general risk management" approach that includes positive incentives and technological interventions. The report concludes by outlining specific requirements for testing and evaluating these countermeasure programs, including measures of effectiveness, evaluation design, and efficiency considerations. By providing a structured framework for analyzing driver decisions and proposing a range of interventions beyond police enforcement, the study offers a foundation for future highway safety strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of speed-related crashes.

Key finding

Three comprehensive countermeasure programs combining detection, informational, and action elements were identified as promising strategies for reducing speed-related unsafe driving actions.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Topics

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• behavioral adaptation risk compensation
• exposure measurement
• public messaging
• perceptual countermeasures
• induced exposure
• traffic safety culture

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes