Safety Culture Among Car Drivers and Motorcycle Riders in Norway and Greece: Examining the Influence of Nationality, Region, and Transport Mode

Nævestad, Tor-Olav; Laiou, Alexandra; Yannis, George · 2020 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/frsc.2020.00023

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Summary

This study investigates road safety culture (RSC) among car drivers and motorcycle riders in Norway and Greece, aiming to determine how nationality, region, and transport mode influence safety behaviors and accident involvement. Motivated by the global burden of road traffic injuries and the potential of safety culture interventions to reduce crash risks, the research defines RSC as shared behavioral patterns and expectations among road users. The authors sought to identify whether RSC operates at the national, regional, or mode-specific level, thereby informing targeted preventive measures. The research utilized survey data from 1,212 participants across five regions: three in Norway (Oslo and two other counties) and two in Greece (Athens and a Greek island). Respondents included both car drivers and motorcycle riders. Data collection involved email recruitment in Norway and in-person recruitment in Greece to address response challenges. The study measured two primary constructs: road safety behaviors, specifically overspeeding and aggressive violations (e.g., hostile horn use), and descriptive norms, which assessed participants’ expectations of others’ behaviors. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA to compare mean scores across groups, hierarchical linear regression to identify factors predicting aggressive violations, and logistic regression to examine the relationship between safety behaviors and self-reported accident involvement over the preceding two years. The results revealed distinct patterns of RSC based on geography rather than transport mode. Norwegian riders and drivers exhibited a shared national RSC across the three Norwegian regions, indicating that national factors strongly shape safety behaviors in Norway. In contrast, the Greek sample demonstrated that regional context was more significant than national identity; notably, the Greek island displayed a unique RSC distinct from Athens. The data did not support the hypothesis that transport mode (car vs. motorcycle) significantly influences RSC or safety behaviors; instead, riders and drivers within the same region or nation shared similar cultural norms. Furthermore, the analysis confirmed that RSC is closely linked to road safety behaviors, which in turn are significantly related to accident involvement. The study concludes that road safety culture is a critical determinant of road safety outcomes, with its formation heavily dependent on sociocultural contexts such as nation and region. The findings suggest that accident reduction strategies should target the specific RSC mechanisms prevalent in different geographical areas. For instance, interventions in Norway might benefit from national-level approaches, whereas in Greece, regional or community-specific strategies may be more effective. By clarifying that transport mode does not dictate RSC, the paper implies that safety interventions should address the broader community norms rather than focusing exclusively on the unique characteristics of motorcycle riders versus car drivers.

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Topics

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• cultural cross national
• traffic safety culture
• comparative international