Road safety culture and the Safe System: comparing beliefs and behaviours in African and European countries

Nævestad, Tor‐Olav; Forward, Sonja; Sam, Enoch F.; Masaki, Jaqueline; Mwamba, Daniel; Miyoba, Thomas Osman; Francis, Filbert; Fiangor, Anthony; Blom, Jenny; Hesjevoll, Ingeborg Storesund; Laureshyn, Aliaksei · 2025 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.55329/bbmj5348

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study investigates the relationship between national road safety culture (RSC) and road safety outcomes by comparing three European countries (Norway, Sweden, Netherlands) with three African countries (Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia). The research is motivated by the stark disparity in traffic fatalities, with Africa’s fatality rate per capita being approximately 8.4 times higher than Europe’s. The authors aim to identify specific cultural elements that explain these differences, particularly in the context of the European countries’ successful implementation of the Safe System approach, which the African nations have not yet adopted. The methodology employed a mixed-methods design involving survey data from 3,772 car drivers and pedestrians, 46 stakeholder interviews, and observational fieldwork. The study focused on four specific RSC elements: descriptive norms, fatalistic beliefs, values regarding the freedom to take risks, and the valuation of motorized transport versus walking. Quantitative analysis utilized multivariate regression to examine the relationships between these cultural factors, road safety violations, and accident involvement. Fieldwork provided qualitative insights into traffic dynamics, infrastructure quality, and user interactions in the African contexts. The findings reveal significant continental differences in two primary areas: fatalistic beliefs and the social valuation of walking. African respondents exhibited higher levels of fatalistic beliefs—the view that life events are predetermined and inevitable—which were statistically linked to higher rates of road safety violations and subsequent accident involvement. Additionally, the study found a higher cultural valuation of motorized transport over walking in African countries, where driving is viewed as prestigious and walking is undervalued in policy and infrastructure planning. In contrast, European countries demonstrated stronger internal control beliefs and greater support for pedestrian infrastructure. Fieldwork observations in Africa described chaotic traffic conditions with high conflict rates, minimal protection for vulnerable road users, and a hierarchy where assertive drivers prevailed. Interviews also highlighted corruption as a factor impeding enforcement efficiency in the African context. The study concludes that influencing fatalistic beliefs and increasing the cultural and infrastructural valuation of walking are critical steps for improving road safety in African countries. The results suggest that RSC is a significant determinant of safety outcomes, independent of wealth or infrastructure alone. The authors recommend that future RSC studies incorporate beliefs and practices related to corruption, as these likely influence the prevalence of road violations. By identifying these specific cultural barriers, the research provides a framework for tailoring road safety interventions to local cultural contexts, moving beyond technical solutions to address underlying societal attitudes.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• traffic safety culture
• cultural cross national
• comparative international