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Behaviors and Attitudes

Resources

NHTSA studies behaviors and attitudes in highway safety, focusing on drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. We identify and measure behaviors involved in crashes or associated with injuries, and develop and refine countermeasures to deter unsafe behaviors and promote safe alternatives.

Our recently published reports and research notes are listed chronologically below. To the right are additional resources including Traffic Techs.



205 Results
Title
 

Analysis of Ground Ambulance Crash Data From 2012 to 2018

This study reviewed ground ambulance crashes that occurred from 2012 to 2018 in the United States. The study queried several national crash databases and reviewed NHTSA’s Special Crash Investigation reports for ambulance-involved crashes. The objective of the study was to review ambulance crashes that occurred from 2012 to 2018 to identify factors contributing to ambulance-involved crashes and injuries and identify priority countermeasures to increase ambulance safety. Findings suggest several priority countermeasures to improve ground ambulance safety: (1) Strengthen organizational safety polices; (2) Reduce operator error through training; (3) Create a culture of safety; and (4) Adopt new vehicle safety designs or technologies.

Comparative Study of Communities With High Rates of Pedestrian Injuries

A challenge for many communities is understanding, developing, and deploying effective strategies to address pedestrian deaths and injuries. The University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center and 2M Research conducted a comparative analysis of 12 communities successfully addressing pedestrian issues to other communities with similar populations, density, incomes, geographic regions, and other factors. Their research resulted in a discrete set of strategies and best practices that may help to explain the communities’ successes. This guidebook describes the study, the results, specific strategy, countermeasures, and solutions.

Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Zones: Countermeasure Selection Resource

This project consists of two reports, this one and Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Zones: Countermeasure Selection Resource. They were developed for State Highway Safety Offices and transportation professionals seeking to support and implement low-cost, quick countermeasures to address pedestrian safety. The handbook describes the process of developing and using low-cost pedestrian safety zones. The resource report details low-cost countermeasures as part of pedestrian safety zone efforts. Pedestrian safety zones target a specifically identified area using a complex combination of countermeasures, typically education, enforcement, and engineering. When done correctly, significant improvements are made.

Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Zones: An Eight-Step Handbook

This project consists of two reports, this one and Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Zones: Countermeasure Selection Resource. They were developed for State Highway Safety Offices and transportation professionals seeking to support and implement low-cost, quick countermeasures to address pedestrian safety. The handbook describes the process of developing and using low-cost pedestrian safety zones. The resource report details low-cost countermeasures as part of pedestrian safety zone efforts. Pedestrian safety zones target a specifically identified area using a complex combination of countermeasures, typically education, enforcement, and engineering. When done correctly, significant improvements are made.

Examining Instrumented Roadways for Speed-Related Problem

This project evaluated efforts by the Stafford County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office to reduce speeding on roadways. Researchers coordinated to implement countermeasures on corridors with safety concerns where speed was a factor. Speed and enforcement data were collected to look at the impacts of the enforcement efforts. From this, the SCSO was able to make decisions on where countermeasures would be applied and what countermeasures would be implemented, including deputy presence with on-site enforcement, decoy cars, speed trailers with digital feedback signs, and changeable message signs. The SCSO also used social media to release public service announcements about the safety campaigns. Decoy cars proved to be the most successful activity that led to drivers reducing their speeds for more than a day. Speed trailers and deputies on-site issuing citations were also effective, but seemed to be localized. The study found the number of speeders to be a statistically significant predictor of crashes and showed that traffic volumes can increase without a concurrent increase in crashes if the increased volume is made up of non-speeders.

Increasing Safety Belt Use Amongst Rural Populations

This 12-month demonstration project focuses on increasing seat belt use in two test locations, Bingham County, Idaho, and Rapides Parish, Louisiana. The project relies on a multifaceted approach consisting of sustained publicity and police enforcement. A technical assistance guide was used to motivate and assist law enforcement agencies to engage rural community members on the importance of wearing seat belts. The program consisted of contact with seat belt violators and  sustained messaging. Results were mixed. Officer engagement with non-compliance rose in both locations, but messaging efforts were hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic and staff shortages. Rapides Parish showed modest improvements in belt use, but Bingham County did not. During debriefing, local agency representatives were confident that the program would be more successful if carried out in more normal circumstances.

Research on Older Adults’ Mobility: 2023 Meeting Summary Report

This report describes a meeting held to spotlight research on older adults’ mobility (ROAM). Participants shared news of completed research, reported on the progress of ongoing studies, and highlighted priorities for future work. ROAM 2023 included general and breakout sessions devoted to the safety implications of limited-term license renewal policies, transportation options for rural and small communities, older pedestrian crashes, promoting older driver safety to State agencies and providers, a national volunteer driver center, safety implications of older drivers’ vehicle choices, and the CarFit program. Some information reported on events and research discussed in last year’s meeting, known as ROAM 2022.

Exploring the Impact of Select Speed-Reducing Countermeasures on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

Speed is a contributor to both crash frequency and crash severity. This project explored efforts to reduce speed and evaluated their effectiveness in improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Phase 1 was a program scan that identified countermeasures in use throughout the United States. Based on the scan, the team evaluated automated speed enforcement and road conversions in five municipalities to explore their impact on motor vehicle related pedestrian and bicyclist crashes. Phase evaluated safety benefits of a select group of temporary road conversions implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In-vehicle Drowsy Driving Detection and Alerting

This project evaluated the efficacy of two notifications, a lane departure warning (LDW) and a drowsiness notification with LDW (DN/LDW), on potential drowsy driving episodes during 4-hour overnight drives in a high-fidelity driving simulator with an incentive method designed to replicate the motivational tradeoffs common to drowsy driving. The combined DN/LDW, but not the LDW, was effective in reducing the frequency of lane departures and in reducing percentage of eyelid closure prior to lane departure events compared to baseline. There was no difference between the notification conditions and baseline with respect to the frequency or timing of breaks to rest.

Designing a Study to Investigate Older Novice Drivers

Drivers 15 to 20 years old—many of whom were novice drivers—represented 8.5 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes but only 5.1 percent of all licensed drivers in 2020. Graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws are the most effective behavioral countermeasure for young drivers. However, although an increasing proportion of young people are delaying licensure until 18 or older, few States currently apply the full GDL program to 18- to 20-year-old novice drivers, and little is known about the safety and driving habits of this group. In this project the research team developed a hypothetical naturalistic driving study to investigate research questions about the safety and driving exposure of younger (15.5 to 16.5 years old) and older (18 to 20 years old) novice drivers in the first year of unsupervised (independent) driving.