DRIVERS' ATTITUDES TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF ROAD TRAFFIC OFFENCES CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO THE DESIGN OF SANCTIONS

This paper reports a preliminary study of the consistency with British motorists rank-order traffic offences for seriousness, and the absolute ratings of seriousness attached to offences by different sub-groups of the population. There was a significantly high level of concordance among all subjects on the overall rank-ordering of offences for seriousness. However, there was a significant interaction between effects of the subjects' age and sex on absolute ratings of seriousness. Younger males rated most offences reliably less serious than younger females or older males. Older females tended to rate offences more seriously than all other subgroups and consistently more seriously than younger males. Younger males also under-rated the seriousness of their own responsibility for offensive driving, compared with other subgroups. These attitudinal differences are discussed in relation to the design of sanctions as differential feedback on behavioural requirements within the traffic system.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • BROWN, I D
  • Copeman, A K
• Publication Date: 1975-5

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 15-26
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Adolescents; Age; Attitudes; Behavior; Drivers; Females; Human characteristics; Males; Teenage drivers; Traffic violators
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver age; Driver characteristics
• Old TRIS Terms: Female drivers; Male drivers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00125343
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 16 1975 12:00AM