The impact of culture on road safety in Jordan

People’s lives are substantially influenced by their cultural norms which affect the way they perceive road safety. Culture and lifestyle strongly influence the behaviour of individuals. The road is a social space where individuals from different social backgrounds meet and interact with other road users within their cultural framework. Risk culture may arise from an accumulation of unsafe behaviour patterns that become socially acceptable. This paper is part of a research study investigating the road safety culture in Jordan and whether it differs from countries with alternative cultural norms. Jordanian drivers were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire, which was designed specifically for this study to match the prevailed culture, to examine whether cultural norms and prevailing traditions were associated with driver attitudes and self-reported road behaviour. Results indicate that drivers blame themselves and the government similarly for poor road safety outcomes. Prevailing culture and traditions, such as dealing with hierarchy and social relationships, affect their behaviour on the road and their perception of road safety issues.

• Record URL:
  http://acrs.org.au/publications/conference-papers/database/
• Authors:
  • Magableh, F
  • Grzebieta, R H
  • Job, R F
• Conference:
  • Australasian Road Safety Research Policing Education Conference, 2013, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Publication Date: 2013-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: Vision, action, results: Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference 2013, 28-30 August, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Compliance; Drivers; Ethnic groups; Highway safety; Risk taking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Interviews; Safe systems (road users)
• Geographic Terms: Jordan
• ATRI Terms: Compliance; Driver behaviour; Ethnicity; Risk taking; Road safety
• ITRD Terms: 2267: Attitude (psychol)
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01504089
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 23 2014 9:51AM