In response to https://roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/opinion-its-time-to-bring-gamification-into-the-road-safety-spotlight/
I agree there are potential opportunities for exploiting psychology and technology to address road safety issues.
However, we are already struggling with the ‘PlayStation Generation’, who are simply used to ‘respawning’, Grand Theft Auto, Rocket League etc.
When I received my advanced riding training 15 years ago, I was initially baffled at what the hurry was, but came to realise it was primarily a game. A to B as quickly as possible without breaking any laws, followed by an instruction to read through the Highway Code again and separate the ‘should nots’, (that I could ignore), and the ‘must nots’, (that I couldn’t). Take every reasonably safe chance to overtake or filter through the traffic. On the plus side, it certainly means you pay proper attention at all times.
It seems to have thankfully changed over the years with less emphasis on ‘making good progress’.
‘For most of this century behavioural psychology has been conspicuously applied to almost every area of our lives’. It has – since the 1970’s when post war production caught up with demand, it has been harnessed by Marketing to make us buy stuff we don’t need, researching and developing the brands we all love – for some unfathomable reason – for a while anyway. (I did my MBA in Marketing in the early 90’s. There were then a number of ‘Buyer Behaviour’ models in use, which probably now run into many 1,000’s).
Psychology clearly has been very effective at helping marketeers manipulate buyer behaviour. I think most people realising how customers are psychologically manipulated, would be horrified. How many times have we all got home with something wondering why you bought it – clothes bought that you’ve never worn.
Does the public know that car adverts in the old glossy newspaper supplements didn’t actually sell cars? They were actually there to address ‘post purchase dissonance’, reassuring buyers that they’d made the right choice and that the brand reflected their values. It’s all about brand loyalty. The cost to the economy must run into £billions every year, which we all pay for by often grossly inflated prices.
Psychology also hasn’t apparently made the world a safer place. The biggest killer of young males is still suicide. Suicides overall in the UK have shown at best a flat trend since 2006, despite I am sure the psychology profession’s best efforts. 6,588 suicides in 2022 against 1,711 road deaths – 350 motorcycle riders.
Describing painting ‘centre lines and direction arrows’ on a road as ‘psychology’ is stretching things a bit.
‘….technological advancements in vehicle safety have made great strides in reducing the UK’s stubbornly high road traffic collision statistics’. Very true, but there has been no significant improvement in reported road fatalities since 2009 despite the replacement of older vehicles with new, complete with ABS, airbags, stability control, automatic braking etc.etc. should result in steady improvements. The root causes probably have remained firmly embedded and unchanged, or maybe getting worse.
The focus on the dangers of speeding for the 5 years from 2003 seems to have worked – then nothing.
I’d just responded on LinkedIn to a post on ‘Automated Behavior’ as follows, which seems to apply here as well:-
‘Psychology rapidly gets too complex and convoluted. Maslow is probably the simplest and most useful model. The primary human motivation is for safety, we just need to constantly remind road users how unsafe the roads really are, and how easy it is to kill or maim yourself, family and others’.
We’ve used Transactional Analysis in our training, and more recently ‘The Chimp Paradox’, the idea actually came from Professor Peters witnessing a road rage incident. Make friends with your chimp – mine’s called Kevin. Might work for some with anger management issues which can cause unsafe behaviour. Worth pursuing to tackle the emotional behavioural issues which are already known?
This article states reasonably that ‘People need a rational reason to change their behaviour and a clear instruction on what they can do to change’. The primary base human motivation is theoretically for safety, so whilever road users feel safe, their risky behaviour will likely continue.
Everyone needs to appreciate how hazardous driving and riding is. If we started from scratch we’d never design roads where vehicles passed each other at 60 mph in opposite directions. If ‘Pub Darts’ had been invented last week, it would have immediately been banned as ludicrously dangerous – throwing darts with 2 inch sharp points across a room of semi-intoxicated people?
But we are where we are, and everyone needs to be aware and constantly reminded of the danger. Road users also need to be trained more thoroughly, rather than learning by trial and error, and well aware of the likely consequences of inattention or lack of care.
They used to put wrecked cars on public display in the past as a warning. Haven’t seen one for many years, probably found to be too upsetting. We’re letting road users drive and ride around in ‘cloud cuckoo land’:-
- More than 130,000 people were injured on the roads in 2022, with 30,000 killed or seriously injured.
- You and your passenger may survive a frontal 30 mph impact, providing it isn’t a tree, truck or tractor, but probably not one at 40 mph.
- A 20 mph side impact will likely kill you all – so be very careful emerging from junctions.
- Every second you fail to react through inattention, potentially increases your impact speed by 20 mph.
- If you hit an oncoming vehicle, the impact is the addition of the speed of both vehicles. 60 mph + 60 mph = 120 mph. You’ll both be dead and not looking good either.
I note the reference to Apps and mobile technology. ‘It’s undeniable that mobile technology serves as a powerful engagement tool in today’s digital age’. I agree, I have an old ‘Road Angel’ which warns me of speed cameras and accident black spots. Build this into Satnavs advising road users of previous serious collisions points as they approach them. Again more details will make them more impactful I think. Some already have warnings of collisions, or road blockages, or breakdowns.
Suggested Strategy
By all means use psychology – self preservation – not killing yourself, family, friends, or strangers. It needs to be hard hitting if it is to work. The need to control your ‘chimp’, or act on the roads at all times as an ‘adult’, not a ‘critical parent’ or ‘child’.
Only one life – no respawning – no second chance.
Make drivers aware of the ‘illusion of safety’ in a padded steel box, and particularly on two wheels.
Speed awareness courses to focus on ‘due care and attention’ – the failure of the driver or rider to see a bright yellow speed camera and warning signs. And the result of not reacting quickly, which is potentially far more serious than a few mph over the limit. 1 sec delay = +20 mph impact. 2 seconds potentially fatal. Fatalities start at just 9 mph.
Brutal publicity campaign stressing the importance of taking care and paying attention as above. Depict real life tragedies. I’ve been working my way through detailed reports on 39 fatal motorcycle accidents in Northern Ireland. It’s really depressing.
Put up signs where there have been fatal collisions maybe with the number and ages of those killed – names would probably be even more effective with relative’s approval, replacing wreaths and floral tributes. And whether they were pedestrians, or driving or riding a cycle, or motorbike. Make it real.
Encourage road users to look at the local on-line crash map to see where collisions occur.
Provide warnings of accident blackspots via Satnavs.
——————————————————————————————————————————————
There’s a current problem with motorcyclists being unable to brake properly, as circa 50% just skid and fall in an emergency, and half cannot achieve Highway Code stopping distances. Many riders simply won’t practise braking probably due to the fear of skidding and falling, or maybe finding out they can’t stop quickly. I’ve asked that high speed braking be added to the licence test and included in all post-test or advanced training.
I’ve used a free App called iAccel Lite which allows riders to quickly and easily brake test themselves. Not aware of many takers. I’m currently looking at a German data logging system so we can evaluate our training more objectively.
The poor lack of response to the problem of motorcycle braking and lack of enthusiasm says it all. All’s well in ‘cloud cuckoo land’. I guess a psychologist would define this as ‘denial’? This despite many knowing the risk on a PTW is 66 times higher than car driving.
An article on Transactional Analysis I had published with the journalist John Westlake in BIKE created more interest than all the others on bike riding, so maybe we’re potentially at a stage where attitudes are beginning to change which in theory is followed by changes in behaviour. Wishful thinking?
I still think it’s the simple but fatal illusion of safety in vehicles that needs addressing, and that accidents only happen to others – until they don’t.
British Superbike School 