A cross-cultural comparison of road traffic risk perceptions, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour

The present study investigated cross-cultural differences in road traffic risk perception, risk sensitivity and risk willingness in Norway, Russia, India, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. Differences in driver attitudes and driver behaviour were also examined. An additional aim was to test whether the risk constructs and driver attitudes explained the variation in risky driver behaviour in these countries. To obtain these aims, a questionnaire survey was conducted among a randomly obtained representative sample of the Norwegian public ( n = 247). Stratified samples were established in Russia ( n = 245), India ( n = 196), Ghana ( n = 299), Tanzania ( n = 559) and Uganda ( n = 415). The respondents completed a questionnaire which consisted of validated self-reported measures of the risk constructs, and driver attitudes and behaviour. Norwegians reported safer attitudes regarding drinking and driving, and speeding in road traffic. These respondents also reported more seat belt use and lower frequencies of drinking and driving than the remaining subsamples. Respondents from Sub-Saharan Africa reported higher road traffic risk perceptions and risk sensitivity than respondents from Norway, Russia and India. Respondents from Tanzania reported the highest willingness to take risks both in traffic and in general. Participants from Sub-Saharan Africa and India reported safer attitudes in regard to speaking out to an unsafe driver, rule violations and sanctions, attitudes towards pedestrians, and traffic rules and knowledge. Respondents from Sub-Saharan Africa also reported more precautious behaviour and less speeding. The predictive model of driver behaviour explained a satisfactory amount of variance in Norway, Russia and India, but was poorly fitted in the African countries. The results are discussed in line with the general risk environments and the road traffic systems in high- and low-income countries. Challenges related to measuring road traffic attitudes and behaviour in low-income countries are also discussed.