RITS: Driver Attitudes and Behaviour Tracking Summary November 2013
Contents 1 Background and method 3 2 Driver behaviour 6 3 Penalties 10 4 Driver attitudes 17
1 Background and method
Background and objectives In Scotland, the Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland tend to run 2-3 main mass media campaigns per year on road safety issues, supported by other activity on a more localised level. The main topics featured in 2013-14 were drink driving, country road driving and parental influence. These campaigns are generally evaluated on an ad hoc basis among their specific target audiences at the point in time. However it was recognised that there was no on-going tracking to assess the longer term effect of campaigns or local activity on driver behaviours and attitudes more generally are there any changes occurring in these over time and are these for the better? Against this background, a survey mechanism was set up in September 2010 to monitor driver behaviour and attitudes in Scotland in relation to some key issues of road safety on a continuous basis, with fieldwork taking place every 6 months or so. The survey is now in its fourth year, with the most research wave seven - taking place in July 2013. 4
Methodology wave 7 Same approach as for all previous waves to ensure comparability. Research was conducted using the TNS BMRB omnibus, Scottish Opinion Survey (SOS), as the means of data collection. Around 1,000 interviews are conducted each wave among a representative sample of the population of Scotland. For this research, respondents were screened to interview only active drivers (i.e. adults who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays). 556 drivers were interviewed throughout Scotland over the period 24-30th July 2013 All interviews were conducted face-to-face in-home, using CAPI (Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing), with self-completion of behaviour / attitude questions. 5
Driver behaviour
Overall risk driving behaviours in the last 12 months Speeding through amber is a new behaviour. When included figures increase to 76% for any, and to 58% for speeding Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q6: Which of the following have you done at all in the last 12 months, even if only on one occasion or for a short distance? 7
Speeding behaviours in the last 12 months Any increases to 58% when speeding through amber included Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q6: Which of the following have you done at all in the last 12 months, even if only on one occasion or for a short distance? 8
Number of risk behaviours in last 12 months: new figures includes speeding through amber % Mean NEW:Jul '13 (556) 24 23 17 25 12 2.14 Jul '13 (556) 26 25 20 21 8 1.83 Feb '13 (568) 28 27 16 17 11 1.89 Aug 12 (550) 27 25 16 21 11 2.00 Feb '12 (608) 26 23 17 22 12 2.04 Aug '11 (583) 28 24 15 21 12 2.02 Feb '11 (603) 28 21 19 19 12 2.02 Aug '10 (606) 28 28 17 17 10 1.80 None 1 2 3-4 5+ Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q6: Which of the following have you done at all in the last 12 months, even if only on one occasion or for a short distance? 9
3 Penalties
Ever penalised Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q8: Which of these have you ever had? 11
Awareness of penalties for driving over the alcohol limit Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q7: What do you think are the penalties if a person is caught by the police for? 12
Awareness of penalties for driving at 35mph in a 30mph area Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q7: What do you think are the penalties if a person is caught by the police for? *Source: The Highway Code 13
Awareness of penalties for driving at 90mph on a motorway Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q7: What do you think are the penalties if a person is caught by the police for? *Source: The Highway Code 14
Awareness of penalties for using a hand-held mobile phone when driving Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q7: What do you think are the penalties if a person is caught by the police for? *Source: The Highway Code 15
Awareness of penalties for driving without a seatbelt Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q7: What do you think are the penalties if a person is caught by the police for? *Source: The Highway Code 16
4 Driver attitudes
Driving / road safety advertising seen recently Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays Q9: Have you seen or heard any advertising or publicity on topics relating to driving or road safety recently? On what topics? 18
Agreement with statements about drink driving Scotland is getting tougher in tackling drink driving Mean 0.57 0.53 0.49 0.54 0.72 0.70 0.64 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 19
Agreement with statements about drink driving As long as you don t have more than one alcoholic drink, it s generally okay to drive Mean - 0.69-0.85-0.89 I would report someone who I suspected was going to drink and drive, or who was drink driving 1.17 1.31 1.02 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 20
Agreement with statements about drug driving W1-W6: Scotland is getting tougher in tackling drug driving W7: Scotland should get tougher in tackling drug driving Mean 0.35 0.34 0.25 0.22 0.45 0.40 1.68 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 21
Agreement with statements about country roads There should be a maximum speed limit of 50mph on all country roads because of the greater risks when driving on these Mean 0.49 0.46 0.42 0.27 0.45 0.34 0.45 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 22
Agreement with statements about country roads More fatal accidents in Scotland happen on country roads than on any other type of road Mean 0.81 0.91 0.64 0.63 0.83 0.75 0.85 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 23
Agreement with statements about country roads You need to continually reassess your speed when driving on country roads Mean 1.55 1.59 1.73 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that TNS 2013 112991 24
Agreement with statements about seatbelts If you are just nipping round the corner in the car, it s not essential to wear a seatbelt Mean -1.61-1.56-1.56-1.56-1.61-1.56-1.57 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 25
Agreement with statements about seatbelts W1-W6: It s less important to wear a seatbelt if you are travelling in the back of a car or taxi W7: It s not important to wear a seatbelt if you are travelling in the back of a car or taxi % Aug '10 (606) Feb '11 (603) 10 5 4 11 70 9 6 4 12 70 Mean -1.25-1.28 Aug '11 (583) 8 6 4 10 73-1.35 Feb '12 (608) 6 6 4 15 69-1.34 Aug '12 (550) 11 6 5 11 66-1.16 Feb '13 (568) 7 5 6 14 69-1.34 Jul '13 (556) 16 5 3 11 66-1.06 Agree strongly (+2) Agree slightly (+1) Neither nor (0) Disagree slightly (-1) Disagree strongly(-2) Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 26
Agreement with statements about police detection There s not much risk of getting caught by police for things like not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone when driving or driving slightly over the alcohol limit Mean -0.66-0.66-0.58-0.60-0.88-0.69-0.7 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 27
Agreement with statements about police detection There is more chance of getting stopped by the police for traffic offences when driving compared to a year ago Mean 0.32 0.36 0.30 0.27 0.47 0.40 0.40 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 28
Agreement with statement about driving and answering hand held mobile It s okay to answer a hand-held mobile phone if someone calls you when you are driving Mean -1.79-1.71-1.81-1.69-1.73-1.65-1.61 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 29
New statements on parental influence/penalties When I m driving with children in the car I m always conscious I need to be a good role model to them Mean 1.76-0.46 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q4: How much do you agree or disagree that 30
Seriousness of risk to safety of drivers, passengers and/or other road users Mean 3.95 3.86 3.75 3.76 3.71 3.72 3.66 3.53 3.37 2.81 2.81 Base: All who hold a full driving licence for a car and drive nowadays at each wave Q5: How serious do you think each of these are in terms of the risks to the safety of drivers, their passengers and for other road users? 31
RTS: Driver Attitudes and Behaviour Tracking Summary November 2013