The RA approach on monitoring road safety enforcement: attitudes and practices across 25 countries. IRTAD conference, Marrakesh 2017 Uta Meesmann, Katrien Torfs & Wouter Van den Berghe VIAS institute, Belgium
Overview of presentation 1. Introduction on RA 2. Experience with traffic enforcement 3. Attitudes towards traffic enforcement 1
RA Methodology Online survey using an internet access panel RA 1 (2015): 17 European countries 1000+ road users per country representative sample for national adult population (18+) among which 600+ frequent car users RA 1 (2016): 6 additional countries (including 4 non-european ones) RA1 (2017): 13 additional Latin American countries RA 2: launch in Spring 2018 Common questionnaire 30 national language versions 33 questions (223 variables) time to complete = 21 min Calculation of weighted total and regional means 2
Topics covered Attitudes towards unsafe traffic behaviour (64) Behaviour of other road users (18) Feeling of unsafety as a road user (28) Involvement in road crashes (15) Reported police checks and perceived likelihood of getting caught for traffic offences (11) Self-declared (unsafe) behaviour in traffic (31) Support for road safety policy measures (23) Use of different modes of transportation (20) Other items (e.g. socio-demographic information) (13) # of variables per topic indicated between brackets 3
Evolution of the project RA1-2015 RA1-2016 RA1-2017 RA2-2018
Experience with traffic enforcement () Over the last 12 months: 2 of road users surveyed were stopped for a check by road police (of which 16% more than once), were fined for a road traffic violation (of which 5% more than once), 4% were convicted in court (of which 2% more than once). 5
Traffic offences that were fined most frequently () Was it a fine for... (Yes) violating the speed limits 6 not wearing a seat belt DUI alcohol talking on a hand-held mobile phone while driving DUI drugs (other than medication) transporting children in the car without securing them correctly other reason 21% % respondents who had to pay a fine and agreed to this statement (multiple answers were possible) 6
Subjective risk of being checked () On a typical journey, how likely is it that you (as a driver) will be checked by the police for? speeding 36% seat belt drugs 12% alcohol 1 % drivers who think that this chance is (very) big 7
Variations by country subjective risk of being checked alcohol illegal drugs seat belt speeding 2% 4% 12% 1 1 1 1 1 21% 2 2 32% 33% 44% 1% 3% 4% 5% 6% 6% 6% 12% 16% 16% 1 22% 2 2% 3% 1 1 1 1 1 20% 21% 22% 2 2 2 34% 46% % drivers who think that the chance to get checked by the police for is (very) big 1 1 21% 25% 2 2 33% 33% 34% 34% 35% 36% 36% 36% 3 40% 42% 42% 43% 43% 43% 44% 44% 53% 55% 8
5% 6% Enforcement alcohol checks by country 16% 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 22% Question: In the past 12 months, how many times were you checked by the police for alcohol while driving a car (i.e., being subjected to a Breathalyzer test)? 25% 2 2 33% 36% 3 4 50% 0% 30% 60% % at least once EU20 2% 4% 12% 1 1 1 1 1 21% 2 2 33% 32% Question: On a typical journey, how likely is it that you (as a driver) will be checked by the police for alcohol, in other words, being subjected to a Breathalyzer test? 44% 0% 30% 60% % (very) big chance 9
Opinions about traffic enforcement () What do you think about current traffic rules and penalties in your country for each of the following themes... (Yes) drugs 65% 84% alcohol 63% 7 seat belt 26% 54% 63% Penalties are too severe speeding 4 50% % of respondents who agree Traffic rules are not being checked sufficiently Traffic rules should be more strict 10
Variations by country Penalties are too severe illicit drugs alcohol seat belt speeding 3% 5% 6% 12% 12% 1 20% 5% 5% 12% 16% 1 1 1 25% 16% 1 1 20% 20% 21% 21% 22% 25% 26% 2 30% 30% 30% 32% 34% 34% 3 52% 20% 25% 25% 2 2 2 2 30% 30% 33% 33% 40% 40% 41% 43% 44% 4 4 4 55% % of respondents who agree 11
Support for road safety policy measures () allowing cyclists to run red lights zero tolerance mobile phone obligatory winter tyres ban of headphones for vulnerable road users ban on alcohol sales in service stations obligatory helmet use for cyclists zero tolerance alcohol obligatory high-visibility vest for vulnerable road users licence system with penalty points alcohol interlock for recidivists zero tolerance alcohol for novice drivers 32% 4 51% 53% 53% 63% 63% 65% 71% 7 7 other % support 12
Thank you for your attention! More information on RA: www.esranet.eu Buttler, I. (2016). Enforcement and support for road safety policy measures. RA thematic report no. 6. RA project (European Survey of Road users safety Attitudes). Warschau, Poland: Instytutu Transportu Samochodowego. Torfs. K., Meesmann, U., Van den Berghe, W., & Trotta, M. (2016). RA 2015 The results. Synthesis of the main findings from the RA survey in 17 countries. RA project (European Survey of Road users safety Attitudes). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute. Meesmann, U., Torfs, K., & Van den Berghe, W. (2017). The RA-project: Synthesis of the main findings from the 1st RA survey in 25 countries. RA project (E-Survey of Road users Attitudes). Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute. Wouter Van den Berghe Email: wouter.vandenberghe@vias.be Uta Meesmann Email: uta.meesmann@vias.be