Improving and maintaining good behaviours and attitudes to driving are key components to enhancing the safety of our roads.
Recent studies show that personal accountability for road safety is still not completely at the front of mind for the WA community, but this needs to change as it is critical for each and every driver to assume personal responsibility for their role in road safety. As we become more and more aware of our own driving behaviours, we can work on improving our attitudes, which, in turn, will instil positive change in all the drivers in our driving community.
On a positive note, the number of people who believe they can make a difference to road safety has been growing since 2008, however the community believes it is shared responsibility across the community, government and private sector organisations (Office of Road Safety, community attitudes report, 2011).
What are some good behaviour traits/attitudes to adopt when driving?
- Respect for other drivers – don’t tail gate other cars, allow cars to merge in front of you and allow for people to make mistakes
- Awareness – use your mirrors and always be aware of where cars are in relation to your vehicle and scan the road ahead for possible hazards
- Share the road with other drivers
- Never take driving for granted – road conditions change from moment to moment, so even if you drive down a street every day, always be alert for new hazards
- Adopt the attitude, “ I can make a difference to road safety by being a responsible driver”
- Drive to conditions, not the posted speed limits
Attitudes