Psychological aspects of road user behaviour

The behaviour of road users is an important factor in accident causation. Traffic psychology, defined as ''the study of the behaviour of road users and the psychological processes underlying that behaviour'', attempts to identify the determinants of road user behaviour with the aim of developing effective accident countermeasures. Models of road user behaviour involve driver task analyses, functional control models, and motivational models focused on risk taking and risk acceptance. The relation between accident occurrence and the preceding behaviour is largely unclear; performance aspects as well as motivational aspects, individual differences and momentary state variables all appear to be relevant. Attempts to modify road user behaviour involve driver training, enforcement, and rehabilitation. Given the impact of the transport system on the environment in terms of pollution and land use, mobility, and the possibilities of influencing transport mode choice and travel behaviour, will be a major challenge in the future.