2011  Tennessee  Traffic  Safety  Culture  Survey  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UT  Center  for  Transportation  Research  and  

The  Center  for  Applied  Research  and  Evaluation  

   

2    

Acknowledgements  

The  authors  would  like  to  thank  the  Tennessee  Governor’s  Highway  Safety  Office  (GHSO),  The  Tennessee  Department  of  Transportation  (TDOT)  and  the  National  Highway  Safety  Administration  (NHTSA)  for  funding  and  supporting  this  research.

3    

Introduction  

Eleven  thousand  nine  hundred  and  nine  individuals  (11,909)  lost  their  lives  because  of  traffic  crashes  on  Tennessee  roadways  from  2000  through  2010.    The  encouraging  news  is  that  both  the  number  of  annual  fatalities  and  the  fatality  rate  have  declined  substantially  in  the  state  since  2004.    However,  the  highway  safety   issues   facing   Tennessee  are   far   from  being   resolved.     In   fact,   in   2010  alone   there  were  46,578  injury  crashes  in  Tennessee  and  there  were  957  traffic  fatalities  during  the  same  year.    The  Tennessee  Governor’s  Highway  Safety  Office  (GHSO),  the  Tennessee  Department  of  Transportation,  the  Tennessee  Department  of  Safety  and  their  partners  throughout  the  state  have  implemented  a  number  of  initiatives  to  understand  and  combat  Tennessee’s  highway  safety  problems.      

The  Tennessee  Governor’s  Highway  Safety  Office  has  partnered  with  the  UT  Center  for  Transportation  Research  since  2004  to  gather  and  evaluate  Tennessean’s  attitudes  and  perceptions  of  various  highway  safety   issues   and   their   awareness   of  media   campaigns.   To   date  more   than   40,000   Tennesseans   have  voluntarily   completed   these   telephone   surveys.   Since   2006,   data   collection   has   been   scheduled   to  coincide   with  major   media   buys   throughout   the   year.   The   surveys   are   designed   to   provide   the   data  needed  to  document  exposure  to  the  messaging  utilized   in   large  scale  media  campaigns.  A  number  of  different  campaigns  have  been  evaluated  during  this  period  however  both  the  Booze  It  and  Lose  It  and  Click  It  or  Ticket  campaigns  have  been  evaluated  each  year.    

A  new  survey  was  initiated  through  the  UT  GHSO  partnership  in  the  spring  of  2011  designed  to  measure  attitudes  and  opinions  about  traffic  safety  issues  and  driving  habits  in  a  more  targeted  manner  than  was  possible  with  the  previous  surveys.  The  survey  instrument  was  designed  to  assess  the  safety  culture  of  Tennesseans.      This  survey  was  modeled  after  the  third  annual  Traffic  Safety  Culture  Index  conducted  by  the  AAA  Foundation  for  Traffic  Safety.    The  results  of  the  survey  are  presented   in  this  report.    Though  the  Tennessee  Safety  Culture  Survey  is  not  an  exact  duplication  of  the  Traffic  Safety  Culture  Index,  care  was   taken  to  ensure  that  when  questions  addressing   the  same  topic  were  asked  the  wording  was   the  same.    The  results  and  findings  of  this  first  Tennessee  Traffic  Safety  Culture  Survey  are  presented  in  this  report.      

4    

Summary  of  Findings    

A  telephone  survey  of  928  Tennessee  residents  was  conducted  between  February  1,  2011  and  April  30,  2011  to  measure  attitudes  and  opinions  regarding  traffic  safety  issues  and  self-­‐reported  driving  habits.      

 • Four   out   of   ten   drivers   (42.1%)   reported   that   driving   feels   less   safe   than   five   years   ago.  

Distracted  drivers   i.e.  those  not  paying  attention  and  drivers  using  cell  phones  are  cited  as  the  leading  causes  for  this  perceived  decline  in  safety.        

• Two   driving   behaviors   are   considered   to   be   equally   as   threatening   to   survey   respondents’  personal  safety.    Texting/emailing  while  driving  as  well  as  drinking  and  driving  were  reported  to  be  a  severe  threat  to  personal  safety  by  88.5%  and  87.7%  of  the  respondents,  respectively.  

 • Tennessean’s   believe   that   others   in   their   community   are   more   accepting   of   risky   driving  

behaviors  than  they  are.      For  example  31%  believe  that  their  neighbors  consider  texting  while  driving  either   somewhat  or   completely   acceptable  however,  when  asked  how   they   feel   about  this  issue,  only  5%  of  respondents  personally  considered  it  acceptable.  

 • Drinking   and   driving   is   almost   universally   recognized   as   unacceptable   behavior   and   only                              

4  out  100  drivers  indicate  that  they  have  driven  after  drinking  too  much  alcohol  in  the  past  30  days.    

• There  are  inconsistencies  between  what  respondents  report  as  unacceptable  behavior  and  their  actual  behavior,  except  for  drinking  and  driving.    For  example,  nine  out  10  drivers  find  sending  text  messages  or  emails  while  driving  unacceptable  and  yet  one  out  of   five  drivers  report  that  they  engaged  in  this  behavior  in  the  past  12  months.  

 • Traffic   crashes   are   believed   to   be   the   leading   cause   of   death   by   many   Tennesseans.   When  

presented   with   a   list   of   five   causes   of   death   including   heart   disease,   cancer,   homicide,  flu/pneumonia  and  traffic  crashes,  43.1%  of  the  respondents  chose  traffic  crashes  as  the  leading  cause.      

 • There   is   widespread   support   for   requiring   drivers   over   the   age   of   75   to   pass   a   screening   for  

health  problems  that  could  affect  their  driving  (82.7%)  and  for  requiring  these  drivers  to  pass  a  “behind  the  wheel”  driving  test  before  renewing  their  driver’s  license  (81.6%).    

 • There  is  overwhelming  support  for  requiring  teen  drivers  to  complete  a  driver  training  program    

that  teaches  new  drivers  how  to  operate  a  vehicle  on  the  road  (93.7%)  and  to  pass  a  classroom-­‐based  driver  education  course  (90.8%)  before  receiving  their  driver’s  license.      

5    

Methods      

The   Center   for   Transportation   Research   and   the   Center   for   Applied   Research   and   Evaluation   at   the  University  of  Tennessee  conducted  a  telephone  survey  with  928  Tennessee  residents  to  measure  their  attitudes   and   opinions   about   traffic   safety   issues   as   well   as   self-­‐reported   driving   habits.     A   series   of  questions  pertaining  to  teen  drivers  was  added  after  data  collection  began  therefore  the  sample  size  for  this  set  of  questions  is  802.    

A  stratified  random  sample  was  created  so  that  results  could  be  generalized  to  urban  and  rural  areas  of  Tennessee.    Independent  random  samples  of  telephone  landlines  were  drawn  for  urban  and  rural  areas.  Telephone  exchanges  were  selected  based  upon  population  distribution  and  the  remaining  digits  were  randomly   generated   based   upon   blocks   of   telephone   numbers   in   use.   Interviews   were   conducted  between  February  1,  2011  and  April  30,  2011.    

Telephone  interviewing  was  conducted  during  day  and  evening  shifts  and  was  conducted  seven  days  a  week  in  an  effort  to  reduce  non-­‐response  bias.  Each  telephone  number  was  attempted  up  to  five  times  until   a   final   disposition   could   be   assigned   to   the   number.     Efforts   were   made   to   include   younger  residents  by  implementing  a  script  that  inquired  if  anyone  under  the  age  of  25  and  at  least  16  years  of  age  lived  in  the  household.    If  a  young  adult  lived  in  the  household  but  was  not  available  to  complete  the  interview   at   that   time,   a   callback  was   scheduled.     Additional   efforts  were   also  made   to   include  male  participants  by  asking   to   speak   to   the  youngest  male   in   the  household.     If  no  male  was  available,   the  youngest  female  in  the  household  was  interviewed.    A  cell  phone  sample  was  not  used  for  this  project  due  to  budget  considerations.  

The  survey  instrument  contained  several  batteries  of  questions  for  which  the  response  categories  were  the  same  for  each  question  within  each  battery.    In  an  effort  to  reduce  respondent  burden  and  interview  length,  a  subset  of  questions  was  randomly  selected  within  each  series  thereby  reducing  the  number  of  questions   asked   of   each   respondent.     This   protocol   resulted   in   an   inconsistent   sample   size   for   each  question.    Within  the  series  that  focused  on  the  perceived  threat  of  a  number  of  driving  habits,  four  of  six  questions  were  randomly  selected  to  be  asked.    Two  series  of  questions  were  developed  to  measure  the  acceptability  of  certain  driving  behaviors.  Both  series  contained  the  same  ten  driving  behaviors  but  one  series  focused  on  how  acceptable  respondents  thought  people  who  lived  around  them  would  find  the  behavior  and  the  second  series   focused  on  how  acceptable  the  respondent   found  the  behavior   to  be.     From   the   series   of   ten   behaviors,   six   were   randomly   selected   in   the   first   series   and   these   six  questions   were   replicated   in   the   second   series   to   allow   for   a   comparison   to   be   drawn.   A   series   of  questions  pertaining  to  teen  drivers  was  added  in  the  second  week  of  data  collection  so  the  sample  size  is smaller for this set of questions.  

The  response  rate  for  the  survey  was  18.8%  using  the  Response  Rate  3  calculations  provided  by  AAPOR  and  the  cooperation  rate  was  34.2%.  

A   weight   was   calculated   for   each   record   to   adjust   for   selection   bias   and   non-­‐response   bias.   A   post-­‐stratification  weight  was  assigned  to  match  sample  characteristics  to  population  characteristics  provided  

6    

by   the  U.S.   Census   Bureau’s   2005-­‐2009  American   Community   Survey.   Sample   characteristics   used   for  calculations   of   these   weights   were   age,   gender   and   race.     All   results   reported   and   discussed   in   this  report   are   based   upon   weighted   data   however   the   sample   size   reported   for   each   question   is   the  unweighted  frequency.  

Results  and  Discussion                              

Traffic  Safety  Tennessee  residents   recognize   that   traffic   safety   is  an   issue  of  concern   for  public  and  personal   safety.  This  concern  was  expressed  by  survey  respondents  when  they  were  provided  with  a  list  of  five  causes  of  death  and  asked  to  identify  one  they  believed  to  be  the  leading  cause  of  death  each  year  in  Tennessee.      Overwhelmingly,  traffic  crashes  were  identified  as  the  leading  cause  (43.1%)  and  flu  or  pneumonia  were  the   least   likely   to  be   identified  by  respondents  as   the   leading  cause   (.9%)  as  shown   in  Figure  1.  These  results   are   somewhat   surprising   since   the   Tennessee   Department   of   Health   reports   heart   disease   is  actually   the   leading   cause   of   death   in   the   state   and   at   least   six   other   causes   are   higher   than   traffic  crashes  when  ranked.  

 

 

Figure  1  -­‐  Perceived  Leading  Cause  of  Death  

As  a  further   indication  of  Tennesseans’  concern  about  traffic  safety,  survey  respondents  reported  that  driving  feels  less  safe  today  than  it  did  five  years  ago  as  shown  in  Figure  2.    Approximately  four  out  of  10  

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Traffic  Crashes  

Heart  Disease   Cancer   Homicide   Flu  or  Pneumonia  

Not  Sure  

43.1%  

27.0%  22.2%  

5.1%   0.9%   1.7%  

Perceived  Leading  Cause  of  Death  in  Tennessee  

7    

(42.1%)   Tennesseans   who   have   driven   in   the   past   30   days   reported   that   driving   feels   less   safe.   The  decline  is  not,  however,  equally  distributed  between  groups  of  individuals.    For  instance,  women  (48.1%)  and   African   Americans   (58.3%)   are   more   likely   to   report   they   feel   less   safe   than   males   (36.1%)   and  Caucasians   (40.0%).     Furthermore,   those  who   live   in   urban   areas  with   a   population   density   over   500  people  per  square  mile  are  more   likely  to  report  feeling   less  safe  (46.7%)  than  their  counterparts  who  live  in  less  populated  areas  (40.1%).      

 

Figure  2  -­‐  Perceived  Changes  in  Driving  Safety  

Distracted   drivers   and   the   activities   that   contribute   to   the   distraction   is   a   serious   concern   among  Tennessee  drivers.    Respondents  who  reported  that  driving  felt  less  safe  than  five  years  ago  were  given  the   opportunity   to   offer   their   reasons,   without   prompting,   for   this   decline   in   driving   safety.     Drivers  using  cell  phones  was  the  reason  most  frequently  mentioned  first  (21.0%)  however  distracted  drivers  or  drivers  not  paying  attention  was  overall  the  reason  most  frequently  cited  (32.7%).    Traffic  congestion  or  amount  of  traffic  was  the  third  reason  given  for  the  roads  being  less  safe  (23.5%).  However,  respondents  who  live  in  less  populated  areas  (27.0%)  were  more  likely  to  report  that  traffic  congestion  attributed  to  their  decline  in  perceptions  of  safety  than  those  who  live  in  more  heavily  populated  areas  (17.5%).  

Another   series   of   questions   was   included   in   the   survey   to   determine   how   various   driving   habits  influenced   people’s   feelings   of   safety.     Respondents   who   reported   driving   in   the   past   30   days   were  asked  to   indicate   if  these  habits  posed  a  threat  to  their  personal  safety  and  the  severity  of  the  threat.    Figure  3   shows  drivers  who  email   or   text  while   driving   (88.5%)   and  drivers  who  drank   alcohol   before  driving   (87.7%)   were   viewed   as   the   most   serious   threats.   Speeding   well   over   the   speed   limit   was  perceived  to  be  the  least  serious  threat  (52.2%)  of  the  behaviors  included  in  this  series.    

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Safer   About  the  same   Less  safe   Not  sure  

9.7%  

45.3%   42.1%  

2.9%  

Perceived  Driving  Safety  in  Tennessee  Compared  to  Five  Years  Ago  

8    

 

Figure  3  -­‐  Threats  to  Personal  Safety    

Road  and  Traffic  Safety  Policy  

A  wide  range  of  solutions  has  been  suggested  by  experts  and  government  officials   for   improving  road  conditions  and  traffic  safety.    Respondents  were  presented  with  a  number  of  policy  options  pertaining  to  driving  restrictions  and  expenditure  of  public  funds  for  road  improvement  and  were  asked  to  express  their   level   of   support   for   these   policies.   The   highest   levels   of   support   were   expressed   for   policy  initiatives  whose   purpose   is   to   curtail   behaviors   that   respondents   indicated  were   a   serious   threat   to  their   personal   safety.     Of   the   policy   options   presented,   the   policy   that   received   the   highest   level   of  support  would  require  those  drivers  who  have  been  convicted  more  than  once  for  a  DWI  to  use  a  device  that  would  prevent  their  car  from  starting  if  they  have  been  drinking.    Virtually  all  respondents,  92.1%,  either  strongly  or  somewhat  supported  the  use  of  a  mechanism  to  prevent   these  drivers   from  getting  behind  the  wheel.    A  policy  that  outlaws  texting  or  emailing  while  driving  was  supported  by  85.2%  of  the  respondents.     This  policy   statement   included   specific   language   to  prevent  all  drivers   from   texting  and  emailing,  regardless  of  age.  

Policies   to   increase   the   level   of   oversight   on   drivers   over   the   age   of   75   also   received   high   levels   of  support.    Requiring  elderly  drivers  to  pass  a  simple  screening  for  health  problems  that  could  affect  their  driving   and   requiring   drivers   75   and   older   to   pass   a   behind   the  wheel   driving   test  was   supported   by  82.7%   and   81.6%   of   the   respondents,   respectively   as   seen   in   Figure   4.     Other   proposed   initiatives   to  further   restrict  older  drivers  did  not   resonate  as  well  with   the  survey  participants.     Several  policies   to  limit  elderly  drivers  to  daytime  driving,  to  limit  the  number  of  miles  away  from  that  could  be  driven  and  to  limit  routes  and  destinations  was  supported  by  less  than  one-­‐third  of  the  survey  sample.    

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Driving  +  texMng/emailing  

Drinking  +  driving   Driving  when  sleepy  

Drivers  talking  on  cell  phones  

Driving  aggresively  

Driving  well  over  speed  limit  

88.5%   87.7%  

62.3%  56.8%   55.0%   52.2%  

Serious  Threats  to  Personal  Safety  

9    

 

Figure  4  -­‐  Restriction  on  Older  Drivers  

Attitudes  and  Behavior  

Cell  phone  use  and  text  messaging  Cell   phone   ownership   has   risen   dramatically   in   the   past   ten   years   and   currently   82%  of   adults   in   the  United   States   report   owning   a   cell   phone   (Pew   Research   Center’s   Internet   &   American   Life   Project,  2010).    The  rise   in  cell  phone  ownership  and  usage  has   triggered  concern  about  how  it  affects  driving  habits   and   traffic   safety.     As   indicated   earlier   in   the   report,   Tennesseans   indicate   that   sending   text  messages  and  emails  while  driving  is  as  much  of  a  threat  to  their  personal  safety  as  someone  who  drives  after  drinking  too  much  alcohol.  While  driving  and  using  the  cell  phone  to  text  and  email   is  seen  as  an  unacceptable  behavior,  respondents  report  less  concern  for  drivers  using  cell  phones  in  general.    

Figure   5   shows   there   is   almost   universal   agreement   that   sending   text  messages   or   emailing   on   a   cell  phone  while  driving  is  unacceptable.  More  than  nine  out  of  10  drivers  (94.2%)  report  they  find  this  type  of  behavior  as  unacceptable.    However,  when  talking  on  a  cell  phone  using  a  hands  free  device,  only  four  out  of  10  drivers  (40.7%)  report  similar  concern.    

 

 

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Screen  for  health  

problems  

Pass  a  "behind  the  wheel"  

driving  test  

State  evaluate  and  assess  each  driver  

RestricMng  all  drivers  to  day  Mme  driving  

Placing  driving  

restricMons  on  all  drivers  

LimiMng  the  number  of  miles  driven  away  from  home  

LimiMng  drivers  to  specific  routes  or  

desMnaMons  

82.7%   81.6%  

69.9%  

36.8%  32.7%  

27.7%  23.5%  

Support  for  Restric?ons  on  Drivers  Over  75  

10    

 

Figure  5  -­‐  Unacceptability  of  Cell  Phone  use  

The   level  of  concern  for  the  differing  use  and  style  of  cell  phone   is  consistent  with  driving  habits.    Far  fewer  drivers,  27.1%,  report  they  have  sent  a  text  or  email  while  they  were  driving  in  the  past  30  days  compared  to  those  who  report  talking  on  a  cell  phone  while  driving  (72.9%).    When  asked  to  report  the  type  of  cell  phone  used  to  talk,  almost  two  thirds  of  drivers  (62.7%)  as  shown  in  Figure  6,  used  a  hand-­‐held   cell   phone   even   though   they   believe   talking   on   a   hand-­‐free   cell   phone   is  more   acceptable   than  using  a  hand-­‐held  phone.    This  inconsistency  between  attitude  and  behavior  is  also  reflected  in  drivers’  support  for  legislation  to  ban  the  use  of  hand-­‐held  cell  phones  as  mentioned  previously.  

 

Figure  6  -­‐  Cell  Phones  Usage  by  Type  

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Send  text  messages  or  emails  

Talk  on  a  hand-­‐held  cell  phone  

Talk  on  a  hands-­‐free  cell  phone  

94.2%  

58.2%  

40.7%  

Unacceptability  of  Cell  Phone  Use  While  Driving  

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Hand-­‐held   Hands-­‐free   Both  

62.7%  

31.7%  

5.6%  

Type  of  Cell  Phone  Used  While  Driving  

11    

Drinking  and  Driving  Drinking  and  driving  is  widely  recognized  as  a  serious  threat  to  personal  safety  and  is  almost  universally  believed  to  be  unacceptable.    Drinking  and  driving,  as  discussed  earlier  in  the  report,  is  viewed  as  one  of  the  two  most  serious  threats  to  personal  safety  and  there  is  widespread  support  for  adopting  measures  to  reduce  this  behavior.    Virtually  all  drivers  find  drinking  and  driving  unacceptable  (96.9%)  and  almost  eight   out   of   10   drivers   (78.2%)   believe   their   neighbors   feel   similarly.   Furthermore,   very   few   drivers  (4.1%)  indicate  that  they  have  driven  when  they  may  have  too  much  to  drink  in  the  past  30  days.  This  level   of   consistency   between   attitude   and   behavior   is   the   highest   of   any   behavior   addressed   in   this  survey.      

Speeding  Driving  over  the  speed  limit,  in  general,  is  widespread  and  is  not  perceived  to  pose  as  serious  of  a  threat  to  personal  safety  as  other  driving  behaviors.    About  half  of  the  drivers  (52.2%)  report  driving  over  the  speed   limit   as   a   very   serious   threat.     However,   drivers’   perception   of   the   hazards   of   speeding   is  dependent  upon  the  location  of  the  offense.  Respondents  are  more  likely  to  find  speeding  on  freeways  more   acceptable   than   speeding   in   residential   areas.     More   than   nine   out   10   drivers   (93.7%)   find   it  unacceptable   to  drive  more  than  15  miles  per  hour  over   the  speed   limit   in  a   residential  area  whereas  only  seven  out  of  10  drivers   (70.9%)  believe   it   to  be  unacceptable  to  drive  the  same  amount  over  the  speed  limit  on  a  freeway.  Drivers  believe  their  neighbors  also  make  this  distinction  with  75.4%  reporting  their   neighbors   would   find   speeding   in   residential   areas   unacceptable   whereas   43.9%   think   their  neighbors  would  find  speeding  on  freeways  as  unacceptable.    

This   distinction   between   speeding   in   residential   areas   and   freeways   is   also   consistent   with   reported  driving  habits.   Four  out  of  10  drivers   (40.6%)  have  driven  more   than  15  mph  over   the   speed   limit  on  freeways  whereas  less  than  one  quarter  of  drivers  (22.5%)  indicate  that  they  have  driven  more  than  15  mph  over  the  speed  limit  in  a  residential  area  in  the  past  30  days.  

Running  red  light  Almost  all  drivers  (95.3%)  find  it  unacceptable  for  drivers  to  run  a  red  light  when  they  could  have  safely  stopped.   Seven   out   of   10   (70.4%)   also   believe   that   their   neighbors   would   find   this   behavior  unacceptable.    Regardless  of  this  almost  universal  feeling  that  the  behavior  is  unacceptable,  nearly  one  third  of   drivers   (29.1%)   report   that   they  have   run   a   red   light   themselves   at   least   once   in   the  past   30  days.  

Drowsy  driving  Driving   while   drowsy   is   viewed   as   more   of   a   serious   threat   to   personal   safety   than   aggressive   or  speeding  drivers.    Other  people  driving  when  they  are  too  sleepy   is  viewed  as  a  very  serious  threat  to  their  own  personal  safety  by  approximately  six  out  of  10  drivers  (62.3%)  whereas  a  little  more  than  half  report  aggressive  drivers  (55.0%)  and  driving  well  over  the  speed  limit  (52.2%)  as  a  very  serious  threat.    Virtually  all   Tennessee  drivers   find   it  unacceptable   for  drivers   to  get  behind   the  wheel  when   they  are  extremely   drowsy.   More   than   nine   out   of   10   drivers   (94.3%)   view   driving   when   they   are   drowsy   as  unacceptable  and  nearly  75%  of  drivers  believe  that  those  who  live  around  them  also  find  this  behavior  

12    

unacceptable.    Drivers  find  this  behavior  to  be  almost  as  unacceptable  as  driving  after  having  too  much  to  drink.      

Despite  the  recognition  that  driving  while  drowsy  is  unacceptable  and  is  a  serious  threat  to  personal    safety,    nearly  one  quarter  (24.7%)  report  that  they  have  driven  when  they  had  a  difficult  time  keeping  their  eyes  open  at  least  once  in  the  past  30  days.  

Seatbelt  use  Driving  without  wearing  a  seatbelt  is  not  a  prevalent  practice  in  Tennessee  and  is  commonly  believed  to  be  unacceptable.    Over   seven  out  of   10   (75.7%)  drivers   in   Tennessee   report   they  never  drive  without  wearing  a  seatbelt  which  can  be   interpreted  to  mean  that  they  always  wear  a  seatbelt  when  they  are  driving   and   only   four   in   100   drivers   report   that   they   always   drive   while   not   wearing   one  seatbelt.    However,  there  are  three  categories  of  respondents  who  report  that  they  are  less  likely  than  others  to  drive  without  wearing  a  seatbelt  (i.e.  they  drive  while  not  wearing  a  seatbelt  more  often  than  the  average)    

• male  drivers  (70.7%)    • drivers  under  the  age  of  40  (69.3%)    • and   respondents  who   live   in  areas  with  a  population  of   less   than  500  people  per   square  mile  

(73.2%)        

There   is   some   inconsistency   between   reported   behavior   and   beliefs   about   the   acceptability   of   the  behavior.    Nearly  nine  out  of  10  drivers  (87.7%)  say  it  is  unacceptable  for  a  driver  to  not  wear  a  seatbelt  while   driving,   but   only   three   out   of   four   report   that   they   never   engage   in   the   behavior   they   find  unacceptable.     Respondents   also   believe   themselves   to   be   less   tolerant   of   driving   without   a   seatbelt  than  those  who  live  around  them  since  only  six  in  10  (63.2%)  believe  their  neighbors  are  more  accepting  of  those  who  drive  while  not  wearing  a  seatbelt.  

Teen  Drivers  Teen  drivers  between  the  ages  of  16  and  19  are  more  likely  to  be  involved  in  a  motor  vehicle  crash  than  any  other   age   group.  According   to   research   conducted  by   the   Insurance   Institute   for  Highway   Safety,  teen  drivers  are  four  times  more  likely  than  older  drivers  to  crash  per  mile  driven.  Teen  crashes  can  be  attributed  to  their  inexperience  and  lack  of  skills  to  properly  estimate  dangerous  or  recognize  hazardous  situations   (Teen   Drivers:   Fact   Sheet).   It   is   widely   recognized   in   Tennessee   that   young   drivers   do   not  receive   adequate   preparation   to   safely   operate   a  motor   vehicle   and   that   crash   rates   among   this   age  group   are   higher   than   other   groups.     Approximately   two-­‐thirds   of   survey   participants   indicated   they  either  strongly  or   somewhat  disagree   that  most  new  teenage  drivers  are  well  prepared   to  operate  an  automobile  independently  (67.7%)  and  suffer  a  higher  crash  rate  than  those  who  have  at  least  two  years  of  driving  experience  (66.3%).  

Driver  education  classes  have  been  offered  as  one  solution  for  improving  the  driving  skill  set  possessed  by   teen   drivers.     There   is   overwhelming   support   for   requiring   teen   drivers   to   complete   a   classroom-­‐based  driver  education  course  (90.8%)  or  a  driver  training  course  where  they  learn  to  drive  a  vehicle  on  the  road  (93.7%).    There  is  a  lack  of  consensus  regarding  who  should  be  responsible  for  providing  these  

13    

courses  when  asked   if   parents   or   schools   should  be   responsible   for   providing   the   training.    However,  there   is   almost  universal   support   (91.6%)   for  enacting  a   law   that   requires  high   schools   to  offer  driver  education  courses  for  their  students.    It  is  important  to  note  however,  that  the  question  posed  to  survey  respondents  did  not  distinguish  between  classroom-­‐based  or  driver-­‐based  courses,  and  was  asked  after  the  question  to  assign  responsibility  for  offering  these  types  of  courses.      

 

Figure  7  -­‐  Who  should  be  Responsible  for  Teen  Driver  Training  

Conclusion  Traffic  safety  is  of  great  concern  for  Tennessee  residents.    Despite  the  fact  that  the  number  of  fatalities  and   the   fatality   rates   have   dropped   in   the   last   five   years,   almost   half   of   the   survey   respondents   feel  driving  is   less  safe  than  it  was  five  years  ago.    Although  traffic  crashes  are  the  sixth  or  seventh  leading  cause  of  death  in  most  years,  they  are  believed  to  be  the  leading  cause  of  death  by  many  Tennesseans  contributing   to   more   deaths   than   either   heart   disease   or   cancer   each   year.     Distracted   drivers   and  drivers  using  cell  phones  while  driving  appear  to  be  key  contributors  to  this  perceived  decline  in  safety.      Ironically   about   60%   of   drivers   report   that   they   continue   to   use   cell   phones   when   they   drive.     This  disconnect   between   recognition   that   certain   driving   behaviors   are   unsafe   or   unacceptable   but  continuing  to  engage  in  these  behaviors  extends  beyond  cell  phone  use  to  speeding  and  drowsy  driving.    The   reasons   for   this   lack  of   alignment  between  beliefs   and  behaviors   are  not   fully   understood.    With  regard  to  highway  safety  the  Tennessee  driving  culture  can  be  characterized  as  “do  as  I  say,  and  not  as  I  do”  on  many   issues.    However,  there   is  hope  for   improvement.    Currently  there   is  a  very  strong  belief  that  drinking  and  driving  is  unacceptable  and  very  few  people  report  that  they  drink  and  drive.    This  has  not   always  been   the   case   in   Tennessee.       The  highway   safety   community  has,   over   time  with   a   great  investment  of  resources,  made  substantial  strides  in  changing  perceptions  and  behavior  with  regard  to  drinking  and  driving.    Thus  it   is  probable  that  with  a  committed  effort  similar  results  could  be  attained  for  other  highway  safety  culture  issues.      

0%  

20%  

40%  

60%  

80%  

100%  

Parents   School   Gov't   Parents  &  School  

24.6%  

44.8%  

14.6%   14.0%  25.9%  

39.6%  

16.7%   15.9%  

Responsibility  for  Training  Teen  Drivers  

Classroom   On  Road  

14    

References  http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Cell-­‐Phones-­‐and-­‐American-­‐Adults/Part-­‐1-­‐Adults-­‐and-­‐cell-­‐phones-­‐Ownership-­‐and-­‐use/Cell-­‐ownership-­‐in-­‐the-­‐United-­‐States-­‐remains-­‐steady-­‐since-­‐2009.aspx  

http://dmv.ca.gov/teenweb/more_btn6/traffic/traffic.htm#  

http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html  

 

   

15    

 

 

 

Appendices