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08/09/2010
A new report has challenged road safety education, suggesting that schemes are not as efficient as they could be - and may even be increasing risk.
In research commissioned by the RAC Foundation, Frank McKenna, psychology professor at the University of Reading, has challenged the efficacy of education and training initiatives, admitting that while they are "plausible, uncontroversial and address matters of public concern", many are designed in the absence of theory and formal bodies of evidence.
Comparing the results of such interventions to other educational campaigns - aimed at deterring the public from damaging habits like smoking, drinking and drug abuse - McKenna claims that despite education informs the public of dangers, these alone do not necessarily translate into changes in behaviour.
He contends that in some circumstances, road education schemes may even inadvertently increase exposure to risk.
McKenna cites evidence which indicates that some "highly skilled" drivers had more crashes, as opposed to fewer. This may be due to drivers underestimating hazards after completing a training course - which the report's author also says are often of too short a duration - due to increased confidence simply because they have undertaken training.
Moreover, McKenna suggests, public education may not work in some instances because some people enjoy taking risks.
Meanwhile, he suggests that too much focus can be made of certain dangers also, meaning they become instilled as "normal" behaviour that all motorists indulge in - something he compares to the example of the smoking ban which he says has now become an accepted compulsion amongst the public.
RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said that it is not the case that all educational interventions fail, but that "much more evidence needs to be collected to show which ones actually work".
"This report concludes that when it comes to road safety, relying on 'education, education, education' is simply not enough," he added.
"Whilst it might tick the right boxes, far more work needs to be done to evaluate the success - or otherwise - of these projects."
According to the foundation, a number of measures should be introduced to ensure future success of road safety education - something which "must be used sparingly". These include producing a national road safety strategy, and greater engagement with the insurance industry to prospectively link effective schemes with premium reductions.
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