Legitimising risk taking: articulating dangerous behaviour on the road

Abstract

Using a deliberative approach 228 members of the public from four locations in the United Kingdom took part in six focus groups that met on three occasions. Applying a model based on two interlocking sets of theories (Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory) in the analysis of participants' responses, the paper explores the social and environmental systems that an individual interacts with in the articulation of risky behaviours on the road. Participants discussed how taking risks changed over their lifecourse and how they became safer with age. Social norms and perceived behavioural control influence road user safety behaviour through the exchanging of attitudes, and younger drivers especially are more likely to embrace the symbolic role of the car. The paper concludes that the nature of identity and culture within risk taking is important when designing interventions on the ground.

Keywords:

• risk taking
• driver behaviour
• ecological systems
• theory of planned behaviour
• social psychology
• identity

Acknowledgements

The data reported in this work were collected in a study commissioned by the UK's Department for Transport (Musselwhite et al. 2010a, 2010b). However, it does not necessarily represent Department for Transport opinions and is the opinions of the authors.