Overcoming Barriers to Creating a Well-Functioning Safety Culture: A Comparison of Australia and the United States

An effective highway-safety culture is an environment in which public and political attention is paid to motor vehicle injuries commensurate with the size of the problem, and there exists a balanced, evidence-based approach for reducing the problem, incorporating behavioral, environmental, and vehicle factors. There are barriers to achieving an effective safety culture, largely having to do with the psychology of driving. These barriers are discussed in the context of the United States, which has a weak safety culture. Other countries have made greater strides in overcoming these barriers. One such country is Australia. The experience of Australia is discussed in relation to the United States, and an assessment is made of what can be learned from this comparison about establishing a more effective highway-safety culture.