Education in road safety: are we getting it right?

In his report published by the RAC Foundation, Professor McKenna of the University of Reading concludes the evidence shows many educational interventions are ineffective.

Professor McKenna says that road safety education schemes are plausible, uncontroversial and address matters of public concern, but adds: “Educational interventions are often designed in the absence of theory or any formal body of evidence. In some circumstances they may inadvertently increase exposure to risk.”

He cites evidence showing that “some highly skilled drivers had more crashes rather than fewer”.

Looking at public health education more broadly McKenna says that while educational campaigns aimed at tackling smoking, drinking, drug abuse and over-eating inform people about the dangers of these activities, there is little evidence to say they alone actually change behaviour. He suggests what education might do is create an environment where compulsion – such as the smoking ban – becomes more acceptable amongst the public.

He goes on to claim there is a growing impatience at the role of education in professional circles with some arguing that educational measures serve to divert attention and resources away from other safety measures that might achieve better results.

Professor McKenna thinks there are several reasons why public health education might not have clear beneficial effects, including:

• The schemes lack a theoretical or empirical base
• It is assumed people who carry out harmful activities have an ‘information deficit’ about what they are doing, yet the evidence shows they often do understand the risks, yet still carry them out
• Limited educational campaigns are not of long enough duration or impact to compete with more enduring social pressures on the individual
• Some people see risk as an attractive part of life rather than unattractive, or even have an addiction to it (smoking and drinking for example)
• Education might convince people that certain harmful activities are actually the norm rather than the exception
• Education and training might make people more likely to undertake risky activity because they believe they are better able to deal with the hazards

Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “It is not being said that all educational interventions fail, but rather 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. Whilst it might tick the right boxes, far more work needs to be done to evaluate the success – or otherwise – of these projects.”

The RAC Foundation believes a number of measures should be introduced to ensure the effectiveness of road safety education, including:

• A national road safety strategy
• Education must be used sparingly to ensure quality rather than quantity
• Awards and rewards for road safety professionals must focus on the effectiveness of schemes rather than their creativity or innovation
• There should be closer integration of education, enforcement and engineering activity
• There needs to be closer engagement with the insurance industry so there is potential to support effective schemes through premium reductions