The Psychology of Traffic

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of the intricate relationship between human behaviour and transportation systems. It examines how individual psychology intersects with mobility patterns, revealing the complex factors that drive our daily travel decisions and interactions on the road. The authors explore key topics like the multidimensional nature of quality of life in relation to transportation, the psychological impact of driving fear and active transport benefits, the symbolic meaning of vehicles, and the influence of both formal regulations and informal social rules. It examines communication patterns among road users, decision-making processes, and how policy interventions and infrastructure design can psychologically influence behaviour towards more sustainable and safer mobility choices. The Psychology of Traffic is primarily aimed at academic scholars and advanced students in transport studies and applied psychology. It can be useful for policymakers and practitioners seeking to understand and influence road user behaviour to create more sustainable, safe, and socially beneficial transportation systems that enhance overall quality of life.

Ralf Risser is a psychologist and sociologist (University of Vienna). Owned a private research institute FACTUM OG 1988-2019. Part-time work at Institute of Technology & Society, TU Lund, Sweden 1988-2013, 2006-2013 Adjunct Professor. 2011-2017 President of International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety (ICTCT). Key researcher in projects such as EU-funded CONSOL, investigating case of the elderly in connection with traffic safety and mobility. Currently, Visiting Professor at the Palacký University Olomouc, Czechia, Department of Psychology. Elderly road users, vulnerable road users, and qualitative methods are in the focus of his research. MatúS sucha (26 April 1980, Bratislava) is a Czech traffic psychologist and a professor of psychology at Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia. His main area of professional interest is traffic psychology, with a specific focus on mobility and traffic safety. He is a former vice-president of International Cooperation on Theories and Concepts in Traffic safety (ICTCT).

1. Traffic Psychology in Everyday Life 2. Aim and Scope of Traffic Psychology 3. Traffic Psychology in the World 4. Human Factors in Traffic 5. Key Psychological Theories and Methods 6. Risk-Taking in Traffic 7. Novice Drivers and Risk 8. Elderly Drivers 9. Assessment of Fitness to Drive 10. Communication in Traffic 11. Traffic system. Culture and Norms 12. Road users and vulnerable road users 13. Public Health Issues 14. Traffic mode choice 15. Sustainability and Sustainable Transport Modes 16. Systemic Approach and Vision Zero 17. Transport Infrastructure 18. Traffic Infrastructure Safety Measures Based on Psychological Principles 19. Driver Rehabilitation Programmes 20. Post-accident Psychological Care 21. Autonomous Mobility and Psychology Issues 22. Prospects for Traffic Psychology in the Decades to Come