In an unfamiliar situation, how often have you looked around to see what other people were doing? It might have been at a fancy dinner where you were unsure of which knife or fork to use or while playing sports or at other activity. Sometimes, checking to see what others are doing can be helpful, but not always. Social factors influence the way people act, whether positively or negatively. The same is true of driving attitudes and behaviours.

Texting while Driving

A behaviour that frequently receives attention is the practice of texting while driving. According to the Public Health Ontario website, a study found that over ninety percent of Ontario youths and young adults were aware of the law banning the practice, but a majority of them believed that the practice was more common than it actually is. Many of the participants believed that the people important to them, such as their family and friends, would disapprove of their behaviour if they texted while driving.

Most participants acknowledged that texting and driving can be dangerous. They believed that texting while driving is more dangerous than other distractions, such as talking on hands-free phones or adjusting the controls in the vehicle. Despite an awareness of the dangers, about fifty-five percent admitted to reading texts while driving and almost forty-four percent revealed that they had sent text messages while operating a vehicle.  

Part of the issue for many of the participants was their perception of the importance and time-sensitive nature of the message, whether it was to let someone know they would be late for a gathering or to get directions to their destination. Another problem was that many of the participants believed themselves to be better drivers than many of their peers, giving them the confidence to believe that they could manage to divide their attention between watching the road and texting.

In this case, several social factors have led people to engage in the practice of texting and driving. While wanting to keep their friends and family informed of their movements is positive, these drivers tend to overestimate their own skills while underestimating the dangers of texting while driving. The idea that the practice is very common can also give people the wrong idea that it is safe for others and therefore also safe for them. The pressure of wanting to be like others can lead drivers to engage in risky behaviour because they believe that others have managed to stay safe despite the dangers.   

Drinking and Driving

Similar factors also influence habits regarding drinking and driving. An Australian study discussed in a January 2018 edition of Science Direct found that approximately a third of the people who were part of the study reported drinking and driving within the previous twelve months. Both social and personal factors were involved in the participants’ decision to drink and drive.

Hanna Watling and the other researchers found that friendship and fun-seeking behaviours, among others, were associated with drinking and driving. When certain groups of people meet for social gatherings, they tend to drink and then drive while still under the influence of alcohol. While factors of individual personality also had an influence, social factors were predominant in many cases.     

According to a 2010 study of alcohol-impaired driving in Alberta, published in the International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, author Abu Sadat Nurullah notes that social influence was the most accurate predictor of alcohol use and misuse in the group under study in the report. That influence includes both active social pressure, where a person will offer a drink to another, and passive social pressure, where a group of people will be drinking alcohol in the presence of someone who intends to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. The pressure to drink in these situations could be quite strong.

Social Pressures behind Dangerous Behaviours

Texting behind the wheel or drinking and driving are only two of the possible behaviours resulting from attitudes that people develop due to the influence of their peers and the situation they are experiencing. Social pressure to communicate constantly with other people can influence drivers to take risks and to text while on the road, even when they know the risks.

Other behaviours related to social pressures, such as stunt driving, can be equally dangerous. During the lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the first wave of the illness, stunt driving became a major problem in parts of Canada. Perhaps the worst instance of this kind of behaviour in Ontario, as reported in a CBC article, was in May 2020 when a teenage driver was recorded as travelling 308 kilometres per hour on the Queen Elizabeth Way in Burlington. This dangerous behaviour was part of a surge in street racing on the relatively empty streets as many people curtailed their activities to help contain the virus.

Good Influences

Although some of these examples are extreme, they show the way that negative social factors can influence people’s behaviour. Being a good example on the road is important, even among total strangers. When other road users see a driver who comes to a complete stop at stop signs and who always gives space for other drivers to merge, they may be inspired to do the same and thus help to change the way that people think about the way that they operate their own vehicles.

The Road Safety for Life website notes that growing numbers of people believe that they can help influence road safety, together with others in their community. When drivers show certain qualities in the ways they operate their vehicles, they can help influence the ways others drive, besides making the road safer where they are.

Qualities for Being a Good Influence

The first of these qualities is to show respect for other drivers. Allowing other drivers to merge into the lane, leaving enough space between vehicles and understanding that drivers will make mistakes can help make the road safer while reducing stress for people as they try to manage all of the different tasks for safe driving.   

Awareness is the second attitude that drivers should exhibit. When drivers know what vehicles and other road users are nearby, they can more easily plan for maneuvers such as changing lanes or stopping at red lights. An awareness of the surrounding roads, sidewalks and bicycle paths can give drivers the information they need to anticipate hazards on the road.

An attitude of sharing the road with others is the third aspect of safe driving. People sometimes become very possessive of the space they are occupying, but they should remember that other drivers, cyclists and pedestrians also have a right to be on the road. This attitude of sharing could mean that drivers allow other vehicles into the lane in front of them or changing lanes to give a cyclist more space. Giving other road users enough space is an important part of being a safe driver.

Paying attention to road conditions and possible hazards is another part of safe driving, especially at the transition between seasons. The weather can change quickly, and drivers should be aware of what can happen if a sudden snowfall or rainstorm makes the roads slippery. Rough spots, potholes or broken pavement can change the surface of the road and make driving difficult, while changing traffic patterns or the presence of pedestrians or other road users can change conditions on even the most familiar streets.

Taking Responsibility

Sometimes, it can seem as if one person’s actions make very little difference, but drivers should be aware of the roles they play in road safety. An attitude of taking responsibility for road safety can help drivers realize that their contribution might be small, but together with other road users, it can make a significant difference.

If drivers make road safety their priority, they will naturally begin to act in ways that contribute to that purpose, whether they allow more time for each trip to avoid rushing or they decide to take different routes to deal with traffic jams, they can help to make the roads safer for everyone. One driver’s example can also help encourage others to act in similar ways, helping to spread good practices to other road users.

Courtesy and Good Manners

Courtesy and good manners are important in all areas of life, but they can have an important impact on safety in the context of driving. As Sam Sommers notes in his November 2008 Psychology Today article on his experiences of aggression behind the wheel, being in vehicles gives drivers a feeling of anonymity which frequently allows them to act in ways that would never be acceptable otherwise.

This is especially true of aggressive behaviour. Even people who normally shrink from confrontations can sometimes respond aggressively to situations because they assume that they will never see the other road users again. As the June 2008 article on Psychology on the Road from the Association for Psychological Science notes, the feeling of anonymity that a vehicle gives, especially one with tinted windows, can lead drivers to aggressive behaviours and angry responses that would be unacceptable in any other context. However, drivers can take steps to improve their attitude and actions on the road. Part of the process is for drivers to take stock of their reactions and to assess their possible impact. Realizing that other road users are facing the same kinds of issues can help drivers to control their impulses and to treat other road users with respect.