Skip to main content
Intended for healthcare professionals
Restricted access
Research article
First published online January 1, 2011

Do Americans Oppose Controversial Evidence-Based Road Safety Policies?

Abstract

Six safety improvement systems based on legislation have proved to reduce rural roadway fatalities. But their legislative enactment has been limited in part by a perception of journalists and policy makers that the policies are controversial and unpopular with the general public. However, a national public opinion survey found that an overwhelming proportion of Americans support all six policies. Strong support exists across all major demographic, geographic, gender, and ideological groups and calls that perception into question. These findings are instructive for those who attempt to reduce rural roadway fatalities through evidence-based rural roadway safety public policies.

Get full access to this article

View all access and purchase options for this article.

References

1. National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Traffic Safety Facts, Rural/Urban Comparison, 2007 Data. DOT HS 810 996. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2009. www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810996.PDF. Accessed July 29, 2010.
2. Knapp K. K., Young K., and Utecht B. Feasibility of a Quantitative Rural Safety Policy Improvement Index (RSPII): Phase I. Report CTS 09–14. Center for Excellence in Rural Safety, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 2009. www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=1766. Accessed July 29, 2010.
3. Goodwin A. H., Hall W. L., Raborn J. C., Thomas L. J., Masten S. V., and Tucker M. E. Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasure Guide for State Highway Safety Offices, 3rd ed. DOT HS 810 891. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2008.
4. Preusser D. F., Williams A. F., Nichols J. L., Tison J., and Chaudhary N. K. NCHRP Report 622: Effectiveness of Behavioral Highway Safety Countermeasures. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, D.C., 2008.
5. Knapp K. K., and Utecht B. Application of a Rural Safety Policy Improvement Index (RSPII) Framework: Phase II Report. Report CTS 10-07. Center for Excellence in Rural Safety, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 2010. www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=1926. Accessed July 29, 2010.
6. Drunken Driver Ignition Bill Drawing Controversy: Some Say Policing of Law Would Be Difficult. WBAL-TV.com, Feb. 25, 2010. www.wbaltv.com/politics/22675060/detail.html. Accessed July 29, 2010.
7. Santa Cruz N. Arizona to Shut Off Highway Speed Cameras: Officials Decline to Renew the Contract for the Highly Unpopular Program That Was Used to Ticket Motorists Going More Than 10 mph over the Limit. Los Angeles Times, May 6, 2010. articles.latimes.com/2010/may/06/nation/la-na-speed-cameras-20100507. Accessed July 29, 2010.
8. Court Hears Arguments on Controversial Helmet Law. ABC News 4, Feb. 3, 2010. www.wciv.com/news/stories/0210/702636.html. Accessed July 29, 2010.
9. Schultz Z. Sobriety Checkpoints Get Poor Response: Gov. Doyle's Checkpoint Plan Gets Booed by Legislature. NBC15.com, Jan. 29, 2009. www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/38656847.html?storySection=story. Accessed July 29, 2010.
10. Helman S. House Approves Seat Belt Scrutiny: Bill Would Let Police Pull over Non-Users. Boston Globe, Jan. 20, 2006. www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/20/house_approves_seat_belt_scrutiny/. Accessed July 29, 2010.
11. Center for Excellence in Rural Safety. National Rural Road Safety Public Opinion Survey. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. www.ruralsafety.umn.edu/publications/nationalsafetysurvey/index.html. Accessed July 30, 2010.
12. Dutton S. Polling Shows Americans Wary of Bailouts. CBS News, Sept. 14, 2009. www.cbsnews.com/8301–503544_162-5310797-503544.html. Accessed July 29, 2010.
13. Newport F. Americans Tilt Against Democrats’ Plans if Summit Fails: Most Doubt an Agreement Will Result from Thursday's Summit. Gallup News Service, Feb. 25, 2010. www.gallup.com/poll/126191/Americans-Tilt-Against-Democrats-Plans-Summit-Fails.aspx. Accessed July 29, 2010.
14. Saad L. More Smokers Feeling Harassed by Smoking Bans: Nearly Half Feel Unjustly Discriminated Against by Public Smoking Restrictions. Gallup News Service, July 25, 2007. www.gallup.com/poll/28216/more-smokers-feeling-harassed-smoking-bans.aspx. Accessed July 29, 2010.

Cite article

Cite article

Cite article

OR

Download to reference manager

If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice

Share options

Share

Share this article

Share with email
EMAIL ARTICLE LINK
Share on social media

Share access to this article

Sharing links are not relevant where the article is open access and not available if you do not have a subscription.

For more information view the Sage Journals article sharing page.

Information, rights and permissions

Information

Published In

Article first published online: January 1, 2011
Issue published: January 2011

Rights and permissions

© 2011 National Academy of Sciences.
Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Lee W. Munnich, Jr.
Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, 280 Humphrey Center, 301 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455.
Joseph D. Loveland
Loveland Communications, 2610 Knollwood Court North, Saint Paul, MN 55109.

Notes

Metrics and citations

Metrics

Journals metrics

This article was published in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.

VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICS

Article usage*

Total views and downloads: 42

*Article usage tracking started in December 2016


Altmetric

See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores



Articles citing this one

Receive email alerts when this article is cited

Web of Science: 0

Crossref: 11

  1. The End of Speed Traps and Ticket Quotas: Re-framing and Reforming Tra...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  2. Critical elements of public acceptance and support for automated speed...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  3. International and intercultural differences in arguments used against ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  4. Conspiracy Beliefs Are Related to the Use of Smartphones behind the Wh...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  5. Representative Bureaucracy and Attitudes Toward Automated Decision Mak...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  6. The association between national culture, road safety performance and ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  7. Attitudes toward mandatory ignition interlocks for all offenders convi...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  8. Associations between alcohol consumption patterns and attitudes toward...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  9. Automated speed enforcement systems to reduce traffic-related injuries...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  10. Public Opinion on Motor Vehicle–Related Injury Prevention Policies: A ...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar
  11. Evidence-Based Decision Making for Transportation Asset Management...
    Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar

Figures and tables

Figures & Media

Tables

View Options

Get access

Access options

If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:


Alternatively, view purchase options below:

Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.

Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.

View options

PDF/ePub

View PDF/ePub