Within the first two years of the project, the concept of traffic safety culture was analysed from a theoretical perspective and applied to the analysis of selected traffic systems. Furthermore, strong links between the project partners have been established through the secondments and regular meetings. The project has enabled each partner to improve its international network by establishing new contacts with organisations where no previous relationship existed and by strengthening existing relationships.
As a foundation for further work in the project, a website and a knowledge platform for the project partners was established (WP 1).
In WP 2, cultural patterns in road traffic systems were analysed. A theoretical model on traffic safety culture was developed (D2.1) and the traffic safety culture of selected countries, namely Albania, Austria and the US (Virginia) was analysed (D2.2). In a comprehensive research report the possible relationship between traffic safety culture and accidents on the basis of a comparative analysis was modelled.
In WP 3, data on national traffic violations as well as self-reported data on road safety relevant attitudes and norms was collected and documented (D3.1). The data on attitudes and self-reported behaviour was analysed in D3.2. Furthermore, cultural factors that are suitable for a potential transformation were identified, providing a basis for WPs 4 and 5 (D3.3).
In WP 4, a model of traffic cultures and impact factors has been proposed (D4.1) and factors relevant for change management strategies on micro, macro and magna levels of a safety culture have been inferred (D4.2) based on the work conducted in work packages 1 to 3.
This was the pre-stage for the development of the action framework for implementing the paradigm of Traffic Safety Culture in road safety programmes and guidelines (D5.1) carried out in WP5. The process of creating an action framework, addressing road safety authorities, decision makers and stakeholders, has been undertaken in the US years before the TraSaCu project. By having Montana State University (MSU) in the project consortium, the project team benefited greatly from their experience and, furthermore, was able to anticipate and address potential pitfalls when transferring theoretically sound knowledge into practice. Therefore, MSU’s Prof. Nic Ward also contributed to the project’s final webinar, held in February 2018 with more than 30 participants, as a speaker. Eventually, the project’s work has been summarized in WP5 a final report (D5.2) which bundles the various approaches followed by TraSaCu’s multi-disciplinary research team and project staff. Research strands (psychology, sociology, cultural studies and human ecology) have been contrasted and combined to extract safety culture.
Research results were disseminated throughout the project by various means and by all Partners (conferences, websites, social media, stakeholder interviews, presentation in research Networks, work with students etc.). The concluding core dissemination activity was a Webinar, held at KFV together with MSU on February 22nd, 2018 on the project and its results as well as on how to translate the output into practically applicable actions.
