Applying systems thinking to understand the impacts of traffic safety culture on young driver speeding behaviour

Young driver safety remains a road safety priority due to the over-representation of this cohort in crashes, fatalities and injuries. Speeding is recognised as a key contributor to traffic crashes, particularly within this population. Traffic safety culture is a growing area of research that considers the shared attitudes, values and beliefs of communities relating to road safety behaviours. However, the traffic safety culture of young drivers is under-researched and has not been conceptualised for speeding behaviour specifically. The current study applied an exploratory approach paired with systems thinking to discern the traffic safety culture of young drivers in Queensland, and in sub-groups of young drivers (general population females, general population males and car enthusiasts). Further, factors across the road transport system were investigated for their impact on traffic safety culture and speeding behaviour. A sample of 27 young drivers from Queensland participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed key factors of a general traffic safety culture that exist across the young driver groups. Further, the findings showed that factors across the whole road transport system impact young drivers’ traffic safety culture to varying degrees. The findings provide insight into how the system could be adapted to encourage safer behaviour in young drivers. It is suggested that a holistic approach spanning the road transport system be applied to integrate strategies which promote a positive traffic safety culture around speeding within the young driver cohort.