Abstract
The paper develops a sociological model to explain collisions between two drivers or more. The "Social Accident" model presented here integrates empirical findings from prior studies and extant sociological theories. Sociological theory posits that social groups have unique cultural characteristics, which include a distinctive world view and ways of operating that influence its members. These cultural characteristics may cause drivers in different groups to interpret a given situation differently; therefore, they will make conflicting decisions that may possibly lead to road accidents. The proposed model may contribute to an understanding of the social mechanism related to interactions and communication among drivers by presenting new directions for understanding accidents and collisions. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research that will employ the model to assess its predictive and practical utility.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 914-921 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Accident Analysis and Prevention |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2007 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The authors wish to thank Prof. Ann Swidler for her helpful comments in regard to her theory. This paper was written with the support of the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology and the Israel National Road Safety Authority and with the aid of the Ran Naor Fund for Advancing Road Safety Research of the Or Yarok (Green Light) organization.
Keywords
- Car collisions
- Cultural influence
- Culture
- Group differences
- Interaction among drivers
- Sociology
