Browsing by Author "Rundmo, Torbjorn"

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9

Citation - WoS: 17
Citation - Scopus: 18
A Comparison of Road Traffic Culture, Risk Assessment and Speeding Predictors Between Norway and Turkey
(Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, 2012) Nordfjaern, Trond; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Rundmo, Torbjorn
The present study investigated differences in road traffic culture in Norway and Turkey. Differences in non-transport accidental risk perception and risk willingness were also examined. An additional aim was to scrutinise differences in how these constructs predict speeding and rule violations in the two countries. The results are based on a questionnaire survey conducted in samples of Norwegian (n = 247) and Turkish (n = 213) road users. Culture was operationalised by an instrument of communication by symbols in road traffic and fatalistic attributions of road traffic accidents. The results showed that Turkish road users reported more fatalistic beliefs and focused more on written information and sounds in road traffic. These road users were more willing to take risks and reported greater non-transport accidental risk perception. Norwegian drivers put greater emphasis on oral and visual traffic information. Norwegians also reported more extroverted orientations in traffic. The cultural variables were found to be relatively weak predictors of speeding and rule violations in both countries, but somewhat stronger predictors in Turkey. Fatalism was the most important predictor of risky driving in Turkey, where, in contrast, a visual road traffic orientation was the strongest predictor of reduced risk behaviour in road traffic. Risk Management (2012) 14, 202-221. doi: 10.1057/rm.2012.5
Citation - WoS: 62
Citation - Scopus: 69
Culture Related To Road Traffic Safety: a Comparison of Eight Countries Using Two Conceptualizations of Culture
(Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2014) Nordfjaern, Trond; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Rundmo, Torbjorn
The majority of previous cross-country studies of human factors relevant to traffic safety have not operationalized and measured culture. Also studies in this vein have mostly been carried out in Europe and the United States. The aim of the study was to examine country cluster differences, based on the Culture's Consequences framework, in road traffic risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in samples from Norway, Russia, India, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Turkey and Iran. An additional aim was to examine cluster differences in road traffic culture as symbol use and to investigate whether this theoretical cultural framework predicts risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in the country clusters. The sample consisted of a total of 2418 individuals who were obtained by convenience sampling in the different countries. The countries segmented into four Culture's Consequences clusters; Norway, Russia and India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Near East countries. The findings showed that Norwegians reported overall safer attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour than the remaining country clusters. Individuals in Africa reported the highest risk perception. The countries also differed substantially in road traffic culture as symbol use. Contrary to established cultural theory, prediction models revealed that cultural factors were stronger predictors of driver behaviour than of risk perception. Also, the social cognitive risk constructs (i.e. risk perception and attitudes) solely explained variance in driver behaviour in the Norwegian and Russia/India clusters. Previous empirical efforts, which aimed to demonstrate that culture is important for the risk perception criterion, may have focused on a criterion variable that is not strongly related to driver behaviour. Furthermore, countermeasures aimed to influence social cognition may have stronger applicability in countries with a more individualistic western cultural orientation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 24
Citation - Scopus: 23
Habitual, Safety and Security Factors Related To Mode Use on Two Types of Travels Among Urban Norwegians
(Elsevier, 2015) Nordfjaern, Trond; Lind, Hans Brende; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Jorgensen, Stig Halvard; Lund, Ingunn Olea; Rundmo, Torbjorn
This study aims to investigate psychological factors related to mode use on urban work/education and leisure travels, and to examine such factors related to intentions of using public transport. A survey was conducted in a random representative sample of the Norwegian population living in urban regions recruited from the Norwegian population registry (n = 1039). A two-cluster solution for mode use was revealed: individuals who mainly used public or health-promoting transport, and individuals who primarily used a car on the respective travels. The results suggest that car habit strength is more strongly related to car use on work/education travels. The probability component of risk perception, was related to mode use on leisure travels, and there was a weak association between the consequence component and use. High perceived probability of accidents in public transport was associated with use of public transport, while high corresponding risk estimates in private motorized transport were associated with car use. Strong car habit strength and high perceived probabilities of accidents and security issues in public transport were related to a reduced intention of using public transport. Increased worry of private motorized transport and a high demand for risk mitigation related to public modes were associated with an increased intention to use public transport. Work/education travels could be more habitual than leisure travels. Risk perception may be a result of exposure to specific modes, rather than a predictor of mode use. Safety and security factors also appeared as more relevant for leisure travels than for work/education travels. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 57
Citation - Scopus: 67
Risk Perceptions, Fatalism and Driver Behaviors in Turkey And. Iran
(Elsevier, 2013) Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Nordfjaern, Trond; Zavareh, Mohsen Fallah; Hezaveh, Amin Mohamadi; Mamdoohi, Amir Reza; Rundmo, Torbjorn
The present study examined traffic and non-traffic risk perception, fatalism and driver behaviors in Turkey and Iran. A questionnaire survey was carried out in a Turkish (N = 213) and Iranian sample (N = 254). A MANCOVA was conducted to compare the two countries in relation to the measured safety constructs. Results showed that Turkish respondents perceived greater risk both in traffic and non-traffic domains, such as environmental hazards. The Turkish respondents also reported safer driver behaviors and less fatalistic attitudes than Iranian respondents. In both samples traffic risk perception was correlated with non-traffic risk perception. Perceived risk was only associated with precautionary driver behaviors, such as seat belt use and speed reductions, in Turkey. However, it was not associated with any driver behaviors in Iran. Practical implications of the results for traffic safety interventions in both countries are discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 43
Citation - Scopus: 45
Road Traffic Culture and Personality Traits Related To Traffic Safety in Turkish and Iranian Samples
(Elsevier Science Bv, 2014) Nordfjaern, Trond; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Zavareh, Mohsen Fallah; Hezaveh, Amin Mohamadi; Mamdoohi, Amir Reza; Rundmo, Torbjorn
This study aims to examine differences in cultural road traffic symbol exchange, risk propensity personality traits, risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in a Turkish and Iranian sample. In addition we investigate the capability of personality traits and cultural road traffic symbol exchange to predict risk perception, attitudes towards traffic safety and driver behaviour in these two samples. A questionnaire survey was carried out in samples of Turkish (n = 213) and Iranian (n = 254) road users. The results showed that Iranian drivers were more likely to conduct rule violations and speeding, and were less likely to use seat belts than drivers in the Turkish sample. The Iranian sample also estimated a lower probability of road traffic accidents and also less severe health consequences of road traffic accidents. Personality traits, and particularly normlessness, were the strongest predictors of attitudes and driver behaviour in both samples. However, cultural variables also added to the explained variance in all three social cognitive constructs among Iranians. Trait theory may have a stronger applicability than cultural theory in developing middle income countries. Human factor campaigns could benefit by focusing on personality traits and, to some extent, on cultural road traffic symbol exchange to facilitate traffic safety in Iran and Turkey. Investments in development of road traffic infrastructure may not be efficient if psychological cognitions and driver behaviour are not addressed accordingly in the two countries. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 154
Citation - Scopus: 170
The Role of Attitudes, Transport Priorities, and Car Use Habit for Travel Mode Use and Intentions To Use Public Transportation in an Urban Norwegian Public
(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2015) Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Nordfjaern, Trond; Rundmo, Torbjorn
The present study aims to identify clusters of transport users and to examine the role of transport priorities, travel mode use attitudes, and car use habit on travel mode use. An additional aim is to test whether such factors predict intentions to use public transport and reported use of public transport. Data were collected via a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted in June and August 2013. Participants included a total of 1039 people who were randomly selected from the urban regions of Norway using the Norwegian population registry. Due to missing data on travel mode use variables the analyses were conducted with 546 observed cases. Two clusters of transport users were identified; individuals who primarily use public and health-promoting transport (e.g. public transportation users, bicyclists) and car users. Logistic regression analysis showed that older age, strength of the car use habit, and priorities of flexibility (e.g. prioritize being able to choose the exact time of travel) increased the odds of car use. Structural Equation Modeling showed that priority of convenience, priority of safety and security, and favorable attitudes towards public transport use were positive predictors of intentions to use public transportation, while car use habit was a negative predictor of both intentions to use public transportation and reported public transportation use. Traffic safety campaigns aiming to increase public transportation use in the urban Norwegian public could focus on increasing the attractiveness of public transport, particularly by improving flexibility of such transport. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 68
Citation - Scopus: 76
The Role of Deliberate Planning, Car Habit and Resistance To Change in Public Transportation Mode Use
(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2014) Nordfjaern, Trond; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Rundmo, Torbjorn
Few studies have examined the role of deliberate planning, car habit and resistance to change in relation to transportation mode use. The aim of this study was to examine the relative role of components in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), car habit and resistance to change in use of public transportation. A postal questionnaire survey was carried out in a randomly obtained representative sample (n = 1039) of the Norwegian population living in the six largest urban areas of Norway. The sample was randomly recruited from the Norwegian population registry. The results showed that an isolated TPB-model was better fitted to the data than an isolated habit-resistance to change model. The isolated TPB also explained substantially more of the variance in intentions to use public transport compared to the habit-based model. A combined model including the TPB, car habit and resistance to change was also found to have good fit. Within this model, the most important predictor of intentions to use public transport was strong subjective norms of public transportation mode use. Favorable attitudes towards public transport mode use were weakly related to intentions, when car habit and resistance to change were accounted for in the model. Perceived control was not mediated by intentions to use public transport and solely related directly to use. Car habit was a negative predictor of these intentions. It is concluded that car habit is not the sole factor related to intentions of using public transportation and that social cognition and social influence are instrumental in promoting use of such transportation. Use of public transportation seems to partly reflect a planned and deliberate psychological process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Citation - WoS: 47
Citation - Scopus: 52
Traffic Risk Perception, Road Safety Attitudes, and Behaviors Among Road Users: a Comparison of Turkey and Norway
(Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2012) Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Nordfjaern, Trond; Rundmo, Torbjorn
The present study aims to investigate differences in road safety attitudes, driver behavior, and traffic risk perception between Turkey and Norway. A questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of Norwegian (n=247) and Turkish (n=213) road users. The results show that Turkish respondents perceived traffic risk to be higher than Norwegian respondents. Turkish respondents reported safer attitudes towards drinking and driving than Norwegian respondents, while Norwegians reported safer attitudes towards speeding. Turkish respondents reported a lower frequency of speeding behaviors than Norwegian respondents, whereas Norwegian respondents reported a lower frequency of drinking and driving. Traffic risk perception was related to road safety attitudes and behaviors among Norwegian respondents but not among Turkish respondents. The results were discussed with respect to differences in traffic safety, traffic culture, and the development levels in Turkey and Norway.
Citation - WoS: 49
Citation - Scopus: 53
Transport Priorities, Risk Perception and Worry Associated With Mode Use and Preferences Among Norwegian Commuters
(Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2014) Nordfjaern, Trond; Simsekoglu, Ozlem; Lind, Hans Brende; Jorgensen, Stig Halyard; Rundmo, Torbjorn
There is currently scant research on the role of transport priorities, risk perception and worry for travel mode use and preferences. The present study aims to examine these factors in relation to mode use and preferences among Norwegian commuters. A web-based survey was conducted in a randomly obtained representative sample of daily commuters in the extended greater Oslo area (n = 690). The results showed that those who prioritized efficiency and flexibility tended to commute by car, while those who prioritized safety and comfort used public (e.g. metro, tram, and train) or active (e.g. walking and cycling) transport. In a free choice scenario, the respondents who prioritized flexibility reported a preference for using a car, whereas those who prioritized safety and comfort preferred public and active transport for their commuter travels. Risk perception of high impact events, such as terrorism and major accidents, as well as risk perception related to personal impact risks (theft, violence etc.) were related to car use on commuter travels. Transport-related worry exerted weak influences on mode use and preferences. Increased speed on rail transport and more frequent departures may be effective in reducing car use on commuter travels. Risk communication should focus on highlighting the low risk of experiencing security and safety issues in the public transport sector, and this message should be complemented by efforts to reduce the probability of negative events affecting public transport. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.