Research results show that 'electronic signage that displays the number of fatalities in traffic accidents' increases traffic accidents on the contrary
Electronic signage (digital signage) installed on highways displays messages about road conditions such as traffic jams and speed limit changes, and sometimes contains messages that encourage safe driving. In the United States, 28 states are trying to display 'the number of fatalities in traffic accidents in the whole state' to promote safe driving, but in a new study, 'displaying the number of fatalities in traffic accidents is counterproductive, and traffic accidents Will increase. '
Can behavioral interventions be too salient? Evidence from traffic safety messages
Highway warnings about traffic deaths may increase crashes, study finds | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2022/04/highway-warnings-about-traffic-deaths-may-increase-crashes-study-finds/
To find out how digital signage, which displays the number of road fatalities, actually affects, the research team analyzed data from Texas, which started displaying the number of road fatalities by digital signage in 2012. .. Texas was selected as the subject of the study, in addition to the fact that it began displaying the number of road fatalities relatively recently in 2012, 'only one week of the month when the traffic safety campaign is held. It seems that the point of 'displaying the number of fatalities in traffic accidents' was suitable for research.
From January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2017, before the display of the number of fatalities in traffic accidents began, the research team analyzed the data of traffic accidents that occurred in and around Digital Signage, and the research team said, 'Number of fatalities in traffic accidents. If you display on the digital signage, the number of traffic accidents will increase on the road ahead. '
Specifically, the research team said that the number of fatalities in road accidents increased by 2.7% in the first 1km after passing through the digital signage, and increased by a total of 4.5% in 10km. This is a slight but statistically significant increase, estimated to increase the number of road accidents by 2,600 and kill 16 people annually across Texas, at approximately $ 377 million annually. ) Has been suggested to lead to social loss. It is said that this effect was continuously observed from 2012 to 2017 when the display of the number of fatalities in traffic accidents by digital signage was introduced.
The reason why the display of the number of fatalities in traffic accidents is counterproductive is that the research team said, 'The display of the number of fatalities in traffic accidents increases the driver's anxiety and cognitive load, and reduces the attention and information processing ability required for driving. I am proposing the hypothesis that it will end up.
Supporting this hypothesis is the data that 'the more traffic fatalities displayed, the higher the probability of a traffic accident.' In the graph below, the horizontal axis shows the number of fatalities in traffic accidents (882 or less, 883 to 1736, 1737 to 2621, 2622 or more), and the vertical axis shows the rate of increase in traffic accidents. It can be seen that the number of traffic accidents increases as the number of fatalities increases.
In the graph below, the horizontal axis shows the month and the vertical axis shows the rate of increase in traffic accidents. Traffic accidents will increase in the latter half of the year when the number of fatalities in traffic accidents accumulates, and the impact will continue until January of the following year when the number of fatalities in the previous year is displayed, and then in February when the number of fatalities will be reset. You can see that the number of traffic accidents is decreasing at once.
The research team also found that during the week when digital signage displayed the number of road fatalities, accidents involving multiple vehicles increased, while single accidents did not. The research team said, 'A single accident is likely to be the result of a major mistake (such as driving off the road). Therefore, the increase in accidents involving multiple vehicles is distracting when displaying a traffic fatal message. It suggests that it causes smaller driving mistakes that are most associated with (such as lane deviations). '
The results reported this time are influenced by factors such as 'how often digital signage indicating the number of fatalities is installed' and 'how many fatalities are caused by traffic accidents', so traffic accidents Not all states that introduce a death count display will have the same impact.
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