Accident; analysis and prevention
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Traffic accident reduction by monitoring driver behaviour with in-car data recorders.
People who are aware of being observed tend to modify their behaviour. This phenomenon could potentially be used to encourage individuals to behave more safely when driving if there were means of providing feedback to the drivers about their behaviour on the road. So-called 'vehicle data recorders' offer such a means of providing behavioural feedback by confronting drivers with their recorded driving actions. ⋯ Analysis of the effects of the use of data recorders in these fleets resulted in an average estimated accident reduction of some 20%. The analysis shows that the actual savings vary depending on the transport sector involved and on the prior level of the fleet's safety record. Further studies are needed to identify the more promising application of such a use of traffic data recorders as a means of reducing road accidents.