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Cultural Differences-Induced Mistakes in Driving Behaviour: An Opportunity to Improve Traffic Policy and Infrastructure

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Mistakes, Errors and Failures across Cultures

Abstract

Driving a vehicle is a complex task influenced by many factors, including cultural differences. When a driver with a certain cultural background drives in a foreign environment, their natural reaction to traffic situations might be unsuitable, so they can make a mistake in the comprehension of a traffic situation or in their reaction. In this chapter, we review theories of cultural differences, differences in driving behaviours in various cultures, and examples of driving mistakes induced by foreign cultural backgrounds. People in different countries are used to driving with a different level of aggressiveness, traffic signs that are positioned in different ways, and some specific-to-their-country traffic signs. These mistakes might inspire governments to change policies regarding traffic rules and improve infrastructure so that foreign drivers more easily adapt to the new environment. Such changes might include making traffic signs easier to comprehend, the usage of special traffic signs for foreigners, and governmental campaigns to educate foreign drivers.

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Acknowledgments

This chapter was produced with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports within National Sustainability Programme I, a project of the Transport R&D Centre (LO1610), on a research infrastructure acquired from the Operation Programme Research and Development for Innovations (CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0064).

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  1. CDV – Transport Research Centre, Brno, Czech Republic

    Václav Linkov & Petr Zámečník

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  1. Václav Linkov
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  2. Petr Zámečník
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Correspondence to Václav Linkov .

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  1. Catholic Adult Education of Germany, Römerberg, Germany

    Elisabeth Vanderheiden

  2. Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

  3. Institut für Therapeutische Kommunikation und Sprachgebrauch, Europa Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

    Claude-Hélène Mayer

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Linkov, V., Zámečník, P. (2020). Cultural Differences-Induced Mistakes in Driving Behaviour: An Opportunity to Improve Traffic Policy and Infrastructure. In: Vanderheiden, E., Mayer, CH. (eds) Mistakes, Errors and Failures across Cultures. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35574-6_32

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