While driving, we pay attention to everything except the driving itself

22 September, 2022

We question the traffic rules, we consider ourselves better than average drivers, we blame others and the environment for accidents, while even the calmest driver becomes reckless in a stressful situation – seen from the representative research of Magyar Suzuki Corporation. According to the traffic expert, in many cases we even break rules that we do not even know exist. The traffic psychologist added that the competitive world that surrounds us does not help our daily traffic behavior. From autumn Magyar Suzuki Corporation will launch an awareness campaign for safer traffic.

Almost 60 percent (58.9 percent) of Hungarian drivers see accidents on public roads every day, they consider the main causes of accidents being non-compliance with the rules (48 percent), inattention (38.1 percent) and violent behavior (7.6 percent) - revealed the joint representative survey of Magyar Suzuki Corporation and Ipsos.

"Inattentiveness is a common phenomenon on public roads, we do not concentrate on the given situation while driving, and these situations can quickly cause an emergency. Reading an SMS, for example, takes an average of 4.6 seconds, during which time our vehicle travels approximately 63 meters at a speed of 50 kilometers. If we travel at a speed of 30 kilometers, this distance is 41.5 meters, which is approximately the length of eight cars, which we cover blindly. During this time, we endanger ourselves as well as our immediate environment", László Csörgő, the leading trainer of the Driving Camp driving technique center, shares his experience. According to him, driving experience can also lead us in the wrong direction on the roads, because we tend to rely on routine in an emergency.
"Routine in traffic is the biggest enemy of safety. Instead of habitual movements, conscious driving would be the key to safety. All of this can be obtained by completing a driving technique training, and thus we can also influence our immediate environment with our calm and considered behavior."

Only 75 percent have already broken the Highway Code?
75 percent of Hungarians have already broken the Highway Code, the answers represent that more men have violated the traffic rules (83.2 percent) than women (66.5 percent). Most of the time, however, they do not break the rules consciously or intentionally, but out of inattention (66.2 percent), because there are traffic situations that they cannot solve otherwise (58.6 percent), or they do not always feel clear or realistic (24, 6 percent). There are, however, those who think (12.4 percent) that certain regulations exist only to impose fines on road users, they do not have a safety-related purpose, so they are not followed.

 

According to András Rusznák, judicial traffic expert, "the number rule breakers can also reach 100 percent, since in many cases we also break rules that we do not even know they exist or that we do not think should be applied in the given situation.”

In addition, we often pass judgment on a rule, questioning its necessity. However, the police, or in some cases the court, does not consider the rule according to how viable or justified it is. Believe, in most cases the system of traffic regulations creates a well-thought-out and appropriate environment for safe traffic," the expert suggests.

We perceive our behavior and that of other road users through a blindfold
Although we see ourselves more attentive (72.4 percent) and calm (55 percent), we perceive other road users aggressive (61.7 percent), irresponsible (61.5 percent). 19.1 percent of us fell vulnerability on the roads. 12.6 percent of us are stressed about reaching our destination on time and safely, while we consider 46.1 percent of road users stressed. There are even those who believe that a certain aggressiveness and decisiveness towards other drivers is especially necessary when driving (6.5 percent), and there were those who admit that their personality changes, they become a different person behind the wheel (5.5 percent).

According to the research, the accumulated stress in a tense traffic situation can challenge the behavior of even calmer drivers: we are frustrated and inattentive due to aggressive drivers or traffic stress, but we also often feel fear due to the reckless behavior of others. As a result, we curse, honk, use reflectors or ignore the following distance. 12 percent of the respondents stated that they jumped out of their car to fight with another driver .

"A survey also showed that more than 65 percent of road drivers consider themselves to be better than average drivers. However, this is a distortion of thinking: if someone else makes a mistake, we tend to blame that person, but for our own mistake, we consider environmental factors more likely to be responsible. Self-protection and positive differentiation from others are often an instinctive process, and a modern, competitive worldview can unfortunately reinforce this," traffic psychologist Dávid Zerkovitz assessed the behavior mechanism of road users .

What can be the solution?
In order to achieve safer traffic, 65 percent of the respondents would make Highway Code education mandatory from childhood, 47.2 percent would impose stricter penalties on violators, and 44.4 percent believe that it would be necessary to review and correct the current Highway Code regulations.

"As a car manufacturer, safety is of primary importance to us, but in addition to building quality, safe cars, the responsibility lies with the drivers. It would be necessary to fundamentally change a social behavior pattern for all participants of the traffic to be safe on the roads. That is why we launched the Together on the Roads traffic safety program, in which each year we will deal with a different traffic problem in a more focused manner. In this year's campaign, we want to draw attention to how differently we behave behind the wheel than we

think about ourselves. Together with experts we are looking for tips on how to change these entrenched, bad behavior patterns. During the autumn, we would also like to apply with our alternative solutions." – mentioned Zsuzsanna Bonnár-Csonka, Head of Corporate Communications at Magyar Suzuki Corporation.