Estimating the Causal Effect of Traffic Safety Hazard Prediction Training on Traffic Behavior Change

Abstract

The authors’ past research highlights a significant positive shift in traffic behavior observed in participants who underwent traffic safety hazard prediction training (KYT) during a mid-to-long-term follow-up survey. However, the underlying factors responsible for this transformation remain undisclosed. This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to changes in traffic behavior by utilizing ordered logit models based on data gathered from KYT sessions conducted in FY2020 and FY2021. The analysis yielded the following two findings: 1. Training with VR materials significantly affects road width, checking curve mirrors, checking back-ward, and walking on the right side of the road compared to the control group. 2. Training with photographic materials significantly affected right/left confirmation, road width, curve mirror confirmation, rearward confirmation, and walking on the right side of the road compared to the control group. These findings illuminated the distinct impacts of different training materials on traffic behavior and offer valuable insights for improving road safety education programs. Further research is needed to investigate the specific mechanisms underlying these effects.