Speed Survey Question-by-Question Justification

Question By Question Justification

Note: Numbering is based on the web version of the survey. The web and paper versions contain the same questions and same question order.

PA-PB Respondent Selection – Screening Questions

This set of screening questions is to identify and select eligible survey respondents within a sampled household. The first question instructs the reader that the household member age 18 or older who has the next birthday should respond to the survey. This method is widely used and considered to be the most unobtrusive. The survey then asks the respondent’s age. If the respondent is only 17 or younger, then the survey terminates at P2. If the respondent is 18 or older then the survey continues.

GENERAL DRIVING INFORMATION

Q1 Driver Status

Respondents will be asked how often they usually drive a motor vehicle and those who do not drive will be skipped out of the parts of the interview about driving behaviors, as these questions are not appropriate for them.

Q2 Driver Vehicle Type

Respondents will be asked what type of vehicle they most frequently drive. It is important to know the types of vehicles driven as this may have some impact on driving behavior. The type of vehicle typically driven is very useful in designing countermeasures to reduce speeding.

SPEED BEHAVIOR

Q3-4 Driver Tendencies per Speed Relative to Other Traffic

Respondents will be asked two questions on how fast they drive relative to other traffic. These two questions provide general information on travel speeds and driving behavior. They are also trend questions that were used in previous versions of this survey.

SPEED BEHAVIOR ON VARIOUS ROAD TYPES

A series of parallel questions will be asked about driving behavior on three types of roads; Multi-Lane Divided Interstate-type Highways, Two-Lane Highways (one lane in each direction), and Neighborhood or Residential Streets. These road types represent distinct types of roadway with different driving challenges and different typical speeds. It is important to gather information of each type of road because not all drivers drive on all road types and drivers often have different driving behaviors depending on road type. Each set of questions in this series includes a screening question to skip the remainder of the section if the respondent does not drive on a certain road type, a measure of miles driven / driving exposure on the road type, a measure of perceived safe speeds on the road types, a measure of their typical speed on the road types, a measure of how often they go significantly over the speed limit, and a measure of their perception of law enforcement for speeding on the types of roads. A question will also be asked to measure typical driver speed on Multi-Lane Divided Interstate-type Highways and Main/ Arterial Roads relative to a posted speed limit. These measures will provide baseline measures of driving behavior and attitudes related to traffic speed and compare respondents these across road types. This will help target countermeasures for the specific types of driving environments.

Q5, 5a-5e, 6 Multi-Lane Divided Interstate-type Highways

Question 5 asks the general frequency of driving on this type of road and screens respondents out of the remaining questions in the series if they respond “Never.” Question 5a provides a specific quantifiable measure of miles driven / exposure on this type of road. Question 5b obtains the respondent’s view on what is a generally safe speed for driving on this type of road. Question 5c provides information on how fast, on average, they actually drive on this type of road, since many drivers view themselves as exceptionally good drivers compared to others. Question 5d asks how often they ever drive at an excessive speed (15 mph over the speed limit) on this type of road. Question 5e provides information about the driver’s typical speed on this road type with a posted 65 mph speed limit. Finally, question 6 (6a – response range check on web version) asks how far above the speed limit the average driver can go on this type of road before receiving a speeding ticket – a measure of their perception of existing law enforcement activity on this type of road.

Q7, 7a-7d, 8 Two-Lane Highways – one lane in each direction

Question 7 determines the general frequency of driving on this type of road and screens respondents for the type of road they drive and skips respondents to question 8 if they do not drive on this type of road. Question 7a provides a specific quantifiable measure of miles driven / exposure on this type of road. Question 7b obtains the respondent’s view on what is a generally safe speed for driving on these types of roads. Question 7c provides information on how fast, on average, they actually drive on these types of roads, since many drivers view themselves as exceptionally good drivers compared to others. Question 7d provides information on if they ever drive at an excessive speed (15 mph over the speed limit) on these types of roads and how often. Finally, question 8 (8a – response range check on web version) asks how far above the speed limit the average driver can go on these types of roads before receiving a speeding ticket – a measure of their perception of existing law enforcement activity on this type of road.

Q9 Main (Arterial) Roads

Question 9 about the driver’s typical speed on a main (arterial) road type in a town with a posted 35 mph speed limit.

Q10, 10a-10d, 11 Neighborhood and Residential Streets

Question 10 determines the general frequency of driving on this type of road and screens respondents for the type of road they drive and skips respondents to question 11 if they do not drive on this type of road. Question 10a provides a specific quantifiable measure of miles driven / exposure on this type of road. Question 10b obtains the respondent’s view on what is a generally safe speed for driving on these types of roads. Question 10c provides information on how fast, on average, they actually drive on these types of roads. It is important to determine if they drive faster than the speed they think is safe for most drivers, since many drivers view themselves as exceptionally good drivers compared to others. Question 10d provides information on if they ever drive at an excessive speed (10 mph over the speed limit) on these types of roads and how often. Finally, question 11 (11a – response range check on web version) asks how far above the speed limit the average driver can go on these types of roads before receiving a speeding ticket – a measure of their perception of existing law enforcement activity on this type of road.

NORMS / FACTORS ON SPEEDING

It is important that NHTSA have an in-depth understanding of the factors influencing speeding behaviors for the Agency to determine how best to encourage compliance with speed traffic laws. This requires information on drivers’ general views on speed limits and driving (Q12a-12g), drivers’ motivations for driving faster than the speed limits (Q12h-12o, Q13), questions on why drivers obey the speed limits (Q14a-14e, Q15, Q16, Q18), and drivers’ typical driving behaviors (Q17a-17d). By collecting information on the norms and factors affecting all three of these aspects of speeding behavior, an analysis of the interplay of these variables is possible that will deepen our understanding of drivers’ travel speed choices and provide important information for developing countermeasures to deter speeding.

Q12a-12g General Views on Driving and Speed Limits

Questions 12a through 12g provide the respondents’ general views on driving and speed limits. They will provide NHTSA with a way to better evaluate driver perceptions of what is appropriate for the general driving population. These questions provide quantification for a scale to be used in factor analyses of drivers. This will provide important information for the development of education programs and other countermeasures to deter speeding.

Q12g-12o Respondent Motivations for Driving Fast

Questions 12g through 12o provide the respondents’ perceptions of their own driving as it relates to speed limits and why they sometimes speed. These questions will provide NHTSA with a way to better evaluate driver perceptions of what is appropriate for their own driving. These questions provide quantification for use in factor analyses of drivers and their motivations. This will provide important information for the development of countermeasures to deter speeding.

Q13 Reasons for Driving Faster than the Speed Limit

Question 13 determines various reasons why a respondent drives over the speed limit when they do so. This question will provide additional information on the motivations behind speeding helping us to capture information on reasons for speeding that may not have been captured in the limited response questions included in Q12g-12o. This will provide important information for the development of countermeasures to deter speeding.

Q14a-14e, 15, 16, 18 Views on Driving at or near the Speed Limit

Questions 14a through 14e and 15, 16, and 18 provide the respondents’ general views on how they feel about driving at or near speed limits. They will provide NHTSA with a way to better evaluate driver perceptions of what motivates drivers to obey speed limits and what bothers them about maintaining the speed limit. It includes questions to identify their concerns with safety and fuel efficiency and how obeying the speed limit may enhance these. These provide important information for the development of countermeasures and education programs to deter speeding.

Q17a-17d Basic Driving Behaviors about Speeding

Questions 29c through 29g provide general information on respondents’ tendency to drive fast / speed. The data gathered from these questions is useful for understanding driver speeding behavior for the development of countermeasures and education programs to deter speeding.

LAW ENFORCMENT

Q19-21 Attitudes on Law Enforcement and Speeding

Questions 19 through 21 provide general information on respondents’ views on law enforcement and speeding. It is important to have an in-depth understanding of drivers’ views on law enforcement and speeding so that the Agency can determine the levels of law enforcement needed to encourage compliance with laws governing traffic speeds in a manner that will be accepted by the driving public. Question 19 examines their view of the overall importance of speeding law enforcement. Question 20 examines respondent views on the level of effort that law enforcement should make to enforce speeding laws. Question 21 examines respondent experiences with the level of traffic law enforcement on the roads they typically drive. Together, these questions will help NHTSA better understand the relationships between drivers’ views on the importance of speeding law enforcement, the level of effort they think is appropriate for this, and what they actually see occurring on the roads they drive.

Q22, 23a-23f, 24-27 Automated Speed Enforcement Devices

Automated speed enforcement (ASE) is a growing technological countermeasure used in many parts of the country to deter speeding and enforce speeding laws. More information is needed to determine how to best deploy these technologies so that the Agency can refine strategies for their use that will maximize both public acceptance and the deterrent effect to reduce speeding behaviors. Question 22 determines respondent awareness of these devices. Question series 23a-23f collects information on the locations drivers believe are appropriate for the use of these devices. This is important to help determine locations the public will accept or reject for use of these devices. Question 24 determines if the respondents drive in areas with speed cameras in use and have first-hand experience with them. There are many areas in the country that have not started using these devices yet. It is important to examine the differences between drivers who have experience with these devices and those that do not since drivers with no experience can only answer from a hypothetical perspective, while drivers who have experience with these devises have had concrete experiences with the devices. This can have a direct effect on respondents’ knowledge of and opinions of the devices. Question 25 reveals if respondents have ever been ticketed via a speed camera. This will provide important information on how being ticketed via automated devices may influence drivers’ opinions of the devices. It will also help by providing the start of a baseline measure regarding the extent to which this type of enforcement activity is occurring. Finally, questions 26 and 27 examines drivers’ views on the purpose of ASE (accident prevention versus revenue generation) so that NHTSA can better understand how this may influence drivers’ acceptance of ASE.

Q28a-28f Attitudes Toward Speeding Countermeasures - General Approaches

Questions 28a through 28f collect information on drivers’ level of acceptance of several general speeding countermeasure options, including increasing the frequency of ticketing, increasing fines for speeding tickets, public education on speeding risks, road design changes, and electronic signs on the roadside to give feedback to drivers on their travel speeds. This information is needed to help law enforcement, highway safety organizations, and law makers determine the most appropriate and publicly acceptable policies on these issues as they determine their speeding countermeasure options.

Q29a-29d, 30a-30b, 31a-31b, 32a-32b, 33a-33c Attitudes Toward Speeding Countermeasures – In-Vehicle Devices

Questions 29a-29d examine drivers’ acceptance of speed governors (devices installed on vehicles to limit the speed of vehicles) for various types of drivers: truck drivers, young drivers, habitual speeders, and all drivers. Questions 30a-30b, 31a-31b, 32a-32b gather data on drivers’ acceptance of possible in-vehicle devices as speeding countermeasures and whether they think the devices would prevent them from speeding. Question 33a-33c collects information on how likely the respondent drivers would use certain devices themselves on their own vehicles. Taken together, these questions collect information on general attitudes concerning various technological devices that can be installed on vehicles and whether or not drivers are likely to use them, which is crucial to future policy decisions on these countermeasures, as well as related educational efforts on them.

Q34a-34d Attitudes Toward Speeding Countermeasures – Variable Speed Signs

Questions 34a-34d examines drivers’ acceptance of digital variable speed limit signs in various locations (constructions zones and school zones) and conditions (bad weather and congested roadways). These signs are a new technology that is growing in usage across the nation. This information on respondent acceptance of these devices will help highway safety policy makers make decisions on the possible use of these devices as speeding countermeasures in these types of locations and situations.

OTHER RELATED DRIVING INFORMATION

Q35a-35b Speed-related Crash Experiences

Questions 35a and 35b examine respondents’ personal experiences with speeding-related vehicle crashes. Question 35a quantifies the number of times they have experienced a speed-related crash and provides a skip to the next section for those that have not been in a speed-related crash in the past twelve months. Question 35b provides information about whether the driver sustained any injury from the crash. It is important to gather this information to determine how crash experiences relate to attitudes and behaviors regarding speeding.

Q36a-36b, 37 Personal Sanctions for Speeding

Questions 36a and 36b gather information on respondents’ speeding behavior that has led to being personally sanctioned. Question 36a asks how many times the driver was stopped for speeding in the past year and skips those that were not stopped to the next section. Question 36b collects information on the actual sanction received for the most recent police stop for speeding (ticket or warning). Question 37 gathers information regarding if this most recent speeding sanction caused them to change their speeding behavior. This information is important for a number of reasons. First, it will help NHTSA determine how speeding sanctions influence attitudes and behaviors related to speeding. Second, it will help NHTSA to see if drivers who report regular speeding behavior are getting caught and ticketed. Third, it will show law enforcement tendencies for ticketing or warning drivers who are stopped for speeding, as well as any biases that may be related to this.

Q38-39 Other Risky Behaviors

Two important factors related to speeding fatalities are the use of seat bells and presence of alcohol. These two questions gather some basic information on belt use (Q38) and alcohol use (Q39) by drivers. They provide trend measures and important information on segments of the driving population that may need to be addressed with educational efforts and countermeasures that are specifically tied to these other risky behaviors.

Q40-42 Use of Cell Phone Behaviors

The use of cell phones for phone calls and texting while driving has become a growing problem in recent years. These three questions collect information on driver calls and texts while driving. Question 40 quantifies how often respondents talk on their cell phone while driving. Question 41 provides information on how often they send text messages while driving. Question 42 gathers information on how often respondents read text messages while driving. This information is important to help NHTSA understand how often these risky behaviors co-occur and correlate with driver attitudes, behaviors, and experiences related to speeding. The information will be used to inform policies and to develop related countermeasures and educational programs.

Q43-50 Demographic Variables

The demographic data collected in this study serve two primary purposes. The first is to monitor and evaluate the representativeness of the surveyed population as compared to the total target population for the United States. This allows the final data to be weighted by age, sex, education, and race, and to correct any sampling disproportionalities by ensuring that the demographic profile of the surveyed population reflects the known population parameters of persons aged 18 and older living in the United States.

The second purpose of collecting the demographic data is to be able to examine differences in attitudes and behaviors regarding speeding among different demographic sub groups of the population. This information will allow NHTSA to target education and programs to the highest at-risk groups.

Question 43 will record the respondent's age.

Question 44 will record the respondent’s sex.

Question 45 will record the respondent's level of education.

Question 46 will record the respondent's marital status.

Questions 47-48 will record the respondent's ethnic background and race.

Question 49 asks if the household rents or owns their home.

Question 50 will record respondent household income for 2019.

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