Compliance with Traffic Rules

Reviewing Instrumental and Normative Approaches in Road Safety

Abstract

Road accidents remain a critical social, economic, and public health concern worldwide, disproportionately affecting children and young adults. Among the contributing human factors, driver behavior, particularly violations of traffic regulations, has been identified as a key risk factor. Two theoretical frameworks – the instrumental and the normative – have been widely employed to explain adherence to the norms in general. This article provides a review of the role of both approaches in the domain of (non)compliance with traffic rules and road safety. It begins by outlining the foundational concepts of deterrence and procedural justice and subsequently examines empirical evidence regarding these frameworks for (non)compliance with traffic rules.