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2025 Traffic Safety Culture Index
Although motor vehicle crash fatalities in the United States show a declining trend, road deaths remain high. Understanding the cultural context of driving, along with the personal factors that influence driving behavior, is essential for explaining why risky behaviors continue to contribute to tens of thousands of traffic fatalities each year.
The 2025 Traffic Safety Culture Index explores how drivers think about and engage with risk behind the wheel—examining perceptions and attitudes toward dangerous behaviors, self-reported behaviors, perceptions of safe and risky driving in their neighborhoods, how drivers assess their own behavior and abilities, and the role of social stress in shaping driving behavior.