Goodyear and the London School of Economics join forces on innovative road safety research

Goodyear and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) today announced their cooperation on an innovative road safety research project that delves deeper into the behavior of road users across Europe and seeks to identify how drivers influence each other’s behaviour on the road. The project, managed by LSE Consulting, is designed to contribute to the road safety debate in Europe with unique empirical insights.

Current road safety research is largely focused upon how drivers use their vehicles within a physical, as opposed to social, environment. With our new research project we want to analyse drivers’ interactions with and their attitudes towards other drivers and their effect on risky driving. Our team of researchers at LSE’s Department of Social Psychology is excited about the opportunity to use the latest research techniques in social psychology to approach road safety from an angle that hasn’t been emphasized so much before”, explained Dr. Chris Tennant, who is leading the research project at LSE.

“LSE’s Department of Social Psychology has produced ground-breaking research into the behaviour of individuals in social settings for 50 years. We are thrilled that we are able to work with one of the world’s leading research authorities on a study that has the potential to yield valuable insights and information into the road safety debate,” stated Olivier Rousseau, Goodyear vice president, consumer tires in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

This collaboration marks another step in Goodyear’s efforts to contribute to the road safety debate with new statistics and research projects that initiate recommendations on how to better tackle this important societal issue.  Goodyear previously conducted surveys of novice drivers (2012), driving instructors (2013), and parents of novice drivers (2014) leading to the publication of a white paper ‘Driving Safety First: Improving road safety for novice drivers,’ the second edition of which was published in November 2014. The white paper has been shared with key policy-makers and road safety organizations to help support their efforts to make Europe’s roads safer.

Part of the research project with LSE is a pan-European study of driver behavior across 15 countries, which should provide new information to feed into Goodyear’s long-supported idea of lifelong learning as a basis for improving road safety. A large amount of Goodyear’s research and policy recommendations, such as for example the establishment of graduated licenses, have supported this philosophy. 

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs approximately 67,000 people and manufactures its products in 50 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry.

About LSE

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is one of the foremost social science universities in the world. LSE is a specialist university with an international intake and a global reach. Its research and teaching span the full breadth of the social sciences, from economics, politics and law to sociology, anthropology, accounting and finance. Founded in 1895, the School has an outstanding reputation for academic excellence. 16 Nobel Prize winners have been LSE staff or alumni. The School has a cosmopolitan student body, with around 9,500 full time students from 140 countries. LSE has a staff of over 3,000, with about 46 per cent drawn from countries outside the UK.

Notes for editors

Data from prior research on young drivers (under 25):

  • 65% of young drivers have more in-car distractions today than ever before
  • 40% of young drivers are willing to take more risks
  • 29% of young drivers are less likely to follow the advice they received during driver training
  • 29% of young drivers do not see the value in driving lessons
  • 76% of driving instructors want parents to set a better example for their children

The latest edition of Goodyear’s White Paper ‘Driving Safety First: Improving road safety for novice drivers,’ can be downloaded here.

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