Acceptability of traffic safety measures with personal privacy implications

The aim of the present study was to examine knowledge, beliefs, and acceptability of three information and communications technology (ICT) safety measures with personal privacy implications, that is, section control, informative intelligent speed adaptation (ISA), and event data recorder (EDR). A questionnaire study was carried out among car users in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (n = 1319). Results demonstrated that the respondents displayed a low level of knowledge of the measures, although the level of acceptability was relatively high. Notably, EDR was perceived to be a greater threat to personal privacy than section control and ISA, and acceptability was also lower for EDR than for the other measures. In regression analyses, background factors, knowledge, and general and specific beliefs were entered as predictors of acceptability (Adj R2 was approx. 0.70). Awareness that speeding is a problem and evaluating the measures as fair, effective, and a less infringement on personal freedom and personal privacy, resulted in higher levels of acceptability. The effects of background factors and knowledge were limited after controlling for different beliefs.

► The acceptability of section control, informative ISA, and EDR is relatively high.
► EDR is accepted to a lesser extent than section control and informative ISA.
► EDR has greater privacy implications than section control and informative ISA.
► General beliefs (e.g., problem awareness) are important for acceptability.
► Specific beliefs (e.g., perceived fairness) are important for acceptability.