Behavioral Dynamics in Urban Traffic: Insights from Islamabad's Road Users

Abstract

The traffic pattern in Islamabad represents well cultural practices, the enforcement agents and institutional designs. For instance, where culture disposes individuals to engage in certain ways or behavior patterns, this may encourage aggressive driving where there are perceived gains in terms of productivity or status and insofar as enforcement mechanisms do not properly punish aggressive driving, namely, speeding or overtaking. This research uses Theory of Planned Behavior and Risk Homeostasis Theory to understand how these factors affect driving, pedestrian, and cyclist behavior in relation to road traffic. This study used both close-ended semi-structured interviews combined with quantitative measures of traffic, accident rate, and PM2.5 pollution data. Critical conclusions show that rates of risky actions such as speeding and lane offenses demonstrate strong and unique cultural and psychological predictors. On the psychological level, the feeling that wide roads are safer to drive gives riders a phenomenon of very subjective safety, with a consequent increase in dangerous behavior, such as speeding and aggressive movements. It also exogenous factors that could negatively affect the environment implying noise pollution levels of more than 85dB and PM2.5 of not less than 120µg/m³, which magnify cognitive and safety issues.