Risk compensation is a
theory which suggests that people typically adjust their
behavior in response to the perceived level of risk, becoming more careful where they sense greater risk and less careful if they feel more protected. Although usually small in comparison to the fundamental benefits of safety interventions, it may result in a lower net benefit than expected.
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By way of example, it has been observed that motorists drove faster when wearing
seatbelts and closer to the vehicle in front when the vehicles were fitted with
anti-lock brakes. There is also evidence that the risk compensation phenomenon could explain the failure of condom distribution programs to reverse
HIV prevalence and that condoms may foster disinhibition, with people engaging in risky sex both with and without
condoms.
By contrast,
shared space is a highway design method which consciously aims to
increase the level of perceived risk and uncertainty, thereby slowing traffic and reducing the number of and seriousness of injuries.
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