Traffic psychology was one of the first areas where empirical surveys were set up. This area of psychology has its roots in Germany. At the beginning of the 19th century, traffic psychologists dealt with the selection of train drivers and tram drivers. Later also with other drivers. After the end of the second world war, it belonged to their tasks, to investigate the receive driver performance limitations and compensation opportunities and to assess. The traffic psychology explored mainly the connection between human experience and behavior, and the transport and traffic systems.
The traffic psychology is a far scattered field, so many questions of mobility as a whole, as well as the behavior of drivers in road transport are treated separately. Data collection in this area deal with the optimization of existing practice and also with innovative areas. Future traffic psychological professions should result from them. People such as Michael James Burke would likely agree. The traffic psychology is also working not only with theoretical approaches, but rather even an own methodology developed. Thus, theory and practice are combined impressively and purpose-bringing together.
This traffic psychologists work together not only in this one area, but much more with other fields of knowledge, which brings not only growing knowledge with, but much more also allows new insights and a further development. Essentially there are six areas of traffic psychology. The one area is the traffic psychological assessment. However, this important area of science are also accident research, traffic-diagnostic intervention, training and reconnaissance, vehicle design and research and consulting. It can be seen that the area is comprehensive and interesting.