Victim blaming in police road injury prevention messages? A case of bicycle helmets

Introduction In recent years, the way in which police and the media report on road crashes, especially those involving cyclists, has received increased attention from both researchers and the general public. They are often accused of engaging in victim blaming. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived level of victim blaming in six hypothetical scenarios that include a preventive measure communicated by police. Our main focus was on the bicycle helmet scenario, since discussions about bicycle helmets produce a lot of emotional responses. Methods We collected survey data from two samples: a representative sample of Finnish residents older than 17 years (N=1207) and a convenience sample of Finnish traffic safety experts (N=61). Results Overall victim blaming ratings were low in both samples. Education seems to be an important predictor, in that more educated respondents gave lower ratings. In the bicycle helmet scenario, cycling exposure was positively related to the perceived victim blaming ratings. Conclusions We conclude that a preventive measure aimed at potential future road crash victims will not be perceived as victim blaming if it also addresses those responsible for a crash. However, it seems there will always be groups, sub-groups, and individuals who may perceive such messages as victim blaming. Thus, constructing a preventive message which will not be perceived as victim blaming represents a challenge.