Cultural Perspective: The Role of Driving Schools in Creating Safety Awareness Cultural Perspective: The Role of Driving Schools in Creating Safety Awareness

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) study the historical background of driving schools, and 2) examine guidelines for applying cultural perspectives in ways that benefit society and the nation. The informants were selected through purposive sampling and consisted of three groups: 1) the key informants, who were individuals possessing in-depth knowledge regarding the history, beliefs, and cultural perspectives; 2) the practitioner group, comprising individuals who provided information on how cultural perspectives were applied for the benefit of society and the nation; and 3) the general public, including private car drivers who had never attended a driving school, regular motorcycle riders, and general road users.

          This study employed a qualitative cultural research approach. The instruments used for data collection included surveys, interviews, observations, focus group discussions, and workshops. The findings revealed that: 1) driving schools played a role as social and cultural mechanisms in shaping awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to safe, systematic, and sustainable road use within the context of Thai society; and 2) cultural perspectives served as an important foundation for sustainable development. Such perspectives needed to be systematically integrated with identity and traditional values into policies, education, communication, and community participation in ways that were consistent with local contexts and that strengthened a sense of social ownership.