Traffic Psychology as a field of applied psychological research: opportunities and perspectives in Russia

This article is devoted to an informative characteristic of the main areas of traffic psychology. The article attempts to outline the “subject area” of this field and to characterize the relationship with other branches of psychology. This article highlights applied researches in traffic psychology help for understanding the role of human factor in the formation and development of the transport environment and road safety. The article provides an overview of some socio-psychological problems caused by the specifics of modern transport environment. Solving these problems can help ensure road safety, minimize the risks of traffic behavior and reduce social tensions in road traffic. It is a very important and necessity for solving of transport problems in modern megalopolises. The possible directions of prospective studies of traffic psychology in Russia are considered.