The driver behaviour questionnaire in South-East Europe countries: Bulgaria,Romania and Serbia

Using data from three samples and more than 1000 participants, this study have examined the psychometric properties of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) in three countries from South-East Europe. Differences in driving behaviour between countries were also investigated. Exploratory factor analysis results supported the distinction between errors and violations in all three countries. Furthermore, the positive associations of both errors and violations with self-reported traffic accidents were also consistent in all three samples. In terms of differences in driving behaviour, Romanian drivers scored higher on many error and violation items in comparison to the other two countries. Also, speeding violations were the most common violations in all three countries. Overall, our results provide further support for using the DBQ to measure aberrant (i.e. errors and violations) driver behaviour.     

Older drivers' aberrant driving behaviour,impaired activity,and health as reasons for self-imposed driving limitations

The present study used a mail survey addressed to Swedish drivers aged between 55 and 92 years (n=939) to study the relationship between driving exposure, health, and four types of self-reported aberrant driving behaviour as measured with a Swedish version of the driver behaviour questionnaire.Age and gender were the most important predictors of the tendency to sometimes avoid driving. However, even after accounting for age and gender, reports of own erroneous driving behaviour because of inattention (e.g., failure to notice a signal) and inexperience errors (viz., handling the car), as well as impaired health, were related to self-imposed driving limitations, whereas the violations and mistakes factors were not. Problems with activities of daily living were only marginally associated with self-imposed driving limitations, mediated through inattention and inexperience errors.The results support the notion that older drivers adjust their driving in response to their health and to the problems they experience while driving.     

An application of the driver behaviour questionnaire in an Australian organisational fleet setting

This study reports on the utilisation of the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) to examine the self-reported driving behaviours of a sample of Australian fleet drivers (N = 443). Surveys were posted to participants who agreed to participate in the study. PCA factor analysis with oblique rotation identified a three factor solution which supports previous research that has demonstrated distinctions between different driving practices (e.g., errors, highway code violations and aggressive driving violations). However, a larger number of items traditionally related with highway code violations were found to be associated with aggressive driving acts among the current sample. Additional analysis revealed that the DBQ factors were negatively related with self-reported traffic offences, although at a multivariate level only the number of kilometres driven each year (i.e., exposure) proved to be predictive of incurring fines/demerit points. This paper further outlines the major findings of the study and highlights implications regarding the utilisation of the DBQ within fleet settings to examine on-road behaviour among professional drivers.     

Driving self-regulation and risky driving outcomes

Self-regulation has been associated with risky driving outcomes in the past but there are no available measures to assess driving-specific self-regulatory capacity. The present study assessed the association of a newly developed driving self-regulation measure with driving violations, errors, and lapses. Overall, 330 UK drivers completed measures of risky driving outcomes, driving anger, trait impulsivity, sensation seeking, normlessness, domain-general trait self-regulation plus a new unidimensional measure of Driving Self-Regulation Questionnaire (DSRQ-16). Bivariate correlation analysis indicated that the DSRQ-16 showed expected associations with both driving-related outcomes and factors, as well as with impulsivity traits and general self-regulation. Bootstrapped hierarchical linear regression models showed that the DSRQ-16 was significantly associated with driving violations, errors, and lapses after controlling for the effects of other relevant predictors. This is the first study to demonstrate the association of driving-specific self-regulation with risky driving behaviour, driving anger, impulsivity and related personality traits. Driving-specific self-regulation may present a novel target for road safety interventions, as well as a theoretically relevant component of models of risky driving behaviour.     

Why are there sex differences in risky driving? the relationship between sex and gender‐role on aggressive driving,traffic offences,and accident involvement among young turkish drivers

The aim of this study was to investigate how sex (male and female) and gender‐role (masculinity and femininity) and their interaction were associated with risky driving behaviors, traffic offences, and accident involvement among young Turkish drivers. Three‐hundred and fifty‐four young drivers (221 males and 133 females) filled in a form including the short form of Bem Sex‐Role Inventory (BSRI), the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ), questions about a driver's accident history, and background information. The effects were tested on outcome variables by using hierarchical regression analysis. It was found that sex (being male) predicted only the ordinary violations. While masculinity score predicted positively the number of offences, and aggressive and ordinary (highway code) violations, femininity score predicted negatively the number of accidents and offences, aggressive and ordinary violations, and errors. The effect of interaction between masculinity and femininity was only found on the number of accidents and aggressive violations among young drivers. There was no significant interaction effect between sex and gender roles on criterion variables. Aggr. Behav. 00:1–12, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Accident involvement among Iranian lorry drivers: Direct and indirect effects of background variables and aberrant driving behaviour

Road accident rates among Iranian lorry drivers are considerably high and, according to empirical evidence, aberrant driving behaviours, summed to certain demographic, psycho-social and work-related factors, may explain their accident involvement. Consequently, the main aim of the study was to examine the direct and indirect effects of background variables (i.e. annual mileage, lorry driving experience, demographic and socioeconomic factors) on accident involvement mediated through aberrant driving behaviour among Iranian lorry drivers. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in 2012 among 914 lorry drivers in 10 selected provinces in Iran. The 27-item Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was used to measure aberrant driving behaviour. Results from valid observations (n = 785) confirmed a four-factor solution (including ordinary violations, aggressive violations, errors, and lapses) of the DBQ. Errors, ordinary violations and aggressive violations were positively associated with accident involvement. However, lapses were not significantly associated with accident involvement. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) further showed that, in addition to direct effects of background variables on accident involvement, several variables had indirect effects mediated by three-DBQ factors; ordinary violations, aggressive violations, and errors. Higher age, having more lorry driving experience, having higher educational attainment, and married drivers were indirectly related to less accident involvement. Annual driving mileage and the resting rate of drivers was both directly and indirectly related to accident involvement. Higher income and car ownership were directly related to fewer accidents. Interventions could aim to decrease ordinary violations, aggressive violations and errors among younger, less educated and single lorry drivers. Initiatives targeted to increase the scheduled resting frequency of lorry drivers may also hold promise.     

Accidents,aberrant behaviours,and speeding of young moped riders

Moped riders, particularly youngsters, are amongst the highest risk group in traffic. We used an adapted version of the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire to examine why moped riders are often involved in traffic accidents. We conducted a questionnaire study among 146 young moped riders in the Netherlands. We found that aberrant behaviour of moped riders can indeed be classified as errors, lapses, and violations. Accidents involvement appeared not to be significantly related to errors, lapses, and violations. As hypothesised, moped riders were more likely to speed, and had a stronger intention to disobey speed limits when they have a positive attitude towards speeding, and when they think that others expect them to speed. Perceived control did not affect self-reported speeding and intention to speed. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study.     

Driving violations,aggression and perceived consensus

A questionnaire survey of 171 English drivers investigated the relationships between trait aggressiveness, self-reported driving violations, and perceptions of the commission of driving violations by others, using the extended violation scale of the Manchester Driver behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). Drivers who were relatively high on trait aggressiveness reported committing more traffic violations than those who had lower scores. Both aggressive and non aggressive drivers believed that others committed the driving offences more often than they did themselves, although those with a higher score for trait aggressiveness had a greater tendency to do so. The commission of both aggressive and Highway Code violations was predicted by trait anger. Those high on anger and hostility were also more likely to have been involved in a road traffic accident. The implications for road safety interventions are discussed.     

Can traffic violations be traced to gender-role,sensation seeking,demographics and driving exposure?

BackgroundTraffic safety is often expressed as the ‘inverse of accidents’. However, it is more than the mere absence of accidents. Past studies often looked for associations between accidents and self-reports like the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ; Reason, Manstead, Stradling, Baxter, & Campbell, 1990). The focus in this study changed from counting accidents to quantifying unsafe acts as violations. The objective was to show that drivers' specific violations can be traced to personal characteristics such as sensation seeking (SSS-V; Zuckerman, 1994), gender role (BSRI; Bem sex role inventory, Bem, 1974), demographics, and driving exposure.MethodA web-based questionnaire was distributed, integrating several known questionnaires. Five hundred and twenty-seven questionnaires were completed and analyzed.ResultsSensation seeking, gender role, experience, and age predicted respondents’ score on the DBQ, as well as the interaction of sensation seeking with gender and gender role. Gender role was a more valid predictor of driver behavior than gender.ConclusionsThe effect of gender role on drivers’ self-reported violation tendency is the most interesting and the most intriguing finding of this survey and indicates the need to further examine gender role affects in driving.     

Driver behaviour and traffic accident involvement among professional urban bus drivers in China

The present research aimed to investigate specific behaviors of professional urban bus drivers in China with the revised Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), and to define the relationships among various driving behaviors (errors, positives, inattention errors, violations), background information (age, years of driving experience, mobility, etc.), self-assessment, and traffic accident. To achieve such goals, the present research designed a four-dimensional DBQ with 20 items for professional urban bus drivers in China. The KMO coefficient of the whole scale was 0.835, and Bartlett’s test was statistically significant (p < 0.000), which demonstrated strong validity of the scale and should be suitable for factor analysis. The four loading factors accounted for 58.991%. In addition, the reliability and effectiveness of the present 20-item scales were measured. The coefficient of internal consistency-Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.881 and the Cronbach’s Alpha Based on Standardized Items was 0.911. This showed that driving behavior scale of professional bus drivers in China was of high reliability and validity. The analysis showed that among the four factors, positive driving behaviors were significantly associated with errors, inattention errors and violations, respectively. Errors, inattention errors and violations correlated positively with each other. This verified that the correlation coefficient of each factor was medium and high, which indicated that the scale had good difference validity. The test content of the total scale was also highly consistent with the test content of each factor, which indicated that the revised scale had good standard related validity. According to the accident prediction model, the variables that significantly affected the occurrence of traffic accidents were daily driving time, positive driving behavior, SE2 (Driving safety), SE3 (Aberrant driver behaviors). The results showed that professional bus drivers often working overtime were most likely to have accidents. The probability of traffic accidents decreased by 53% for every unit of positive driving behavior frequency of professional bus drivers. The more they felt that they had the tendency of aberrant driving behavior, the more likely they were to have traffic accidents. To summary, the present research contributed to validating and improving the DBQ for professional urban drivers in China.     

Identifying the main factors contributing to driving errors and traffic violations – Results from naturalistic driving data

Researchers have identified various factors that likely affect aberrant driving behaviors and therefore crash risk. However, it remains unclear which of these factors poses the greatest risk for either errors or violations under naturalistic driving conditions. This study investigated important variables contributing to driving errors and traffic violations based on naturalistic driving data from the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2). In addition, this study identified factors determining the drivers’ willingness to perform common secondary tasks while driving, which have been associated with different degrees of crash risk. Results showed that anger, passenger presence, and persistent individual differences in driver behavior were the main factors associated with committed violations; surprise, high-risk visually distracting secondary tasks, and the driving task demand passing through an interchange were the main factors associated with errors. The willingness to engage in risky secondary tasks while driving appeared to be related to an overall tendency to engage in risky driving behaviors. However, drivers considered the driving context particularly when engaging in visually distracting secondary tasks. This study’s comprehensive approach should be a step towards generating a complete model of the variables that contribute to, or mitigate dangers in traffic.     

Identifying effects of driving and secondary task demands,passenger presence,and driver characteristics on driving errors and traffic violations – Using naturalistic driving data segments preceding both safety critical events and matched baselines

Researchers have identified various factors that likely affect aberrant driving behaviors and therefore crash risk. However, it remains unclear which of these factors poses the greatest risk for committing either errors or violations under naturalistic driving conditions. This study investigated important variables contributing to driving errors and traffic violations based on naturalistic driving data from the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2). The analyzed driving segments preceded both safety critical events and matched baselines. Results showed that intersection influence, high-risk visually distracting secondary tasks, and the severities of the safety critical events were the main factors associated with driving errors. The primary factors linked to violations were intersection influence, persistent individual differences in driver behavior, and the severities of the safety critical events. Furthermore, the number of aberrant driving behaviors in trip segments preceding crashes was higher than in the matched segments unrelated to safety critical events. However, the most common aberrant driving behavior types in the respective segment groups appeared to resemble each other. This suggests that crashes became more likely due to drivers committing more violations and errors overall as opposed to drivers making one certain type of error or violation.     

The predictive role of achievement goals adoption on sensation-seeking and risk taking in driving

Risk taking in driving is a major road safety issue. Understanding the individual psychological differences that may influence risk taking may contribute to better overcome its negative consequences. Recently, four achievement goals were highlighted in the driving domain: striving to drive well or to improve as much as possible (mastery-approach goals), to avoid driving badly or to avoid being a worse driver than before (mastery-avoidance goals), to outperform other drivers (performance-approach goals), and to avoid being a worse driver than other drivers (performance-avoidance goals). The first purpose of the present study was to examine the predictive role of these achievement goals in driving on self-reported drivers’ risk taking (ordinary and aggressive violations) and sensation-seeking. The second purpose of the study was to test the mediating role of sensation seeking between achievement goals adoption in driving and violations. A total of 341 French drivers voluntarily filled out the questionnaires assessing the variables of interest. The main results showed that performance-approach goals adoption was found to positively predict sensation seeking, ordinary and aggressive violations, whereas mastery-avoidance goals adoption was found to negatively predict these variables. The results also highlighted that sensation seeking was a significant mediator of the relationships between the two previous achievement goals (performance-approach and mastery-avoidance goals) and ordinary and aggressive violations. In conclusion, the achievement goal model may now be considered a relevant theoretical framework in the driving literature focusing on risk taking, sensation seeking, and road safety.     

Impulsivity and driver behaviors,offences and accident involvement: A systematic review

The present literature review study investigated the relationship between impulsivity and driver behaviors, offences and road traffic accidents through the lenses of characterological perspective. The studies published from 1970 to 2014 that examined and reported a relationship between impulsivity and at least one driving related outcome (e.g., a self-report measure of driver behavior) were included. The relevant 38 out of 288 studies are presented in four sections based on the driving related outcomes as; (i) aberrant driver behaviors and driving anger/aggression, (ii) driving under the influence, (iii) traffic offences and accidents, (iv) other. The vast majority of the studies reported significant relationships between impulsivity and the driving outcomes. The general findings of the studies in the literature, suggestions including a new definition of impulsivity in driving context, and future directions are discussed in the scope of a proposed integrative conceptual framework.     

A social psychological approach to driving violations in two Chinese cities

A questionnaire study conducted in two Chinese cities investigated the determinants of the respondents’ aberrant driving behaviours. The Chinese Driving Questionnaire (CDQ) was developed and a version of the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) containing an extended set of driving violations particularly relevant in China was also included. Factor analysis of the DBQ revealed four factors with Alpha values over .60, two of them violations and the other two lapses and errors. Factor analysis of the CDQ items also revealed four factors with Alpha values over .60, namely the sense of social hierarchy, potential road safety countermeasure, belief in interpersonal network, and challenging legitimate authority. The result of a correlation analysis of the DBQ and CDQ scales showed that while the two violation scales were significantly and positively correlated with the social hierarchy and interpersonal network scale, the two lapse and error scales basically were not. When the DBQ scales were regressed on demographic variables and CDQ scales, the results of the hierarchical regressions showed that the prediction of self-reported driving violations had been significantly improved by the addition of culture relevant factors measured in the CDQ, while there was no major change in the prediction of lapses and errors. Logistic regression analysis showed that aggressive violations made a significant contribution to traffic accident involvement, independent of the demographic variables. The present study also identified some potential road safety countermeasures, and suggested young female drivers, and drivers at their early thirties should be especially targeted in road safety campaign.     

Understanding and modelling risky driving behaviour on high-speed corridors

This study explores the relationships among various factors influencing risky driving behaviours, particularly on high-speed corridors (expressways). A total of 546 samples are collected from licenced drivers through an online survey. Exploratory factor analysis confirms the four-factor solution and the same is verified using confirmatory factor analysis. These factors are individual aberrant driving behaviour (violations and errors), risky driving behaviour performed by surrounding vehicles and dangerous manoeuvres due to prevailing road environment. Structural equation modelling is used to establish the relationships amongst the aforementioned factors. The results of the study describe that observed risky driving behaviour on expressways is mostly affected by drivers’ individual aberrant driving (γ = 0.62) followed by risky driving behaviour performed by surrounding vehicles (γ = 0.39) and least affected by the road environment (γ = 0.36). The individual driving behaviour is mostly affected by violations (γ = 0.47) followed by errors (γ = 0.38). Furthermore, differences in Driving Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) scales are analysed with respect to the demographic variables. Results suggest that male and young drivers report more violations than female and older drivers, respectively, however, female drivers are more error prone than male drivers. The findings of the study can be useful to identify the potential road safety countermeasures to improve the driving style as well as the driving environment.     

Self-reported pedestrian behaviour in Australia

Internationally, there have been a number of self-reported questionnaires developed to classify pedestrians’ engagement in aberrant behaviours while walking. However, there is yet to be consensus regarding the most appropriate factor structure for these models. Furthermore, to our knowledge, a pedestrian behaviour questionnaire (PBQ) has not been validated to investigate Australian pedestrians. As such, the aim of this research was to build on the previous international instances of pedestrian behaviour questionnaires and validate a questionnaire for a cohort of Australians. Nine hundred and sixty eight participants (80.8% female) completed an online survey which included 128 items describing pedestrian behaviour, identified in international versions of PBQs. A split half analysis was conducted to determine the most appropriate configuration of the scale. Exploratory Factor Analysis conducted on half of the sample identified a 32-item four factor model of pedestrian behaviour. These factors broadly described unintentional errors, deliberate violations, aggression and engagement with technology. Confirmatory Factor Analysis on the remaining sample confirmed the proposed factor structure.Across the four factors, pedestrians reported low mean scores for all items; indicating that errors, violations, technology engagement and aggression were rarely exhibited behaviours. The highest mean scores were for engagement with technology. While the least common pedestrian behaviours were errors while walking. Male participants were found to self-report higher rates of all behaviours, while age was negatively associated with violations, errors and technology engagement. Overall, the research presents a validated measure of aberrant pedestrian behaviour in Australia.     

It’s all in the mind: The relationship between mindfulness and nomophobia on technology engagement while driving and aberrant driving behaviours

This study investigated the relationship between mindfulness and nomophobia on technology engagement while driving and aberrant driving behaviours. Nine hundred and ninety participants completed an online survey (Female: 68.6%; Age: M = 51.2 years, SD = 15.7, Range = 18.0–84.0 years) that assessed mindfulness, nomophobia, technology engagement while driving, aberrant driving behaviour, and self-reported crashes and infringements during the past two years. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships between mindfulness and nomophobia, on one hand, with self-reported engagement with technology while driving and general aberrant driving behaviours (combination of errors, lapses and violations) on the other. The results of the SEM showed that, as expected, mindfulness shared negative relationships with nomophobia, engagement with technology and aberrant driving behaviours, while all other relationships were positive. In terms of engagement with technology, there were direct and indirect paths between nomophobia and mindfulness and engagement with technology. The results of this study demonstrate the positive influence mindfulness can have on nomophobia, engagement with technology while driving, and dangerous driving behaviours that have been associated with crash risk. Mindfulness practices may reduce the effect of nomophobia on engagement with technology while driving and increased dangerous behaviours as a result. This will be increasingly important as modern work and social practices encourage people to increasingly use the phone while driving, and the technology within smart devices, and connectivity of these to the vehicle, increase. More research is needed to understand whether mindfulness-based interventions can reduce nomophobia, and thereby improve driving behaviours and reduce crash rates.     

Do aggressive driving and negative emotional driving mediate the link between impulsiveness and risky driving among young Italian drivers?

ABSTRACT

The present study examined the contribution of impulsiveness and aggressive and negative emotional driving to the prediction of traffic violations and accidents taking into account potential mediation effects. Three hundred and four young drivers completed self-report measures assessing impulsiveness, aggressive and negative emotional driving, driving violations, and accidents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of impulsiveness on violations and accidents among young drivers through aggressive and negative emotional driving. Impulsiveness only indirectly influenced drivers’ violations on the road via both the behavioral and emotional states of the driver. On the contrary, impulsiveness was neither directly nor indirectly associated with traffic accidents. Therefore, impulsiveness modulates young drivers’ behavioral and emotional states while driving, which in turn influences risky driving.     

Can infrastructure improvements mitigate unsafe traffic safety culture: A driving simulator study exploring cross cultural differences

This paper presents the results of a cross-cultural study to investigate the influence of traffic safety culture and infrastructure improvements on driver behaviour. To achieve this, the driving style of UK drivers was compared with that of Nigerians with and without experience of driving in the UK. A driving simulator experiment compared the actual driving style of these three groups of drivers in different safety critical scenarios. The simulated road environment varied depending on how much infrastructure was provided (low or high infrastructure). In addition, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data on violations, errors and lapses. It was hypothesised that Nigerian drivers with no experience of driving in a UK road system would report and engage in more unsafe driving behaviour compared to the other two groups, and that increasing infrastructure would have little positive benefit. Overall, the results supported these hypotheses, indicating that the behaviours of drivers are interpretable in relation to their traffic safety culture, compared to changes in their driving environment.