An international comparative study of self-reported driver behavior

Using a large data base of 20,725 questionnaires from 19 European countries, this article uses a combination of factor analysis and tree based regression to determine driver groups with homogeneous self-reported behavior and determine whether regional differences in driving behaviors exist. Self-reported behavior, including speeding, reckless driving, seat belt use, and drinking and driving are examined. The results suggest that speeding and general reckless (dangerous) behavior are related, perhaps capturing a driver's “risk taking” or “pre-trip violations” behavior. Similarly, seat belt use and driving under the influence of alcohol are also related and may represent a driver's “law abiding” tendency or “during-trip violations” behavior. Further, important regional differences and similarities between European drivers are uncovered. Northern European drivers report a significantly higher compliance with drinking and driving laws and seat belt use regulations than do Southern and Eastern European drivers.     

Young male drivers’ risky driving 15 months after licensure – The role of intervention,attitudes towards accompanied driving,and parents’ risk

An indispensable issue in contemporary research on risk-taking by young drivers is parents’ influence on their offspring’s driving behavior. The current study measures this influence by using a risk index of parents’ driving behavior measured via in-vehicle data recorders together with young drivers’ self-reported answers to a set of questionnaires. Both parents and young drivers participated in one of three intervention program groups to enhance safe driving within a longitudinal study, and the outcome of this intervention was measured 15 months following licensure. The aim of the current study was thus to assess the contribution of parents’ actual driving behavior, participation in the intervention, and teen drivers’ attitudes towards accompanied driving (measured six months after licensure), to the reported risky driving of the young drivers fifteen months after receiving their driving license. The data consist of a sample of 78 parent-young driver dyads who were originally randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups (receiving different forms of feedback) or a control group (with no feedback). Findings indicate that the feedback and training to parents intervention group, as well as parents’ risky driving events rate, were positively associated with the reported proneness to reckless driving and the reckless driving habits of the young drivers. In addition, lower perception of accompanied driving as enabling a sense of relatedness with parents, and higher negative perceptions of this period, were related to higher reported risky driving among young drivers fifteen months after licensure. The results highlight the importance of parents’ behavior and relationships with their offspring as key concepts in moderating risky driving among young drivers. Practical implications for road safety are discussed.     

How does emotional intelligence predict driving behaviors among non-commercial drivers?

Dangerous driving behaviors have been found to be a leading contributor to vehicle crashes and fatalities, with more than 2.7 million people injured and 36,560 people killed in the United States in 2018 (NHTSA, 2020). Drivers’ emotions have been found to be among the leading contributors to dangerous driving behaviors. Emotions can be measured and understood through one’s emotional intelligence (EI). Previous research has confirmed the relationship between EI and dangerous driving behaviors among general driving populations in limited scope. This study analyzed dangerous driving behaviors (e.g., aggressive driving) among non-commercial US drivers. 615 US drivers ages 18 to 65 (M = 31.14, SD = 11.15) with valid US driver’s licenses (non-commercial) participated in this study. Participants completed an online survey through Qualtrics that included the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue-SF) to measure different dimensions of EI and the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and the Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) to measure dangerous driving behaviors. Furthermore, participants reported their demographic information, including age, sex, and location. Correlation analysis revealed that significant associations exist between dangerous driving behaviors and EI. The emotionality component of EI was found to be the strongest predictor of dangerous driving behaviors. The findings concluded that participants with higher EI scores engaged in less dangerous driving behavior, resulting in fewer crashes and fatalities. Thus, promoting and improving EI may be useful in preventing risky driving among non-commercial drivers. Incorporating emotional intelligence education in driver’s education, workplace training, and licensing procedures can be helpful to develop safer drivers. Further research is needed to investigate commercial drivers’ behaviors in relation to EI.     

The influence of personality and cognitive failures on distracted driving behaviors among young adults

Distracted driving is a major safety concern. This paper explores the role personality traits and self-reported cognitive failures play in the propensity towards distracted driving behavior (DDB) among young adults in the United States. Two independent time-separated studies (study 1 with 522 participants; study 2 with 314 participants) confirm the role of cognitive failures as a mediator between specific personality traits and DDB propensity among young adult drivers. The results of this study suggest drivers’ personality traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness, and neuroticism have a direct impact on DDB propensity. In addition, there is evidence that cognitive failure mediates the relationship between these three personality traits and DDB propensity. Lastly, based on the results, agreeableness moderates the relationship between cognitive failure and DDB propensity. Together, these findings suggest that personality traits should be considered in conjunction with driver’s cognitive failure in explaining DDB propensity. Future research using a combination of self-reported, naturalistic and simulation studies may provide additional insight into the relationships between personality traits, cognitive failures, and the propensity towards DDB.     

Analyzing driver's response to the yellow onset at signalized intersections

Intersections are critical points within the highway system at which the risk of crashes increases. This study seeks to better understand drivers’ behavior at an intersection by examining the relationship between their observed driving behavior, psychological attributes and decision to proceed through an intersection. A driving simulator and self-report questionnaire were used to understand driver decision-making at the onset of the yellow phase across several signalized intersections. The simulator measured driving outcomes such as speed, braking, and throttle as drivers cross through four increasingly difficult intersections. The questionnaires measured demographics, psychological traits including mindfulness and impulsiveness along with self-reported driving behaviors. A total of 102 participants completed the questionnaire as well as the driving simulator experiment. Hierarchical clustering served to classify drivers into four groups on the basis of their observed driving in the simulator: the safest drivers, safe drivers, speed demons, and aggressive drivers. These driving styles moderated the relationship between the drivers’ psychological traits and their decision to stop or proceed at each intersection. Results showed that mindfulness was highly related to the safest drivers’ decision to stop at the first intersection, while impulsiveness and anxiety were related to the speed demons’ decision to stop at the third intersection. These findings lay a strong foundation for developing progressive educational campaigns incorporating driver psychology in their methodology. Findings also provide support for research linking driving performance and psychological traits with implications for intersection design.     

Safe driving and road-crossing tasks: A particular case of successful transfer of learning

The current study examines whether crucial safe driving skills are associated with safe road-crossing skills as pedestrians. The main research question was whether skills that are acquired from the point of view of a driver are associated with the skills of pedestrians in different platforms or settings. Furthermore, the study examines whether task performance on one platform (driving) primes an operator for task performance on another (road-crossing as a pedestrian) or vice versa. Sixty people took part in this study and completed a demographic questionnaire, a Driving Behavior Questionnaire, a Pedestrian Behavior Scale and two computerized tests – a Hazard Perception Test for Drivers and a Hazard Perception Test for Pedestrians.We found that the better the participants detect hazards on the road as drivers, the better they detect hazards as pedestrians as well, and that most of the participants’ self-reported values regarding their driving and their road-crossing as pedestrians are correlated. The study revealed an association between years of seniority in driving and the number of driving hours per week, and some behavioral variables as pedestrians – meaning that exposure to the road as a driver may be related to safer behavior as a pedestrian.     

Associations between personality and driving behavior are mediated by mind-wandering tendency: A cross-national comparison of Australian and Italian drivers

ObjectiveThis study examined the associations between personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and aberrant driving behaviors in a sample of Australian and Italian drivers by investigating the mediation effect of mind-wandering (MW) tendency.BackgroundAlthough unsafe driving behaviors are influenced by both a driver’s MW tendency and personality traits, the potential interaction between these variables and their association with aberrant driving behaviors has not been previously investigated.MethodNine-hundred and four active drivers (n = 452 Australians, n = 452 Italians) completed an online survey related to their self-reported personality traits, driving behaviors, and MW tendency.ResultsA multi-group path analysis showed that MW tendency significantly mediated the effects of neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness on aberrant driving behavior with invariances across nationality groups.ConclusionThese results suggest that the association between personality traits and aberrant driving behaviors is partially explained by a driver’s MW tendency while driving. Further research is needed to understand these relationships using objective measures of MW while driving (e.g., the probe-caught method). The findings of this study suggest that the assessment of personality traits may have important implications for inattentive and distracted driving and fitness-to-drive evaluation purposes.     

A multi-factorial framework for understanding reckless driving—appraisal indicators and perceived environmental determinants

The current study adopted an approach, in which reckless driving is perceived as related to both personal and environmental factors. Young drivers (N = 295) reported on reckless driving related threat and challenge appraisals, their perceived control over reckless driving, their disregard for negative consequences of this specific behavior, positive feedback received on their driving, environmental driving-climate and negative driving modeling. The dependent measure was self-reported frequency of reckless driving. Findings indicated that challenge and self-efficacy appraisals, along with negative environmental influences were related to higher frequency of risky driving, whereas threat appraisals, as well as positive feedback, were related to a lower frequency of reckless driving. In addition, whereas for men, self-efficacy in driving strongly predicted reckless driving, disregard for negative consequences was an important predictor for women. The results are discussed in view of an evaluating process of personal cognitive-emotional resources and environmental support proposed by Lazarus. Recommendations are made regarding the potential effectiveness of using positive appeals in prevention interventions.     

驾驶中移动电话的使用：基于自我调整行为的研究视角

因使用移动电话而导致的“驾驶分心”已成为一种严重的道路安全隐患。驾驶者总体上能意识到其危害, 但在驾驶中使用移动电话的现象很普遍。以往研究不能全面地对这一矛盾予以解释, 长期以来更是忽略了对“驾驶分心中自我调整行为”进行研究, 而这一问题能够直接解释驾驶中的移动电话使用行为。从以下三个方面可以对与驾驶分心中自我调整行为有关的研究进行分析和综述：(1)驾驶中移动电话使用行为的一般规律(类型、频率和危险感知等), 驾驶者对移动电话使用行为的理解是诱发自我调整行为的基础; (2)驾驶情境下移动电话使用中可能触发的自我调整行为, 该部分将主要分析自我调整行为的类型及相关属性; (3)如何对移动电话使用行为和自我调整行为进行预测。总体上, 基于对补偿式安全信念进行理解和度量、并以此为切入点对驾驶中移动电话使用及与其有关的自我调整行为展开研究, 这将有助于更好地理解驾驶分心行为。     

Acceptance of and engagement in risky driving behaviors by teenagers

Data gathered from 1,430 teenage student drivers and 880 teenage traffic violators were used to examine the levels of exposure to risky driving behaviors and perceptions concerning the level of danger of such behaviors. For student drivers, 55% reported exposure to risky driving by being in a car with a driver engaging in such activities as drunk driving, drag racing, and reckless driving. For the traffic violators, 43% had been engaged in one or more of the risky driving behaviors. Teenagers who had been exposed to risky driving practices were more accepting of risky driving behaviors.     

What happens when drivers of automated vehicles take over control in critical lane change situations?

According to legislation, take-overs initiated by the driver must always be possible during automated driving. For example, when drivers mistrust the automation to handle a critical and hazardous lane change, they might intervene and take over control while the automation is performing the maneuver. In these situations, drivers may have little time to avoid an accident and can be exposed to high lateral forces. Due to lacking research, it is yet unknown if they recognize the criticality of the situation and how they behave and perform to manage it. In a driving simulator study, participants (N = 60) accomplished eight double lane changes to evade obstacles in their lane. Time-to-collision and traction usage were varied to establish different degrees of objective criticality. To manipulate these parameters as required, participants were triggered to take over control by an acoustic cue. This setting shows what might happen if drivers disable the automation and complete the maneuver themselves. The results of the experiment demonstrate that drivers rated objectively more critical driving situations as more critical and responded to the hazard very fast over all experimental conditions. However, their behavior was more extreme with respect to decelerating and steering than necessary. This impaired driving performance and increased the risk of lane departures and collisions. The results of the experiment can be used to develop an assistance system that supports driver-initiated take-overs.     

An examination of the relationships between cannabis use,driving under the influence of cannabis and risk-taking on the road

IntroductionSome studies have suggested that regular cannabis users appear to exhibit a general reckless driving style that may contribute to an inflated estimate of collisions related to driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) among this group.ObjectiveThis study investigated whether patterns of cannabis use would predict levels of self-reported unsafe driving behaviours and levels of performance observed in a driving simulator.MethodThe study investigated 48 young cannabis users with respect to frequency of cannabis consumption, alcohol use, driving exposure, self-reported dangerous driving habits, impulsivity, sensation seeking and performance in a driving simulator.ResultsCannabis use was positively associated with DUIC, with sensation seeking and with self-reports of risky driving. An ANOVA confirmed a significant effect of levels of consumption of cannabis among participants on self-report risk-taking in driving. Moreover, the observed behaviours during the simulation tasks correlated with risky driving habits, and with the self-reported frequency of driving in the hour following smoking cannabis or immediately after drinking alcohol.ConclusionSince cannabis usage and DUIC appear to be related to an overall reckless style of driving, it is proposed that public safety policies should be more holistic, simultaneously targeting multiple on-road dangerous behaviours for intervention.     

Predicting recklessness in emerging adults: a test of a psychosocial model

Emerging adults--people aged 18-25 years--frequently behave recklessly. This study sheds light on the role of 4 psychosocial predictors of recklessness: (a) impulsivity, (b) peer pressure, (c) perceived risk, and (d) perceived benefits. The authors obtained self-report data from 208 emerging adults. All predictors were significantly correlated, in the expected directions, with 3 forms of reckless behavior: (a) reckless substance use, (b) reckless driving, and (c) reckless sexual behavior. Regression analyses revealed that, controlling for gender, relationship status, and social desirability, impulsivity predicted reckless substance use and sexual practices, peer pressure predicted reckless substance use, perceived risk predicted reckless driving, and perceived benefits predicted all three recklessness types. The authors' psychosocial model of emerging adult recklessness gained additional support from the finding that all 4 predictors explained unique variance in overall recklessness.     

The Effects of Trait Driving Anger, Anonymity, and Aggressive Stimuli on Aggressive Driving Behavior

We examined the effects of trait driving anger, aggressive stimuli, and anonymity on aggressive driving behavior in a driving simulation task. High and low driving anger participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: (a) anonymous vs. identifiable driver; and (b) exposure to aggressive stimuli versus nonaggressive stimuli. Participants drove more aggressively when they were anonymous (d = .28) and exposed to aggressive stimuli (d = .05). Males drove more aggressively than did females (d = .06). No main or interaction effects were found for trait driving anger. Results suggest that situational factors affecting other forms of aggression are also important in aggressive driving.     

Motivational sources of driving and their associations with reckless driving cognitions and behavior

Two studies were conducted to explore the motivational sources of driving and their associations with reckless driving among young drivers. In Study 1 (n = 290), self-report measures were developed to assess the perceived costs and benefits of driving, driver self-image, and self-efficacy as a driver. Factor analyses revealed four benefit factors (impression management, pleasure, thrill, and sense of control), four costs (distress, damage to self-esteem, annoyance, life endangerment), and four self-image factors (cautious, courteous, confident, and impulsive driver). Furthermore, significant associations were found between the various motivational sources on the one hand, and reported reckless driving, commission of traffic violations, and involvement in car accidents on the other. In Study 2 (n = 267), further associations were found between the motivational sources of driving and measures of the reckless driving scheme, namely, the perception of reckless driving as acceptable and desirable or as negative and threatening. The discussion focuses on the validity and utility of a multidimensional conceptualization of driving and reckless driving as separate entities, and on the practical implications of understanding the motivational aspects of driving.     

Driving demands,stress reactivity and driving behavior: An interactional approach

The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of driving demands, neuroticism, and their interaction when predicting driving behavior. More precisely, we strived to examine how driving behaviors (i.e., speeding, winding, tailgating and jerky driving) unfold across low and high driving demands and whether they are contingent on a personality factor that has previously been linked to stress reactivity. In a driving simulator, 50 participants with a valid driver’s license (56.6% female, age: M = 30.13, SD = 10.16) were exposed to driving scenarios of different levels of information processing and vehicle handling demands. Additionally, they filled-out a self-report questionnaire that measured their neuroticism. We found that driving behavior became safer in scenarios that were highly demanding in terms of information processing, while this pattern did not emerge with vehicle handling demands. Moreover, tentative support was found for the notion that individuals high in neuroticism are less able to adapt their behavior to higher information processing demands. The present study offers new insights on driving demands in a simulated driving context and points to the potential importance of exploring interactions between personality and situational factors when understanding driving behavior. Additionally, the results of the present study may be used to adapt driver’s education programs.     

The Effect of Reminders of Death on Reckless Driving: A TerrorManagement Perspective

Why do young people, especially young men, engage in reckless driving despite the fact that this behavior contradicts the basic biological imperative of self-preservation? Answering this interesting and crucial question may lead to effective interventions. A series of studies, based on terror management theory, examined the effects of reminders of death on risk taking while driving. The dependent measures were either self-reported behavioral intentions of risky driving or driving speed in a car simulator. Findings showed that mortality-salience inductions led to more risky driving than the control condition only among individuals who perceived driving as relevant to their self-esteem. The introduction of positive feedback about driving eliminated this effect. The complex role of self-esteem in the process of risk taking is discussed.