650 – The psychological distress and aggressive driving: age and gender differences in voluntary risk-taking behavior in road traffic crashes

Abstract

Aim To examine the effect of age, gender and psychological distress on driver behaviour and accident involvement and also to examine the differences in driving skills, driver behaviour and performance and its effects on Road Traffic Crashes [RTCs] in Qatar. Methods This is a cross-sectional and representative of 1824 drivers participated in this survey using socio-demographic information, Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ), and Driver Skill Inventory(DSI). Results Mean age was 36.5 years for males, and 36.8 for females (p= 0.013). There was a significant difference between males and females regarding education level (p= 0.013). Significantly higher proportion of males (62% vs. 57%; p 0.035) having 4WD. More than half of females were using mobile phones during driving (51% vs. 39%; p Conclusion Age, gender and use of seat belt, and talking on mobile were main predictors for motor crashes and injuries. The challenge for public health is to modify risk-taking behaviour in young males and females drivers to reduce dangerous driving practices.