Combinations of factors contribute to young driver crashes

Jonathan J Rolison,Salissou Moutari

doi:10.1016/j.jsr.2020.02.017

Jonathan J Rolison, Salissou Moutari

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2020.02.017

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Abstract

Introduction: Motor-vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescence and young adults. A multitude of factors, including skill level, inexperience, and risk taking behaviors are associated with young drivers’ crashes. This research investigated whether combinations of factors underlie crashes involving young drivers. Method: A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted on population-wide one- and two-car crashes in Great Britain during years 2005–2012 per driver age (17–20, 21–29, 30–39, 40–49) and sex. Reporting officers provided their assessment of the factors contributing to crashes. Principal components analysis was conducted to identify combinations of factors underlying young drivers’ crashes. Factor combinations, including challenging driving conditions, risk taking behaviors, and inexperience were implicated in young drivers’ crashes. Results: Combinations of factors reveal new insights into underlying causes of crashes involving young drivers. One combination revealed that slippery roads due to poor weather pose greater risk to young drivers who are inexperienced and likely to exceed the appropriate speed. The findings motivate new policy recommendations, such as educating young drivers about the importance of adjusting their speed to the road conditions.

Highlights

Motor-vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in adolescence and young adults
Slippery road Disobeyed automatic traffic signal Disobeyed give way, stop sign, or markings Exceeding speed limit Travelling too fast for conditions Following too close Junction overshoot Poor turn or manoeuvre Failed to look properly Failed to judge other person’s path or speed Sudden braking Loss of control Impaired by alcohol Careless, reckless, or in a hurry Learner or inexperienced
The aim of the current research was to investigate whether combinations of factors underlie crashes of young drivers

Summary

Introduction

A multitude of factors, including skill level, inexperience, and risk taking behaviors are associated with young drivers’ crashes. Factor combinations, including challenging driving conditions, risk taking behaviors, and inexperience were implicated in young drivers’ crashes. Skill level (McGwin & Brown, 1999), inexperience (McCartt, Shabanova, & Leaf, 2003), and risk-taking behaviors (Rolison, Hanoch, Wood, & Pi-Ju, 2014), including speeding (Gonzales, Dickinson, DiGuiseppi, & Lowenstein, 2005; Rolison, Regev, Moutari, & Feeney, 2018), reckless driving (Lam, 2003), and drug and alcohol impairment (Bingham, Shope, & Zhu, 2008), have all been implicated in the crashes of young drivers. Performance error (e.g., loss of control) was associated with young drivers’ crashes (Curry et al, 2011; see McDonald, Curry, Kandadai, Sommers, & Winston, 2014). These findings indicate that driver actions, namely recognition error and decision error, may partly underlie young drivers’ crashes

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