Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Optimistic Bias in Young Drivers’ Risky Driving Behaviors

Abstract

Risky driving behavior is the most dominant human error among young novice drivers. This research's objective was to find the correlation between difficulties in emotion regulation and optimistic bias towards risky driving behavior of teenagers. Sample was Senior High School students from grade 10 to 11 S who drove private vehicles on a daily basis (N=160). Instruments used were modified Behavior of Young Novice Drivers' Scale (BYNDS), modified Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and optimistic bias scale. Hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. Results showed that there was a positive and significant correlation between difficulties in emotion regulation and optimistic bias towards risky driving behavior (F (2, 157) = 47.846; p < .01). Bigger contribution was found on difficulties in emotion regulation, indicating that teenagers while driving, relied more on their emotion regulation abilities than their awareness of driving risks.