Risky road behaviours cluster and share predictor variables with smoking and drinking, and anti-social behaviours during early adolescence

Abstract

ContextThe prime cause of death among young adolescents - 12 to 15 years of age - are unintentional injuries, especially injuries in traffic crashes. In the Netherlands, they lose their lives as pedestrians, cyclists or as passengers of young drivers. The age-related rise in deliberate risk-taking is one of the contributing factors. To date, widely implemented strategies that solely target risky road behaviour are only marginally effective. To date, an unexplored but promising approach for effective strategies is to explicitly address risk-taking tendency, since this may not only result in risky decisions in traffic but also in health and social position. Further, these risky decisions may share the same underlying contributors, such as sensitivity to peer pressure. To date, these presumed relationships have not yet been tested. PurposeThis study contributes to the developmental of prevention strategies, by testing that a) risky road behaviour cluster with other types of risk behaviours and (b) risk behaviours share the same underlying factors, such as developmental adolescent characteristics (CADs) and presence of risk behaviours in the perceived social environment (parents and peers). MethodsSurveys were completed in class in several schools by 417 students, 46% male, all in the first two years of secondary school in the Netherlands. ResultsCorrelations showed strong associations between risky road behaviour, smoking and/or drinking and anti-social behaviour, and weaker associations with a poor diet. These behaviours also shared predictor variables in regression modelling: peers acting risky and riding as passengers with dangerous drivers. Age and gender did not play a significant role. Implications and contributionsThe effectiveness and efficiency of road safety programmes for young adolescents may benefit from an integrated rather than a silo approach, by addressing clusters of risk behaviours and the influence of underlying factors related to adolescent development and their social environment.