Using boredom proneness to predict young adults’ mobile phone use in the car and risky driving

Abstract

Risky driving behaviours is a key contributor to traffic-related injuries and deaths each year. These risky driving behaviours are especially common among young adults and adolescents. This research was designed to help examine precursors to and motivations for a common risky driving behaviour – phone use in the car. A cross-sectional survey of 526 young adults assessed phone use in the car and risky driving, and potential precursors such as boredom proneness, social connectedness, habitual phone use, and other potentially relevant variables. The results showed that young males and females largely differed in the factors associated with their phone use in the car and risky driving. For example, a range of factors was related to males’ phone use in the car (including boredom proneness and social connectedness), but only phone activity frequency uniquely and significantly predicted females’ phone use in the car. The study results indicate that males’ and females’ phone use in the car should be considered separately, as they appear to be influenced by different precursors. In addition, the findings suggest that habitual phone use may be contributing substantially to young males’ phone use in the car, suggesting a need to address this underlying issue.