What leads underage teenagers to ride motorcycles without a permit? Utility vs parental permissiveness

Abstract

ObjectivesIllegal motorcycle riding among teenagers often results in crashes and disastrous consequences; however, it is rampant in many low and middle-income countries. This article seeks to elucidate the factors that lead to this behaviour, and why parents permit it. MethodsThe study relies on a survey of 832 parents of adolescents (16 to 18 years old) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. These data are modelled based on a new conceptual framework which combines elements of the Technology Acceptance Model, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Focus Theory of Normative Conduct with a few tailored constructs and four relevant control variables (age, gender, income, and home-school distance). The underlying latent factors were derived through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Subsequently, binary logit regression and ordinal logit regression were applied to model the illegal use of motorcycles and the parental intention to permit this behaviour. ResultsWe find that 61% of teenagers – older boys from wealthier families in particular – use motorcycles illegally. They do so because their parents see motorcycles as useful and easy to use. Besides, parents enable unpermitted riding because it is socially acceptable to do so, and that is what teens prefer. A perception of weak road rule enforcement is another facilitator while perceived crash risk is an impediment. ConclusionsInterventions and solutions to prevent the illegal use of motorcycle are necessary. The goal is to improve safety rather than penalize teens for using motorcycles. A reasonable and effective approach would be to change the law to allow teenagers as young as 16 to ride motorcycles – but only after a period of rigorous training and testing to ensure safety.