Behavior Of Young Drivers Research Articles

Analyzing Protection Motivation Theory and Cognitive Failures in Texting While Driving Behavior Among Young Drivers

ABSTRACTTexting while driving (TWD) poses a significant hazard, particularly among young adults, as it requires simultaneous engagement in competing tasks. Despite widespread awareness of its dangers, drivers continue to engage in TWD. This study investigates the psychological and cognitive factors that influence TWD, employing the protection motivation theory (PMT). Structural equation modeling was conducted on a sample of 674 survey respondents aged 18–25. Factors influencing TWD behavior were revealed, including response cost, threat vulnerability, cognitive failure, self‐efficacy, and threat severity. Response cost was the primary barrier. Notably, not all subdimensions of threat appraisal and coping appraisal have a direct impact on TWD; cognitive failures serve as a mediator solely between threat vulnerability and response cost. An understanding of TWD provides insights into the TWD behavior of young drivers. By integrating the PMT with cognitive failure, this approach informs the development of interventions and regulations aimed at discouraging TWD and improving road safety.

Correlation Analysis between Young Driver Characteristics and Visual/Physiological Attributes at Expressway Exit Ramp

More collisions occur at the exit ramps of expressways due to frequent lane-changing behavior and interweaving between vehicles. Young drivers with shorter driving mileage and driving experience, radical driving styles, and worse behavior prediction are likelier to be involved in collisions at the exit ramps. This paper focuses on the correlation analysis between young drivers’ characteristics and their visual and physiological attributes at expressway exit ramps. First, the driver’s gender, driving experience, and mileage are classified. Then, seven expressway exit models are established using the UC/Win road modeling software. The driver’s driving plane vision is divided into four areas using the K-means clustering algorithm. In addition, the driver’s visual and heart rate attributes were analyzed at 500 m, 300 m, 200 m, and 100 m away from an expressway exit. The results show that the visual attributes, gender, and driving mileage of young drivers strongly correlate with the fixation times and average saccade amplitude. In contrast, the driving experience has almost no correlation with the fixation behavior of young drivers. Young drivers’ driving experience and mileage strongly correlate with cardiac physiological attributes, but there is virtually no correlation with gender. The practical implications of these results should be helpful to highway planners and designers.

Chinese adaptation of the reckless driving behaviour scale: Testing its psychometric properties and links with safe driving climate among family and peers

PurposeThe present study aimed to revise the Reckless Driving Behaviour Scale (RDBS) and examined its reliability and validity among young Chinese drivers. MethodsThe RDBS, the Safe Driving Climate among Friends Scale (SDCaF), the Family Climate for Road Safety Scale (FCRSS) and a social desirability scale were administrated to 560 young drivers. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA, n = 250) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA, n = 250) were conducted to examine the factorial structure of the RDBS. ResultsThe Chinese version of the RDBS has 18 items that are divided into 4 factors: distraction, substance use, extreme behaviour and positioning. Both the results of EFA and CFA confirmed its factorial structure. The reliability of the RDBS was acceptable and the concurrent validity of the scale was supported by its significant associations with the SDCaF and FCRSS factors. Finally, drivers who had violation involvement scored higher on all four factors than their peers who did not have violation involvement, providing evidence for its known-group validity. ConclusionThe revised RDBS has similar structure with the original version and its reliability and validity were satisfactory. It is an effective tool to measure the reckless driving behaviour of young drivers in China and interventions that incorporated joint efforts of family and peers should be developed.

Research on Risky Driving Behavior of Young Truck Drivers: Improved Theory of Planned Behavior Based on Risk Perception Factor

Research on Risky Driving Behavior of Young Truck Drivers: Improved Theory of Planned Behavior Based on Risk Perception Factor

R2DRV: study protocol for longitudinal assessment of driving after mild TBI in young drivers

BackgroundMild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and traffic-related injuries are two major public health problems disproportionately affecting young people. Young drivers, whose driving skills are still developing, are particularly vulnerable to impaired driving due to brain injuries. Despite this, there is a paucity of research on how mTBI impacts driving and when it is safe to return to drive after an mTBI. This paper describes the protocol of the study, R2DRV, Longitudinal Assessment of Driving After Mild TBI in Young Drivers, which examines the trajectory of simulated driving performance and self-reported driving behaviors from acutely post-injury to symptom resolution among young drivers with mTBI compared to matched healthy drivers. Additionally, this study investigates the associations of acute post-injury neurocognitive function and cognitive load with driving among young drivers with and without mTBI.MethodsA total of 200 young drivers (ages 16 to 24) are enrolled from two study sites, including 100 (50 per site) with a physician-confirmed isolated mTBI, along with 100 (50 per site) healthy drivers without a history of TBI matched 1:1 for age, sex, driving experience, and athlete status. The study assesses primary driving outcomes using two approaches: (1) high-fidelity driving simulators to evaluate driving performance across four experimental study conditions at multiple time points (within 96 h of injury and weekly until symptom resolution or 8 weeks post-injury); (2) daily self-report surveys on real-world driving behaviors completed by all participants.DiscussionThis study will fill critical knowledge gaps by longitudinally assessing driving performance and behaviors in young drivers with mTBI, as compared to matched healthy drivers, from acutely post-injury to symptom resolution. The research strategy enables evaluating how increased cognitive load may exacerbate the effects of mTBI on driving, and how post-mTBI neurocognitive deficits may impact the driving ability of young drivers. Findings will be shared through scientific conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and media outreach to care providers and the public.

Driving choices and behaviours of young male drivers at strategic and tactical levels

Understanding the common actions of risky drivers could be critical to developing effective countermeasures and improving public health. Pre-trip and on-trip choices might be critical parts behind young male drivers’ aberrant behaviours, which are the main causative driver actions. This study aims to investigate young male drivers’ choices and aberrant driving behaviours. 138 young male (age range 21–30), active drivers participated and completed the Adaptation of Advanced Decisions and Patterns of Travel Scale and the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire. The results indicate that tactical decisions are negatively related to aberrant driving behaviour. Younger drivers who make tactical decisions report fewer errors, lapses, and violations compared to others. The same analyses were conducted for strategic choices, and it is found that strategic choices are generally positively related to aberrant driving behaviours (young drivers with strategic choices report more errors and lapses). Interestingly, while tactical and strategic decisions and practices have mostly been studied for older drivers, the safety benefits of these types of decisions (primarily at the tactical level) may be higher for the younger driver population. Thus, the role of different types of driving decisions and possible disadvantages should be considered before encouraging drivers to adopt these types of strategies.

Impact of texting and web surfing on driving behavior and safety in rural roads

The present study aims to investigate the impact of texting and web surfing on the driving behavior and safety of young drivers on rural roads. For this purpose, driving data were gathered through a driving simulator experiment with 37 young drivers. Additionally, a survey was conducted to collect their demographic characteristics and driving behavior preferences. During the experiment, the drivers were distracted using contemporary smartphone internet applications i.e., Facebook Messenger, Facebook and Google Maps. Regression analysis models were developed in order to identify and investigate the effect of distraction on accident probability, speed deviation, headway distance, as well as lateral distance deviation. Additionally, random forest (RF), a machine learning classification algorithm, was deployed for real-time distraction prediction. It was revealed that distraction due to web surfing and texting leads to a statistically significant increase in accident probability, headway distance and lateral distance deviation by 32%, 27% and 6%, respectively. Moreover, the driving speed deviation was reduced by 47% during distraction. Apart from the real-time prediction, the RF revealed that headway distance, lateral distance, and traffic volume were important features. The RF outcomes revealed consistency with regression analysis and drivers during the distractive task are more defensive by driving at the edge of the road near the hard shoulder and maintaining longer headways. Overall, driving behavior and safety among young drivers were both significantly affected by the investigated internet applications.

Effect of Road Darkness on Young Driver Behaviour when Approaching Parked or Slow-moving Vehicles in Malaysia

Traffic accidents at night are higher than in other periods, especially on a dark road. This study explores the impact of the dark road on driver behaviours when approaching a parked or slowed-moving vehicle at the front. An experiment was conducted on a racing track at night, with and without road lighting. Different sizes of obstacles were used to represent other vehicles as a lorry, a car, and a motorcycle. The results show that the obstacles can be detected by drivers much earlier with the help of road lighting, and they tend to increase their speed, probably preparing to overtake the obstacles.

Modelling braking behaviour of distracted young drivers in car-following interactions: A grouped random parameters duration model with heterogeneity-in-means

Braking is an important characteristic of driving behaviour that has a direct relationship with rear-end collisions in a car-following task. Braking becomes more crucial when drivers’ cognitive workload increases because of using mobile phones whilst driving. This study, therefore, investigates and compares the effects of using mobile phones whilst driving on braking behaviour. Thirty-two young licenced drivers, evenly split by gender, faced a safety–critical event, that is, leader’s hard braking, in a car-following situation. Each participant drove the CARRS-Q Advanced Driving Simulator and was required to respond to a braking event in the simulated environment in three phone conditions: baseline (no phone conversation), handheld, and hands-free. A random parameters duration modelling approach is employed to (i) model drivers’ braking (or deceleration) times using a parametric survival model, (ii) capture unobserved heterogeneity associated with braking times, and (iii) account for repeated experiment design. The model identifies the handheld phone condition as a random parameter whilst vehicle dynamics variables, hands-free phone condition, and driver-specific variables are found as fixed parameters. The model suggests that most distracted drivers (in the handheld condition) reduce their initial speeds more slowly than undistracted drivers, reflecting their delayed initial braking that may lead to abrupt braking to avoid a rear-end collision. Further, another group of distracted drivers exhibits faster braking (in the handheld condition), recognising the risk associated with mobile phone usage and delayed initial braking. Provisional licence holders are found to be slower in reducing their initial speeds than open licence holders, indicating their risk-taking behaviour because of their less experience and more sensitivity to mobile phone distraction. Overall, mobile phone distraction appears to impair the braking behaviour of young drivers, which poses significant safety concerns for traffic streams.

Predicting young drivers’ safe behaviour of stopping in the dilemma zone

Young drivers are overrepresented in road crashes, half of which occur at intersections in urban areas. One area of focus for crashes at intersections is the dilemma zone, when a driver approaches a signalised intersection at the onset of the yellow light and is unsure whether to continue through or to stop. A challenge in this area of research has been the lack of focus on safe, rather than risky, driving behaviours of young drivers at intersections and a paucity of research on psychosocial factors that motivate driving decisions at intersections. This study aimed to explain young drivers’ intentions and predict their self-reported behaviour of stopping in the dilemma zone (the safe behaviour), using psychosocial factors which influence behaviour in young drivers. Participants were N = 180 young drivers from Queensland. An initial online survey presented three unique scenarios to participants: a general dilemma zone situation, the dilemma zone whilst running late and the dilemma zone where the vehicle in front drives through the yellow light. Participants responded to items measuring Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) constructs extended with prototype perceptions and willingness constructs from the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM). A follow-up online survey measured participants’ self-reported driving behaviours in the previous three weeks, in each scenario. Hierarchical multiple regressions found that the TPB and PWM constructs significantly explained between 59.1 % and 72.7 % of the variance in intentions to stop. This suggested the utility of extending the TPB with a social-reaction decision making model such as the PWM. The follow-up survey (N = 74), found that intentions, but not PBC or willingness, significantly predicted 29 % of the variance in young drivers’ self-reported stopping behaviour for the general scenario and the running late scenario and 10.8 % for the vehicle in front scenario. The findings of this study suggest the value of researching young drivers’ safe behaviours and provide information on psychosocial factors, such as prototype perceptions, that road safety interventions can target in order to reduce road crashes. Additionally, these findings provide evidence for the use of the PWM to extend the TPB, and in investigating young drivers’ decisions in the dilemma zone.

What Affects the Perception of a Drunk Driving Campaign?

Driving under the influence of alcohol has been recognized as a significant contributing factor to the occurrence of one out of four road traffic crashes. Young drivers are acknowledged as a particularly hazardous group of road users because of insufficient driving experience, but also because of unsafe behavior while behind the wheel, which encompasses driving under the influence of alcohol. The primary aim of this study was to examine the perception of a campaign about driving under the influence of alcohol, while the secondary goal is to present the self-reported behavior and attitudes of young drivers about driving under the influence of alcohol in the Republic of Serbia. Data were collected through a questionnaire created by a multidisciplinary team of experts in the fields of traffic engineering, psychology, and education. A total of 4,015 respondents participated in the study, aged from 16 to 30. The results show that younger respondents have a 1.89 times higher chance of remembering the road traffic safety campaign then older ones. In addition, respondents were 5.057 times more likely to perceive and remember campaign messages that have fewer words than campaign messages that have more words.

Youth Perceptions and Attitudes towards Road Safety in Serbia

Road traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for young people. Aberrant driver behaviors, such as drink driving, speeding, not wearing seatbelts, non-compliance with traffic rules and aggressive driving, are key contributors to these crashes. Gender and urban/rural differences are also risk factors. In Serbia, where this study was conducted, as well as in most European countries, younger people have the highest road crash and fatality risk. Thus, it is important to understand not only when these behaviors occur, but also the attitudes surrounding them. The latter will provide an avenue for intervention. To address this, a mixed design study was conducted, using a quantitative survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews to understand the attitudes and safety behaviors of young people (aged 16–25) in Serbia. Results across all methods showed that attitudes and perceptions regarding road safety differ across gender and location (urban/rural). Young drivers reported frequent engagement in alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, non-using seatbelts and using mobile phones while driving. Dominant attitudes underlying these behaviors related to lower perceived risk and a lack of perceived enforcements. These results show support for education campaigns in improving the risky behavior of young drivers.

Effectiveness of implementing a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) law among young Serbian drivers

Introduction: Young novice drivers have higher rates of engagement in road crashes worldwide, often owing to unfavorable attitudes toward road safety or lack of knowledge, experience, and risk consciousness. However, the implementation of graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems has proven effective in reducing the high incidence of young drivers involved in crashes. Method: The purpose of this study was to compare the change in driving outcomes (e.g., attitudes toward traffic safety, behavior patterns while driving, risk assessment in traffic, assessment of personal driving skills, and involvement in traffic crashes) of young drivers prior to and following the implementation of a GDL law. Respondents (n = 642) completed a battery of questions, including a driver attitudes questionnaire (Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale), a self-assessed driving ability questionnaire, and a risk perception questionnaire. Of the total sample size, 324 drivers passed the old system of training driver’s license candidates, and 318 drivers passed the new GDL system. Results: The results showed that drivers licensed with GDL reported safer attitudes toward traffic rule violations and speed, and higher levels of safety orientation with regard to their driving abilities. They also reported much higher levels of risk perception and lower exposure to risky situations (risky driving exposure). There were no differences between GDL drivers and non-GDL drivers in terms of self-reported crashes or transient or fixed violations. In addition, GDL was not related to the number of traffic crashes, the number of fatalities, or serious and slight injuries in crashes involving young drivers in crashes obtained from official records. Conclusions: The results suggest that GDL contributed to the improvement of drivers’ attitudes and understanding of risk but did not contribute to significant changes in the behavior of young drivers and traffic crashes. In addition, the GDL program in Serbia only ranks fair on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) scale. Strengthening the GDL program in Serbia with additional components in line with GDL programs rated as good by the IIHS scale could improve the safety of young and novice drivers in traffic.

Road safety perception and behaviour of young drivers: Case study of Montenegro

The large number of road fatalities and injured represents a serious and challenging global problem. Road users’ personalities, attitudes and behaviour can influence how individuals, especially youngsters, react to a particular driving situation. Young drivers are among the riskiest road users, particularly during the first few months of independent driving. Although they represent only a small percentage of licensed drivers, they are more likely to be involved in traffic accidents with fatalities and injuries than the more experienced ones. The main goal of this paper is to identify differences in perception and behaviour of youngsters compared to other drivers in Montenegro.

Road Safety Association (RSA) Social Marketing Communication in Changing the Behavior of Young Drivers in Indonesia

As the fourth most populous country globally, the country has a very high number of traffic accidents. Casualties due to accidents in Indonesia are more than the number of victims of terrorism, tsunamis, and floods. The number of traffic accident casualties in Indonesia is about 28-30 thousand people per year, ranking second among the countries in ASEAN. In Indonesia, traffic accidents, especially those involving motorcyclists, are relatively high. Even if there are 1 million incidents in one day, then 2.76 percent occur in Indonesia, with the average victim being in the productive age between 15 to 22 years. Road Safety Association is a non-governmental organization that conducts social marketing communication activities in campaigning for safe driving. The approach of this research is descriptive and qualitative. Data collection techniques are interviews and literature studies by exploring relevant data through books, websites, and documentation. From the field findings and interviews, Road Safety Association has conducted Road Safety campaign activities using various media. Such as print media (such as brochures and banners), electronic media (such as television and radio), and internet media (website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). In addition, RSA also often conducts campaigns face-to-face through roadshow activities, action down directly to the highway, training, and counseling. RSA is also actively working with government and international NGOs for Road Safety.

The Impact of Mobile Phone Use on Young Drivers' Driving Behaviour and Visual Scanning of the Environment

Driver distraction has been identified as a contributing factor to road crashes, among which the most common is the use of mobile phones while driving. For this reason, the aim of this paper is to analyse the behaviour of young drivers while they use mobile phones (answering a telephone call, texting, and browsing the internet) and drive in a simulated urban environment. In total 28 volunteers participated in the study. Several variables were recorded for each participant: driving speed, acceleration, deceleration, and eye movement. The results show that the difference in driving speed, acceleration, and deceleration was relatively small for each task and for the control condition (no use of mobile phone). However, when looking at the total time required for conducting each task, participants spent 26.44% of the time looking at the phone when texting, 37.01% when browsing the internet, and 2.27% when talking on the phone. In addition, participants viewed on average 66.45% traffic signs when distracted, compared to 79.22% during undistracted driving. Based on the results, a proactive approach to reduce the problem related to the use of mobile phones while driving is proposed.

Looking out or Looking Away?—Exploring the Impact of Driving With a Passenger on Young Drivers’ Eye Glance Behavior

Objective To explore how passenger presence and the degree of association between young driver and passenger influences young drivers’ eye glance behavior when they are subjected to distraction. Background Young drivers (18–20 years old) are at an elevated crash risk when subjected to distraction. They are likely to be distracted even further when they drive with passengers. However, the eye glance behavior of these drivers when driving with passengers has not been explored. Method Eye glance data of 34 young drivers between the ages of 18 and 20 years were collected. Participants drove with and without a passenger while subjected to three distracting tasks (visual-manual, cognitive, or visual-cognitive) and driving scenarios that required driver attention. Results Visual-cognitive as well as visual-manual states of distraction result in higher mean and standard deviation of glance duration, along with higher number of glances away from road. Passenger presence is found to negatively influence young drivers’ eye glance behavior. The degree of association between the young driver and the passenger may help reduce the deviation of eye glances towards the task-related objects. Conclusion In addition to distraction, passengers have a negative influence on the eye glance behavior of young drivers. However, a high degree of association between driver and passenger may mitigate the negative impact of distraction on the eye glance behavior of young drivers. Application (non-theoretical works) This research may aid in the design of interventions that improve young drivers’ eye glance behavior when they drive with their peers.

Recommendations to improve young and novice driver safety in the State of Qatar

Introduction: Young driver behavior and safety are key concerns in Qatar, where they are disproportionately represented amongst road victims and fatalities. This paper summarizes the proceedings of a workshop, entitled “Enhancing the Safety of Young and Novice Drivers in Qatar”, held as a pre-conference workshop of the 24th World Congress of the International Traffic Medicine Association (ITMA) in Doha, Qatar. Methods: A guided discussion was conducted amongst a selected multi-sectoral group of 50 stakeholders, representing Law Enforcement, Health, Society and Education, Transport, and Road Safety. Each group discussed the best evidence and local realities of young driver safety in the State of Qatar. Using a modified Delphi approach, key areas were identified and prioritized; consensus recommendations were obtained and summarized. Results: Based on the stakeholders’ discussions a list of twelve key recommendations has been developed and its elements have been classified in order of priority. These recommendations are supported by relevant published evidence as well as expert opinion and have been shared with the relevant authorities to inform future policies. Conclusions: This article summarizes the workshop presentations and the twelve key recommendations that arose from the discussions and put them forward to the concerned authorities. It should be emphasized that the concerned authorities concerned need to take action on at least the top three recommendations (GDL, improved police enforcement, and improved licensing and training), but also to prioritize all other recommendations that can be easily addressed such as improved roads and auditing and risk-based insurance.

Study on Risk Tolerance of Passenger Car Drivers Aged 18–25

A universal problem of the impact of behaviour of less experienced young drivers on the rate of road accidents referring to the Russian Federation in comparison to other countries.In the Russian Federation, in recent years, there has been a decrease in the total number of road accidents and in the number of deaths in them. This speaks of the effective preventive work of the traffic police and other related services, but at the same time, a fairly large number of car accidents persists.One problem is the high incidence of accidents among inexperienced young drivers. According to research conducted in different countries, the likelihood of road accidents is especially high during the first year after obtaining a driver’s license. The overwhelming majority of drivers responsible for road accidents with less than six months of driving experience belong to the age category of 18–25 years. One of the main reasons for the increased likelihood of road accidents is their excessive risk inclination.It is obvious that risky driving is common in young people, which also affects the operation of the car. Risk inclination is directly related to the number of errors made, which significantly increases the likelihood of an accident.Objective of the work was to assess the risk tolerance among drivers aged 18–25 years. Research methods comprise a survey of young people of the indicated age and the analysis of the results obtained. The figures obtained during the survey indicate that the majority of respondents (82 %) have a «mean level of risk tolerance». But there are also quite a few «risky drivers» (15 %). Moreover, these 15 % are in the youngest age group from 18 to 21 years old. Based on the results of the work, it is proposed: during training at a driving school, the future driver should receive not only theoretical knowledge and practical driving lessons, but also undergo a psychological analysis to determine his fitness to participate in road traffic; introduce certain restrictions «for young and novice drivers» into the Road Traffic Regulations. It is necessary to limit the permitted power of the car and the permissible speed (adoption of a multiplying coefficient for fines for speeding), prohibit the use of the car in the dark and in difficult road conditions, as well as passenger transportation.

Genç Sürücülerin Trafikte Risk Alma Davranışına Bir Bakış: Yol Güvenliğinde Aile İklimi

Genç sürücüler arasında ölüm oranlarında rol oynayan faktörlerden birinin riskli sürüş davranışı olduğu vurgulanmıştır. Bu nedenle genç sürücüler arasında trafik bağlamında risk alma davranışının önemli bir konu olarak ele alınması gerekmektedir. Çevresel ve kişilerarası faktörlerden biri olarak değerlendiren ebeveynin, sahip olduğu bilgilerin, model alma davranışının, ebeveynlik tarzının genç sürücülerin trafik bağlamında sürüş davranışlarını izlemede önemli olduğu bilinmektedir. Bu derleme çalışmasının amacı genç sürücülerin trafikte risk alma davranışına aile iklimi kapsamında yeni bir bakış açısı kazandırmak ve ilgili çalışmalar temelinde ailelere ve genç sürücülere öneriler sunmaktır. Toplamda 17 çalışmaya yer verilen bu derlemenin bulgular kısmında çalışmaların amaçları, çeşitli ölçme araçları, ebeveyn ve genç sürücüleri kapsayan örneklem özellikleri, bağımsız ve bağımlı değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler ve sonuçlar dahil edilmiş, ilgili çalışmaların detayları amaç çerçevesinde ele alınmıştır. Sonuç olarak ebeveyn ve genç sürücülere trafik bağlamında detaylı önerilere aile ikliminin 7 boyutu olan iletişim, gözetim, güvenliğe bağlılık, model olma, geri bildirim, mesajlar ve sınırlar kapsamında yer verilmiş ve genç sürücülerin güvenli sürüş davranışını artırmak için aileleri de kapsayacak şekilde toplumsal eğitim aktiviteleri, sosyal, bilişsel ve davranışsak faktörler ile ilgili tavsiyelerin faydalı olabileceği vurgulanmıştır.