Risky Driving Research Articles

Risky riding: Naturalistic methods comparing safety behavior from conventional bicycle riders and electric bike riders

As electric bicycles (e-bikes) have emerged as a new transportation mode, their role in transportation systems and their impact on users have become important issues for policy makers and engineers. Little safety-related research has been conducted in North America or Europe because of their relatively small numbers. This work describes the results of a naturalistic GPS-based safety study between regular bicycle (i.e., standard bicycle) and e-bike riders in the context of a unique bikesharing system that allows comparisons between instrumented bike technologies. We focus on rider safety behavior under four situations: (1) riding in the correct direction on directional roadway segments, (2) speed on on-road and shared use paths, (3) stopping behavior at stop-controlled intersections, and (4) stopping behavior at signalized intersections. We find that, with few exceptions, riders of e-bike behave very similarly to riders of bicycles. Violation rates were very high for both vehicles. Riders of regular bicycles and e-bikes both ride wrong-way on 45% and 44% of segments, respectively. We find that average on-road speeds of e-bike riders (13.3kph) were higher than regular bicyclists (10.4kph) but shared use path (greenway) speeds of e-bike riders (11.0kph) were lower than regular bicyclists (12.6kph); both significantly different at >95% confidence. At stop control intersections, both bicycle and e-bike riders violate the stop signs at the similar rate with bicycles violating stop signs at a slightly higher rate at low speed thresholds (∼80% violations at 6kph, 40% violations at 11kph). Bicycles and e-bikes violate traffic signals at similar rates (70% violation rate). These findings suggest that, among the same population of users, e-bike riders exhibit nearly identical safety behavior as regular bike riders and should be regulated in similar ways. Users of both technologies have very high violation rates of traffic control devices and interventions should occur to improve compliance.

A Predictive Model for Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, Alcohol Drinking, and Risky Driving Among Albanian Youth

Studies report an increasing prevalence of health risk behaviors among Albanian adolescents and young adults. The Problem-Behavior Theory provides a useful framework for explaining both health-compromising and health-enhancing behaviors by considering several personal and environmental factors. The present study used a model with seven independent variables including age, gender, attitudes, locus of control, risk behavior tendency, stress, and parent/peer models of health behavior to predict two health-compromising behaviors (alcohol drinking and risky driving) and two health-enhancing behaviors (physical activity, healthy eating) in a sample of 347 Albanian young adults (157 men and 190 women, Mage= 20.42, SD = 1.48). The measuring instrument was based on the Health Behavior Questionnaire developed by Jessor, Donovan, and Costa. Results showed that the model explained 26.1% of the variance in risky driving behavior, and the significant predictors included, risk behavior tendency, gender, and attitude toward health. These same three variables also significantly predicted drinking behavior, explaining 16.8% of the variance. Also the model explained 14.2% of the variance in healthy eating behavior and the significant predictors included, models of significant others, gender, locus of control, attitude toward health, and age. Finally, the only two significant predictors for physical activity were risky behavior tendency and perceived stress, which accounted for 13.2% of the variance. Findings are discussed in the context of suggestions for future research and practical implications for policy making.

Risky Driving Behaviors among Medical Students in the Middle East

A cross sectional study was conducted on medical students enrolled in the Arabian Gulf University in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The objective was to describe medical students’ risk-taking behaviors while driving and to provide recommendations for promoting safe driving behaviors among them. A self administered anonymous questionnaire was used, which included questions on demography and driving behaviors. Medical students demonstrated risk taking behaviors while driving, as 40.1% of them did not use their seatbelts, 49.6% speeded (>100km/hr), 54.7% talked on their mobile phones and 45.9% wrote/read text messages while driving. Female students had lower driving risk taking behaviors compared to males. Driving risk taking behaviors declined as students progressed in their medical years. Saudi and Kuwaiti students had more risk taking behaviors than other nationalities. Driving risk taking behaviors cluster among students according to gender, medical year and nationality. Urgent interventions are needed to promote safe driving behaviors among students.

Reducing Risky Driving Behavior: The Impact of an Adolescent Driver Intervention Program With and Without Mandatory Parental Attendance

The United States is a vehicle-dependent society and allows adolescents to obtain driver’s licenses at age 16 or younger. This study examined the impacts of a driver intervention program on reducing risky driving behaviors among youths who had received their first traffic citation, as well as parental management of driving practices. Participants consisted of 243 youths ages 16 and 17 who were court-ordered to attend the Ohio 4-H CARTEENS (CAR = Caution and Responsibility and TEENS = Teens who volunteer as teachers) program with and without parents. Results indicated that risky driving behavior decreased significantly for both groups after the intervention program. Parental management practices, however, increased only for youths attending without parents. Regression analysis indicated that risky driving behavior at Time 1 and levels of parental management (parental control) at Time 2 predicted risky driving behavior after completion of the program. Implications of this study include the importance of adolescent driver intervention and prevention programs to teach youths about unsafe driving practices before licensure.

Exploring associations between self-reported executive functions, impulsive personality traits, driving self-efficacy, and functional abilities in driver behaviour after brain injury

ObjectiveThe assessment of self-awareness and self-efficacy as they relate to driving after stroke and TBI is lacking in the literature where the focus has tended to be on neuropsychological testing of underlying component of cognition in predicting driving outcome. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the associations between self-rating of higher-level functions and post-injury driving behaviour. MethodsThe present one-year follow-up study included twenty-four adults with stroke and ten adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) deemed suitable for driving after a comprehensive driving evaluation according to Norwegian regulations. In addition, but not part of the decision making, baseline measurements included self-rating of executive functions (Behaviour Rating of Executive Function (BRIEF-A)), impulsive personality traits (UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale), driving self-efficacy (Adelaide Driving Self-Efficacy Scale (ADSES)), and functional abilities (Awareness Questionnaire (AQ)). Follow-up measurements twelve months after baseline were collected, the ADSES, AQ, and Swedish Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (Swedish DBQ). ResultsPerceived driving self-efficacy and functional abilities did not change from baseline to follow-up. Baseline perceived executive functions and impulsive personality traits were significantly associated with driving self-efficacy at follow-up. Lower self-efficacy and functional abilities were associated with lower driving mileage and increased use of compensatory driving strategies, whereas lower self-efficacy beliefs were associated with driver mistakes and inattention. Driver violations and inattention were associated with minor accidents. ConclusionThe present study demonstrates that higher-level functions such as executive functions, impulsive personality traits, driving self-efficacy and functional abilities, influence post-injury accident involvement mediated through proximal driving factors such as driver inattention. Further evidence is warranted to explore self-rating measures compared to performance-based methods as predictors of risky driver behaviour, crashes, and near misses.

Dangerous driving in a Chinese sample: associations with morningness-eveningness preference and personality.

Individual differences in morningness-eveningness preference may influence susceptibility and response to sleepiness. These differences could influence driving performance, but the influence of morningness-eveningness preference on driving behavior and accident risk has not been comprehensively studied. As morningness-eveningness preference is associated with personality characteristics, we also investigated how the interaction between morningness-eveningness preference and personality may be related to dangerous driving behaviors. Two hundred and ninety five drivers completed the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, and personality scales for agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism, and reported demographic information (gender, age, level of education, driving years and annual average driving mileage) and self-reported traffic violations (accidents, penalty points and fines). The results showed that more Risky Driving, Aggressive Driving, Negative Cognitive/Emotional Driving and Drunk Driving, as measured by the Dula Dangerous Driving Index, were all significantly correlated with more eveningness, corresponding to lower scores on the reduced Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Moreover, eveningness was correlated with self-reported traffic accidents, penalty points and fines. Furthermore, a moderation effect was found: eveningness was more strongly associated with risky driving and negative emotional driving in those who scored high for trait agreeableness.

Emergency Department-Based Brief Intervention to Reduce Risky Driving: A Life Course Perspective.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) has promise as a clinical intervention for health-compromising behaviors. We used a randomized controlled design in an Emergency Department (ED) setting to determine the efficacy of a nurse-delivered SBIRT to address risky driving in people 18 to 44 years of age. Risky drivers (n = 476) were randomized to brief intervention (BIG), contact-control (CCG), or no-contact-control (NCG) groups and were followed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Outcomes included safety belt use, speeding, and driving through traffic lights. Safety belt use, times speeding between 10 and 19 mph over speed limit, and times driving through a yellow light declined significantly in the BIG as compared with the CCG at 3, 6, and 9 months. SBIRT reduced risky driving in our sample, but its effects did not persist after 9 months. We suggest that SBIRT has the potential to reduce vehicular-related injury in the 9 months after a brief intervention.

The Prevalence and Correlates of Risky Driving Behavior Among National Guard Soldiers

Objective: Previous studies have reported that risky driving is associated with deployment and combat exposure in military populations, but there is limited research on risky driving among soldiers in the National Guard and Reserves, a group increasingly deployed to active international conflicts. The goal of this analysis was to assess the prevalence of risky driving and its demographic, mental health, and deployment-related correlates among members of the Ohio Army National Guard (OHARNG).Methods: The study group comprised 2,616 eligible OHARNG soldiers enlisted as of June 2008, or who enlisted between June 2008 and February 2009. The main outcome of interest was the prevalence of risky driving behavior assessed using six questions: “How often do you use seat belts when you drive or ride in a car?”; “In the past 30 days, how many times have you driven when you've had perhaps too much to drink?”; “In the past year, have you ever become impatient with a slow driver in the fast lane and passed them on the right?”; “In the past year have you crossed an intersection knowing that the traffic lights have already changed from yellow to red?”; “In the past year have you disregarded speed limits late at night or early in the morning?”; and “In the past year have you underestimated the speed of an oncoming vehicle when attempting to pass a vehicle in your own lane?” We fit multiple logistic regression models and derived the adjusted prevalence of risky driving behavior for soldiers with mental health conditions, deployment experience, exposure to combat or trauma, and psychosocial stressors or supports.Results: The prevalence of risky driving was higher in soldiers with a history of mental health conditions, deployment to a conflict area, deployment-related traumatic events, and combat or post-combat stressors. In contrast, the prevalence of risky driving was lower for soldiers who reported high levels of psychosocial support.Conclusions: Efforts to mitigate risky driving in military populations may be more effective if they incorporate both targeted messages to remediate dangerous learned driving behaviors and psychosocial interventions to build resilience and address underlying stressors and mental health symptoms.

Predictive Compensate Control for Remote Vehicle Steering Assist when the Driver is in Risky Driving States

Remote vehicle steering assist is quite necessary for reducing traffic accidents when the driver is in risky driving states such as fatigue, drunk and so on. Communication such as internet, GPS and GSM is usually applied in this kind of remote control process. During network transmission, data packets were inevitably lost more or less, which has negative influence on the remote steering operation. In order to solve this problem, model of some remote steering system was built so as to analyze the steering quality. A packet dropout compensator was designed and applied from the aspect of predictive compensate control using hybrid pi-sigmoid fuzzy neural network. Simulation results showed that the compensator worked effectively to reduce the bad influence of packet dropout during remote vehicle steering procedure.

The effect of stress and personality on dangerous driving behavior among Chinese drivers

The relationship between stress and road safety has been studied for many years, but the effect of global stress and its joint effect with personality on driving behavior have received little attention in previous studies. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of global stress and various personality traits on driving behavior. 242 drivers completed the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), and several personality trait scales related to anger, sensation seeking, and altruism. The results showed that perceived stress and sensation seeking were significantly correlated with the four subcategories of dangerous driving behavior, namely, negative cognitive/emotional driving (NCED), aggressive driving (AD), risky driving (RD), and drunk driving (DD). Moreover, anger was positively correlated with negative cognitive/emotional driving, aggressive driving, and risky driving, and altruism was negatively correlated with aggressive driving and drunk driving. Hierarchical multiple regressions were applied to analyze the mediating effect of personality traits, and the results showed that anger mediated the relationship between stress and dangerous driving behavior and that this mediating role was especially strong for negative cognitive/emotional driving and aggressive driving. Collectively, the results showed that stress is an important factor that can affect people's driving behavior but that personality traits mediate the effect of stress on driving behavior. The findings from this study regarding the relationship among stress, anger, and dangerous driving behavior could be applied in the development of intervention programs for stress and anger management in order to improve drivers’ ability to manage emotional thoughts and adjust their behavior on the road.

Considerations of a Dual-systems Model of Cognitive Development and Risky Driving.

The dual-systems model of adolescent risk-taking postulates that risk-taking during adolescence partially results from an imbalance in the development of the executive and the socio-emotional cognitive systems. While supported by behavioral and neuroanatomical data, translational research linking the model with real-world driving or laboratory driving simulation is sparse. This paper discusses the model as it relates to adolescent driving and reviews empirical studies that have applied it in a driving-specific context. While, the studies reviewed provided partial support, each lacked a critical component necessary to fully test the model. Thus, a strong test has yet to be implemented; however, the dual-systems model holds promise for advancing the understanding of teen driving risk and guiding applications for prevention and policy.

Sensation Seeking and Self-efficacy Effect on Adolescents Risky Driving and Substance Abuse

Purpose of the article: to investigate the matching effect of self-efficacy and sensation seeking on three health risk behaviors in adolescents: risky driving, alcohol use, and marijuana use. Methods 330 Italian adolescents completed the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking, Perceived Self-Regulatory Efficacy Scale, and Health Behavior Questionnaire (for risky driving, alcohol and marijuana use). Results Engagement in all health risk behaviors was statistically higher in adolescents with high level of Sensation Seeking and low level of Self-efficacy and was lowest in the group with low Sensation seeking and high Self-efficacy. Conclusions In adolescents it is likely that combination of high Sensation seeking and low Self-efficacy is a health risk factor, whereas low Sensation Seeking and high Self-efficacy is a health protective factor.

Steering teens safe: a randomized trial of a parent-based intervention to improve safe teen driving.

BackgroundCrashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and parent-based interventions are a promising approach. We assess the effectiveness of Steering Teens Safe, a parent-focused program to increase safe teen driving.MethodsSteering Teens Safe aimed to improve parental communication with teens about safe driving using motivational interviewing techniques in conjunction with 19 safe driving lessons. A randomized controlled trial involved 145 parent-teen dyads (70 intervention and 75 control). Intervention parents received a 45-minute session to learn the program with four follow-up phone sessions, a DVD, and a workbook. Control parents received a standard brochure about safe driving. Scores were developed to measure teen-reported quantity and quality of parental communication about safe driving. The main outcome measure was a previously validated Risky Driving Score reported by teens. Because the Score was highly skewed, a generalized linear model based on a gamma distribution was used for analysis.ResultsIntervention teens ranked their parent’s success in talking about driving safety higher than control teens (p = 0.035) and reported that their parents talked about more topics (non-significant difference). The Risky Driving Score was 21% lower in intervention compared to control teens (85% CI = 0.60, 1.00). Interaction between communication quantity and the intervention was examined. Intervention teens who reported more successful communication had a 42% lower Risky Driving Score (95% CI = 0.37, 0.94) than control parents with less successful communication.ConclusionsThis program had a positive although not strong effect, and it may hold the most promise in partnership with other programs, such as Driver’s Education or Graduated Driver’s License policies.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01014923. Registered Nov. 16, 2009.

Examining behavioral and attitudinal differences among groups in their traffic safety culture

The paper explores the concept that, for a given population, there is not a single “traffic safety culture,” but rather a set of alternative cultures in which the individual driver might belong. There are several different cultures of dangerous driving behavior and each might need a separate strategy for intervention or amelioration. First, the paper summarizes the over-arching theory explored in the research, which applies Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) in a modification of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in the explanation of Risky Driving Behavior, based on ten observed explanatory factors. Second, we apply Latent Class Cluster (LCC) segmentation to the full sample, revealing four segments: one cluster reflecting a “Low Risk Driving Safety Group” and three clusters describing three different groups of problematic drivers. We first apply MSEM to two groups; the “Low Risk Driving Safety Group,” and the “High Risk Driving Safety Group,” defined as the members of the three problematic clusters together, revealing how a “Low Risk” culture differs from the “High Risk” culture, with the relative importance of the TPB explanatory factors varying sharply between the two groups. Finally, the three problematic clusters are profiled for demographics and their mean scores for the ten observed explanatory factors. Each of the clusters is reviewed in terms of responses to selected survey questions. Three separate and distinct dangerous traffic safety cultures emerge: first, a culture of risky driving dominated by excitement seeking and optimism bias; a second dominated by denial of societal values; and a third characterized by its propensity to find rational justifications for its speeding behavior. The paper applies two research methods together: LCC segmentation divides our sample into meaningful subgroups, while MSEM reveals both within-group analysis of variance and between-group differences in safety attitudes and outcomes. The paper concludes that the combination of the segmentation powers of the LCC and the analysis powers of the MSEM provides the analyst with an improved understanding of the attitudes and behaviors of the separate groups, all tied back to the over-arching theory underlying the research.

The Relationship between Chinese Truck Drivers’ Cell Phone Use and Risky Driving Factors in Green Logistics Management

The Relationship between Chinese Truck Drivers’ Cell Phone Use and Risky Driving Factors in Green Logistics Management

Social cognition and personality traits related to risky driving in a Turkish sample

Aims: The aim of the study was to make a theoretical contribution by investigating social cognitive factors and personality traits related to risky driver behaviour in a Turkish sample. The study tested three theoretical models by Structural Equation Modelling: (1) a model using risk perception and attitudes towards traffic safety to predict driver behaviour, (2) a model which used normlessness and sensation-seeking traits to predict such behaviour and (3) a model which used both the social cognitive factors and personality traits to predict driver behaviour. Methods: A questionnaire survey with validated measurement instruments was conducted in a sample of Turkish drivers (n = 213). The response rate was 61%. Results: A combined social cognitive and personality trait model had tolerable fit and explained 24% of the variance in driver behaviour. The relations between personality traits and risk perception with driver behaviour were mediated through attitudes towards traffic safety. Risk-taking personality traits had relatively strong relations to unsafe driver behaviour, whereas risk perception had a relatively weak relation to such behaviour. Conclusions: A combined social cognitive and trait approach may be efficient in human factor campaigns aimed to reduce risky driver behaviour in Turkey. Personality traits may be important for driver behaviour because they influence the attitudinal determinants of such behaviour. Increased police enforcement of road traffic regulations may reduce risky driving among individuals with normlessness and sensation-seeking traits. Personality traits may also guide efforts aimed at early identification of risky drivers and campaigns could be tailored to specific personality characteristics.

The Relation Between Cognitive Control and Risky Driving in Young Novice Drivers

This study investigated if decreased cognitive control, reflected in response inhibition and working-memory performance, is an underlying mechanism of risky driving in young novice drivers. Thirty-eight participants aged 17 to 25 years old, with less than 1 year of driving experience, completed a simulated drive that included several risky driving measures. Measures of response inhibition and verbal working memory were negatively associated with the standard deviation of the lateral lane position. Response inhibition, but not working memory, was also negatively related with the detection of, reaction to, and crashes with road hazards. Unexpectedly, increased cognitive control did not always relate to decreased risky driving. Visuospatial working-memory performance related positively with yellow-light running and negatively with the minimal following distance inside the city center. The findings evidence the role of cognitive control in explaining risky driving in young novice drivers. This relationship, however, differed per cognitive function and per driving parameter. Implications for future research and traffic safety interventions are discussed.

Reducing risky driver behaviour through the implementation of a driver risk management system

South Africa has one of the highest incidences of road accidents in the world. Most accidents are avoidable and are caused by driver behaviour and errors. The purpose of this article was to identify the riskiest driver behaviours in commercial fleets in South Africa, to determine the business impact of such behaviour, to establish a framework for the management of risky driver behaviour and to test the framework by applying a leading commercial driver behaviour management system as a case study. The case study comprised three South African commercial fleets. Using data from these fleets, critical incident triangles were used to determine the ratio data of risky driver behaviour to near-collisions and collisions. Based on managing the riskiest driver behaviours as causes of more serious incidents and accidents, the results indicated that through the implementation of an effective driver risk management system, risky incidents were significantly reduced.

Distress Tolerance as a Predictor of Risky and Aggressive Driving

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between distress tolerance and risky and aggressive driving. Distress tolerance, defined as an individual's capability to experience and endure negative emotional states, was hypothesized to be related negatively to aggressive driving and risky driving. Methods: An anonymous, web-based survey of 769 college students was conducted at a large East Coast university. Results: After controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, year in school, grade point average, and driving frequency, distress tolerance was significantly inversely related to reported risky driving and aggressive driving. Conclusion: College drivers who have a diminished capacity to endure frustration without experiencing negative emotional states (i.e., low distress tolerance) tend to drive aggressively and in a risky manner. Traditional deterrence-based approaches to highway safety may benefit from inclusion of a wider array of prevention strategies that focus on emotion regulation while driving.

Alcohol Involvement and Other Risky Driver Behaviors: Effects on Crash Initiation and Crash Severity

Objective: Alcohol-involved drivers or those with blood alcohol concentrations greater than 0.00 percent have more frequent and more severe crashes than other drivers. Alcohol use, because it delays perception and response and impairs coordination, increases the risk of a crash. However, those using alcohol may take additional driving risks, which may also lead to crashes. This study was done to learn whether risks besides alcohol involvement contributed to crash initiation and whether crash severity increased with alcohol involvement or with those other risky behaviors. Methods: Data that represented nearly 1.4 million motor vehicle crashes were accessed from an NHTSA database. Analyses evaluated whether alcohol-involved driving was associated with other driving risks and whether driver alcohol involvement, alone or together with other risks, increased the likelihood of initiating a 2-vehicle crash or in the event of a crash or increased crash severity. Results: Alcohol-involved drivers were less likely to use seat belts, drove faster, and were more likely to be distracted than others. Those who initiated 2-vehicle crashes were more likely to be alcohol involved or to have taken other driving risks than others from the same crashes. Crash severity was significantly greater for alcohol-involved drivers than for other drivers, but severity increased further if additional risks were taken. Crashes involving only drivers who had not used alcohol were also sometimes severe, and that severity was associated with risky driving behaviors. When crashes involved 2 drivers, the behaviors of both affected crash severity. Conclusions: Risky driving behaviors, including alcohol involvement, increased the risk of a crash. Crash severity tended to increase with any risky behavior and to increase further with multiple risky behaviors. Other risky behaviors were associated with both alcohol involvement and crashes. Therefore, if effects from those other risky behaviors were not accommodated for, those effects would confound apparent associations between alcohol involvement and crashes. Therefore, this study's use of multivariate models that accommodated for effects from those other behaviors provided a truer picture of alcohol's association with crashes than simpler models would have. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Traffic Injury Prevention to view the supplemental file.