Personality and attitudes as predictors of risky driving among older drivers

Personality, functional performance, and travel patterns related to older drivers' risky driving behavior: A naturalistic driving study

Older drivers are among the most vulnerable demographics within the road traffic system. The rising number of elderly motorists has raised public concern regarding their driving safety. It is crucial to understand the factors influencing risky driving behaviors among older drivers to enhance their safety. This study aimed to analyze the personality, functional performance, and travel patterns related to older drivers' risky driving behavior. The analysis utilized a sample of 58 older drivers, aged 65 years and above (mean age = 72.41 years; 40 males and 18 females) from the Nagoya metropolitan area. Risky driving behaviors and travel patterns were assessed using naturalistic driving data. Bivariate correlation analysis revealed that impulsivity and diminished contrast sensitivity were significantly correlated with more frequent risky driving behaviors. Additionally, both low driving exposure and high-risk driving routes (i.e., more frequent left and right turns, driving more on minor roads) were significantly correlated with an increased risk of harsh events. Moreover, a strong association was observed between driving exposure and driving route, indicating that the driving route of lower mileage drivers tend to be riskier. When the relationship between driving exposure and risky driving behaviors was adjusted for driving route, the strength of the correlation diminished from 0.35 to 0.16, rendering it insignificant. This partial correlation analysis suggests that the increased driving risk among low-mileage drivers can be partially attributed to their high-risk driving routes. The findings of this study provide further evidence regarding the role of personality in explaining older drivers' risky driving behavior and the explanation of older drivers' low-mileage bias.

Pedestrian behavior among Chinese seniors: Insights from factor analysis and structural equation modeling

Pedestrians contribute significantly to the total number of road fatalities and injuries, with their behavior playing a pivotal role in traffic mishaps. Despite this, a limited body of research has delved into the walking behaviors of Chinese seniors. Given this gap, our study rigorously examines the patterns of seniors' walking behaviors and their influencing factors. We employed exploratory factor analysis to decipher the intrinsic component structures of seniors' walking patterns in China. Subsequently, structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the impact of demographic attributes and personality characteristics on these behaviors. The findings revealed a four-dimensional structure for senior walking behaviors: transgression, inattention, aggression, and positive behaviors. Introducing personality traits as variables notably enhanced the explanatory power of our model. Specifically, anger, altruism, and normlessness significantly influenced certain dimensions of walking behaviors, while sensation-seeking did not exhibit any notable effect. This study not only highlights the complexity and diversity of elderly walking behaviors but also underscores the importance of tailored interventions to improve walking safety and quality of life for seniors.

Predictors of older people's intention to engage in cycling violation behaviour with an integrative model

In China, bicycles are a popular mode of transportation for senior citizens. A disproportionate number of traffic-related fatalities and injuries involve cyclists. The violation of cycling laws is a significant cause of cyclist crashes. Few studies have analyzed the cycling violation behaviour of seniors. Therefore, it is essential to examine the factors that influence older individuals' intention to engage in cycling violation behaviours. In this study, the effects of social-demographic characteristics, the exogenous constructs in the health belief model (HBM), and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) on senior cyclists' violation intention were investigated using hierarchical regression analysis. Interviews were conducted with older cyclists in urban areas of Wuhan City, all above 60 years of age. The results showed that very little variance in behavioural intention could be explained by social-demographic factors. The TPB has a significantly greater capacity than the HBM to explain variance in behavioural intention. Perceived susceptibility, perceived benefit, cues to action, subjective norm and attitude significantly impacted behavioural intention, whereas perceived severity, perceived barrier and self-efficacy did not.

Personality, perceptions and behavior: A study of speeding amongst drivers in Victoria, Australia

INTRODUCTION

Road crashes present a serious public health issue. Many people are seriously or fatally injured every year in avoidable crashes. While these crashes can have multiple contributing factors, including road design and condition, vehicle design and condition, the environment and human error, the performance of illegal driving behavior, including speeding, may also play a role. The current study aimed to examine the mediating influence that four potential deterrents (perceptions towards enforcement, crash risk, social norms and disapproval, and negative personal/emotional affect) have between the Big Five personality traits (conscientiousness; extraversion; agreeableness; neuroticism; openness) and expectations to speed.

METHODS

A total of 5,108 drivers in Victoria, Australia completed an online survey in 2019. A mediated regression analysis was used to examine pathways in a conceptual model developed for the study.

RESULTS

The results showed that perceptions towards the four potential deterrents examined did mediate the relationship (either completely or partially) between personality and expectations to speed.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that if interventions to deter illegal driving behavior are to be successful, one factor that could be taken into account is the personality traits of drivers who may be at greatest risk of the performance of illegal driving behaviors.

Impulsivity and self-regulation: A dual-process model of risky driving in young drivers in Iran

The dual-process model of risky driving (Lazuras, Rowe, Poulter, Powell, & Ypsilanti, 2019) suggested that regulatory processes mediate the effect of impulsivity on risky driving. The current study aimed to examine the cross-cultural generalisability of this model to Iranian drivers, who are from a country with a markedly higher rate of traffic collisions. We sampled 458 Iranian drivers aged 18 to 25 using an online survey measuring impulsive processes including impulsivity, normlessness and sensation-seeking, and regulatory processes comprising emotion-regulation, trait self-regulation, driving self-regulation, executive functions, reflective functioning and attitudes toward driving. In addition, we used the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire to measure driving violations and errors. Executive functions and driving self-regulation mediated the effect of attention impulsivity on driving errors. Executive functions, reflective functioning, and driving self-regulation mediated the relationship between motor impulsivity and driving errors. Finally, attitudes toward driving safety significantly mediated the relationship of both normlessness and sensation-seeking with driving violations. These results support the mediatory role of cognitive and self-regulatory capacities in the connection between impulsive processes and driving errors and violations. Overall, the present study confirmed the validity of the dual-process model of risky driving in a sample of young drivers in Iran. Implications for educating drivers and implementing policies and interventions based on this model are discussed.

How do driving behavior and attitudes toward road safety vary between developed and developing countries? Evidence from Iran and the Netherlands

INTRODUCTION

The rates of road traffic injuries and fatalities in developing countries are significantly higher than in developed countries. This study examines the differences in driving behavior, road safety attitudes, and driving habits between a developed country (the Netherlands) and a developing country (Iran), which bear major differences in terms of crash involvement per population.

METHOD

In this context, this study assesses the statistical association of crash involvement with errors, lapses, aggressive driving incidents, and non-compliance with traffic rules, attitudes, and habits. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate data obtained from 1,440 questionnaires (720 samples for each group).

RESULTS

The results revealed that more insecure attitudes toward traffic-regulation observance, negative driving habits, and risky behaviors, such as traffic rule violations act as influential factors of crash involvement. Iranian participants showed a greater likelihood to get involved in violations and driving habits with a higher level of risk. In addition, lower levels of safety attitudes toward traffic-regulation observance were observed. On the other hand, Dutch drivers were more likely to report lapses and errors. Dutch drivers also reported safer behavior in terms of unwillingness to engage in risky behaviors such as violations (speeding and no-overtaking). The structural equation models for crash involvement based on behaviors, attitudes, and driving habits were also evaluated for their accuracy and statistical fit using relevant indicators.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Finally, the findings of the present study point out the need for extensive research in some areas to foster policies that can effectively enhance safer driving.

Age-related effects of executive function on takeover performance in automated driving

The development of highly automated vehicles can meet elderly drivers' mobility needs; however, worse driving performance after a takeover request (TOR) is frequently found, especially regarding non-driving related tasks (NDRTs). This study aims to detect the correlation between takeover performance and underlying cognitive factors comprising a set of higher order cognitive processes including executive functions. Thirty-five young and 35 elderly participants were tested by computerized cognitive tasks and simulated driving tasks to evaluate their executive functions and takeover performance. Performance of n-back tasks, Simon tasks, and task switching were used to evaluate updating, inhibition, and shifting components of executive functions by principal component analysis. The performance of lane changing after TOR was measured using the standard deviation of the steering wheel angle and minimum time-to-collision (TTC). Differences between age groups and NDRT engagement were assessed by two-way mixed analysis of variance. Older participants had significantly lower executive function ability and were less stable and more conservative when engaged in NDRT. Furthermore, a significant correlation between executive function and lateral driving stability was found. These findings highlight the interaction between age-related differences in executive functions and takeover performance; thus, provide implications for designing driver screening tests or human-machine interfaces.

The effects of personality and attitude on risky driving behaviour among public van drivers: hierarchical modelling

Background

Traffic injuries have become a significant public health problem in low- and middle-income countries. Several studies have examined the role of personality and attitude toward traffic safety in predicting driving behaviors in diverse types of drivers. Few studies have investigated risky behavior among public passenger van drivers. This study aims to identify the predictors of self-reported risky driving behavior among public van drivers.

Method

A total of 410 public van drivers were interviewed at terminal stations in Bangkok. Hierarchical regression models were applied to determine the effects of demographics, personality traits, and attitude on self-reported risky driving behaviors.

Results

The results indicated that drivers with a high education level, more working days, and high scores for normlessness and anger were more likely to report risky driving behaviors (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The personality traits and attitude toward speeding account for aberrant self-reported risky driving behavior in passenger van drivers. This could be another empirical basis for evidence-based road safety interventions in the context of public transport.

Association between psychological symptoms and illegal driving behaviors in a sample of Chinese private car drivers

BACKGROUND

Findings on the associations between psychological symptoms and driving behaviors in private car drivers are inadequate.

METHOD

The study consisted of 3,115 private car drivers in Yulin, China. The measurements included socio-demographic data, traffic violations, accidents, and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). In addition, an ordered logistic regression model was employed to examine the association between each psychological symptom and risky driving behaviors.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence rate of any self-reported psychological symptom was 10.24%, with 9.22% for males and 11.49% for females. Among them, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, additional items, hostility, and depression were the five most common psychological symptoms, with prevalence rates of 7.90, 6.29, 6.00, 5.91, and 5.62%, respectively. Any psychological symptom factor was associated with a higher risk of traffic violations and accidents. However, the intensity of the correlations varied, with obsessive-compulsive symptoms the strongest in general traffic violations and anxiety symptoms in traffic accidents. All psychological symptoms except phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation contributed to a higher risk of failing the driver's license test.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence rate of psychological symptoms was high in private car drivers. This study calls for an urgent need to establish a pilot tertiary prevention strategy to reduce risky driving behaviors through psychological symptom screening and interventions among private car drivers.

Perfectionism and Eating Behavior in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a massive global health crisis leading to different reactions in people. Those reactions may be adaptive or not depending on situational or psychological processes. Disordered eating attitudes and behaviors are likely to be exacerbated by the pandemic through multiple pathways as suggested by Rodgers et al. (2020). Among the psychological variables that may have increased dysfunctional eating attitudes and behaviors as a consequence of the social distancing and isolation, we looked at perfectionism. Perfectionism is a well-recognized risk and maintaining factor of eating-related symptoms and interact with stress increasing the probability of dysfunctional reactions (e.g., Wang and Li, 2017). The present study investigated the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and eating behaviors by considering the mediating role of psychological distress. Data were collected from two countries (Italy and Spain) by means of an online survey. The samples included 465 (63.4% female) participants from Italy and 352 (68.5% female) from Spain. Participants completed the short form of the Hewitt and Flett Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (Lombardo et al., 2021) to assess self-oriented, other-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, as well as the short form of Three Factors Eating Questionnaire (Karlsson et al., 2000) and the Italian version of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (Bottesi et al., 2015), respectively used to assess restrictive, emotional and uncontrolled eating on one hand, and depression, anxiety and stress on the other. Multigroup analysis was performed to test the hypothesized model. Results showed that other-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism were indirectly related to most of the dysfunctional eating aspects through the mediation of psychological distress, and the pattern obtained was consistent in both countries. These findings evidence that the psychological distress potentially related to the COVID-19 disease mediates the negative impact of interpersonal perfectionism and the tendency to eat in response to negative emotions.

Rethinking Cell Phone Use While Driving: Isolated Risk Behavior or a Pattern of Risk-Taking Associated with Impulsivity in Young Drivers?

This study examines whether cell phone use stands apart from a general pattern of risky driving practices associated with crashes and impulsivity-related personality traits in young drivers. A retrospective online survey study recruited 384 young drivers from across the United States using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to complete a survey measuring risky driving practices (including cell phone use), history of crashes, and impulsivity-related personality traits. Almost half (44.5%) of the drivers reported being involved in at least one crash, and the majority engaged in cell phone use while driving (up to 73%). Factor analysis and structural equation modeling found that cell phone use loaded highly on a latent factor with other risky driving practices that were associated with prior crashes (b = 0.15, [95% CI: 0.01, 0.29]). There was also an indirect relationship between one form of impulsivity and crashes through risky driving (b = 0.127, [95% CI: 0.01, 0.30]). Additional analyses did not find an independent contribution to crashes for frequent cell phone use. These results suggest a pattern of risky driving practices associated with impulsivity in young drivers, indicating the benefit of exploring a more comprehensive safe driving strategy that includes the avoidance of cell phone use as well as other risky practices, particularly for young drivers with greater impulsive tendencies.

The Impact of Two MMPI-2-Based Models of Personality in Predicting Driving Behavior. Can Demographic Variables Be Disregarded?

The driver’s personality is a key human factor for the assessment of the fitness to drive (FTD), affecting driving decisions and behavior, with consequences on driving safety. No previous study has investigated the effectiveness of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 scales for predicting the FTD. The present study aimed to compare two MMPI-2-based models of normal and pathological personality traits (i.e., Inventory of Driving-related Personality Traits (IVPE)-MMPI vs. Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) scale) in predicting the cognitive FTD. One hundred young and eighty-seven adult active drivers completed the MMPI-2 questionnaire as a measure of personality and a computerized driving task measuring for resilience of attention (Determination Test (DT)), reaction speed (Reaction Test (RS)), motor speed (MS), and perceptual speed (Adaptive Tachistoscopic Traffic Perception Test (ATAVT)). The effects of age, gender, and education were also controlled. Results showed that the models controlled for demographics overperformed those neglecting them for each driving outcome. A negative effect of age was found on each driving task; the effect of gender, favoring males, was found in both the RS and the MS, and the effect of education was found on the DT and the ATAVT. Concerning personality traits, significant effects were found of sensation seeking (IVPE-MMPI) on each outcome; of anxiety (as a measure of emotional instability; IVPE-MMPI) and introversion (PSY-5) on the measures of MS; and of psychopathic deviation (as a measure of self-control; IVPEMMPI) on the DT. The study confirmed the key role of demographic factors in influencing the FTD, further suggesting the usefulness of some MMPI2-based personality scales in the assessment of driving-related personality determinants.

Bicycle Rider Behavior and Crash Involvement in Australia

This research investigated how behaviours and attitudes of bicycle riders influence crash frequency and severity. The study recruited 1102 Australian bicycle riders for an online survey. The survey comprised questions on demographics, frequency of riding and the number and severity of traffic crashes during the last five years. The survey included the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire and the Cyclist Risk Perception and Regulation Scale. Overall, there were low levels of errors and violations reported by participants indicating that these behaviours were on average never or rarely exhibited while riding a bicycle. Conversely, participants reported high levels of engagement in positive behaviours and reported high levels of traffic rule knowledge and risk perception. Higher rates of violations and errors were associated with increased crash likelihood, while higher rates of positive behaviours were associated with reduced rates of crash involvement in a period of 5 years. The findings highlight the relationship between errors, total crashes and crash severity Further promotion of positive behaviours amongst riders may also help to reduce the risk of crashes.

The association between demographic characteristics, personality, and mental health of bus drivers in China: A structural equation model

BACKGROUND

The psychological status of drivers is related to adverse driving behaviors. Although there are several studies on the mental health and traffic accidents among bus drivers, related studies on the association between mental health and individual characteristics are scarce.

METHODS

Our report is on a cross-sectional study of bus drivers that took place between October 2014 and May 2016. A total of 596 bus drivers who worked for transportation companies and underwent occupational physical examinations at The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region workers' Hospital during the study period were included. Demographic characteristics were collected by a self-designed demographic questionnaire. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to evaluate the personality and mental health of bus drivers, and the results of the scales were compared with Chinese norms. The structural equation model was used to analyze the correlation among demographic characteristics, personality characteristics, and mental health.

RESULTS

Except for the lie dimension, the average scores of the driver's personality dimension were higher than the Chinese norm, and the means of somatization and phobia scores of bus drivers were also higher; obsessions-compulsions, interpersonal sensitivity, and depression scores were lower than those for the Chinese norms. The structural equations modeling revealed that the total effects coefficient of demographic characteristics on mental health was 0.68, and that of personality was 0.60. There were direct influences between demographic characteristics and personality characteristics, demographic characteristics and mental health, and personality characteristics and mental health; the standardized path coefficients were 0.60, 0.50, and 0.30, respectively. Smoking, drinking, and neuroticism were the main factors affecting the mental health of bus drivers; and the standardized path coefficients were 0.56, 0.54, and 0.90 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, bus drivers were significantly more extroverted, psychotic, and neurotic than the general population; and they were more likely to suffer from somatization and phobia. The mental health of bus drivers was associated with some demographic and personality characteristics in the study. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the selection of bus drivers and intervention measures for drivers with high-risk driving tendencies, which is conducive to better guide road traffic safety construction and reduce the occurrence of road traffic injuries.

Implicit attitudes towards risky driving behaviors: Evidence of validity for the implicit association test

INTRODUCTION

Attitudes toward risky driving behaviors are commonly evaluated through direct self-report measures. Nevertheless, these instruments have limitations, such as socially-desirable responding. This study examines the validity of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) as an indirect measure of attitudes towards risky driving. An IAT with "risky" vs. "safe" driving behaviors categories was evaluated.

METHOD

A sample of 100 participants (ranging from 18 to 70 years of age) completed the IAT and measures of attitudes, driving styles, personality traits, risk-taking (IOWA Gambling Task), and social desirability (Driver Social Desirability Scale).

RESULTS

A high level of internal consistency was found for IAT scores. The IAT was correlated with driving styles (risky, dissociative, and careful dimensions), risk-related personality traits (impulsive/sensation seeking and aggression/hostility) and risk-taking measures. IAT scores were also associated with self-reported risky driving behaviors (r = 0.33). As expected, a higher level of negative implicit attitudes was found among young drivers. The driver social desirability scale was correlated with most self-report measures, but not with the IAT.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides reliability and validity evidence for the IAT as an indirect measure of attitudes towards risky driving. The IAT can serve as an important complement to conventional self-report measures of driving attitudes. Practical Applications: Potential use of global measure of implicit attitudes toward risky driving behaviors in the evaluation, education, and training of drivers are discussed.

Adopting Machine Learning and Spatial Analysis Techniques for Driver Risk Assessment: Insights from a Case Study

Traffic violations usually caused by aggressive driving behavior are often seen as a primary contributor to traffic crashes. Violations are either caused by an unintentional or deliberate act of drivers that jeopardize the lives of fellow drivers, pedestrians, and property. This study is aimed to investigate different traffic violations (overspeeding, wrong-way driving, illegal parking, non-compliance traffic control devices, etc.) using spatial analysis and different machine learning methods. Georeferenced violation data along two expressways (S308 and S219) for the year 2016 was obtained from the traffic police department, in the city of Luzhou, China. Detailed descriptive analysis of the data showed that wrong-way driving was the most common violation type observed. Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) interpolation in the ArcMap Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to develop violation hotspots zones to guide on efficient use of limited resources during the treatment of high-risk sites. Lastly, a systematic Machine Learning (ML) framework, such as K Nearest Neighbors (KNN) models (using k = 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12), support vector machine (SVM), and CN2 Rule Inducer, was utilized for classification and prediction of each violation type as a function of several explanatory variables. The predictive performance of proposed ML models was examined using different evaluation metrics, such as Area Under the Curve (AUC), F-score, precision, recall, specificity, and run time. The results also showed that the KNN model with k = 7 using manhattan evaluation had an accuracy of 99% and outperformed the SVM and CN2 Rule Inducer. The outcome of this study could provide the practitioners and decision-makers with essential insights for appropriate engineering and traffic control measures to improve the safety of road-users.

Who uses a mobile phone while driving for food delivery? The role of personality, risk perception, and driving self-efficacy

INTRODUCTION

The existing literature on mobile phone use while driving (MPUWD) mainly targets the participants from general population and the young adults, however, few studies pay attention to this form of distracted driving with samples in professional contexts. The present study aims to bridge the gap by identifying the extent of and the motives behind making use of mobile phones while driving for food dispatch among deliveryman.

METHOD

The snowball sampling was used to collect the data (N = 317) through a self-reported questionnaire, including demographics, personality traits, risk perception, driving self-efficacy, and mobile phone use while driving.

RESULTS

Descriptive analysis for the assessed MPUWD behaviors showed that 96.3% (N = 315) of food deliveryman undertook the MPUWD behaviors, though disproportionate distribution among these behaviors existed. Structural equation modeling analysis displayed that psychoticism and driving self-efficacy directly predicted the MPUWD behaviors. The mediating role of driving self-efficacy was verified with the findings that driving self-efficacy completely mediated the relationships that between risk perception and MPUWD behaviors and that between extraversion and MPUWD behaviors, as well as partially mediated the correlation between psychoticism and MPUWD behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study confirms the prevalence of MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman. The SEM estimates and bootstrap estimates suggest that personality traits and perceived risk perception per se display limited predicting utility to MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman, whereas driving self-efficacy and the proposed predictors together well illustrate the assessed MPUWD behaviors among food deliveryman. Practical Applications: These findings imply that developing and implementing intervention efforts in a concerted way would curb these behaviors effectively.

The Drives for Driving Simulation: A Scientometric Analysis and a Selective Review of Reviews on Simulated Driving Research

Driving behaviors and fitness to drive have been assessed over time using different tools: standardized neuropsychological, on-road and driving simulation testing. Nowadays, the great variability of topics related to driving simulation has elicited a high number of reviews. The present work aims to perform a scientometric analysis on driving simulation reviews and to propose a selective review of reviews focusing on relevant aspects related to validity and fidelity. A scientometric analysis of driving simulation reviews published from 1988 to 2019 was conducted. Bibliographic data from 298 reviews were extracted from Scopus and WoS. Performance analysis was conducted to investigate most prolific Countries, Journals, Institutes and Authors. A cluster analysis on authors' keywords was performed to identify relevant associations between different research topics. Based on the reviews extracted from cluster analysis, a selective review of reviews was conducted to answer questions regarding validity, fidelity and critical issues. United States and Germany are the first two Countries for number of driving simulation reviews. United States is the leading Country with 5 Institutes in the top-ten. Top Authors wrote from 3 to 7 reviews each and belong to Institutes located in North America and Europe. Cluster analysis identified three clusters and eight keywords. The selective review of reviews showed a substantial agreement for supporting validity of driving simulation with respect to neuropsychological and on-road testing, while for fidelity with respect to real-world driving experience a blurred representation emerged. The most relevant critical issues were the a) lack of a common set of standards, b) phenomenon of simulation sickness, c) need for psychometric properties, lack of studies investigating d) predictive validity with respect to collision rates and e) ecological validity. Driving simulation represents a cross-cutting topic in scientific literature on driving, and there are several evidences for considering it as a valid alternative to neuropsychological and on-road testing. Further research efforts could be aimed at establishing a consensus statement for protocols assessing fitness to drive, in order to (a) use standardized systems, (b) compare systematically driving simulators with regard to their validity and fidelity, and (c) employ shared criteria for conducting studies in a given sub-topic.

How do fatalistic beliefs affect the attitudes and pedestrian behaviours of road users in different countries? A cross-cultural study

This paper reports on an exploratory investigation of the influence of five different fatalistic belief constructs (divine control, luck, helplessness, internality, and general fatalism) on three classes of self-reported pedestrian behaviours (memory and attention errors, rule violations, and aggressive behaviours) and on respondents' general attitudes to road safety, and how relationships between constructs differ across countries. A survey of over 3400 respondents across Bangladesh, China, Kenya, Thailand, the UK, and Vietnam revealed a similar pattern for most of the relationships assessed, in most countries; those who reported higher fatalistic beliefs or more external attributions of causality also reported performing riskier pedestrian behaviours and holding more dangerous attitudes to road safety. The strengths of relationships between constructs did, however, differ by country, behaviour type, and aspect of fatalism. One particularly notable country difference was that in Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, in Kenya, a stronger belief in divine influence over one's life was associated with safer attitudes and behaviours, whereas where significant relationships existed in the other countries the opposite was true. In some cases, the effect of fatalistic beliefs on self-reported behaviours was mediated through attitudes, in other cases the effect was direct. Results are discussed in terms of the need to consider the effect of locus of control and attributions of causality on attitudes and behaviours, and the need to understand the differences between countries therein.

Risk Assessment of Commercial dangerous -goods truck drivers using geo-location data: A case study in China

The primary objective of this study is to understand the relationship between driving risk of commercial dangerous-goods truck (CDT) and exposure factors and find a way to evaluate the risk of specific transportation environment, such as specific transportation route. Due to increasing transportation demand and potential threat to public, commercial dangerous goods transportation (CDGT) has drawn attention from decision makers and researchers within governmental and non-governmental safety organization. However, there are few studies focusing on driving risk assessment of commercial dangerous-goods truck by environmental factors. In this paper we employ survival analysis methods to analyze the impact of risk exposure factors on non-accident mileage of commercial dangerous-good truck and assess risk level of specific driving environment. Using raw location data from six transportation companies in China, we derive a set of 17 risk exposure factors that we use for model parameters estimation. The survival model and hazard model were estimated using the Weibull distribution as the baseline distribution. The results show that four factors - weather, traffic flow, travel time and average velocity have a significant impact on the non-accident mileage of driver in this company, and the assessment results of survival function and hazard function are robust to the different levels of testing data. The employment time has some effect on the results but does not result in a significant difference in most cases, and the task stability has little impact on the results. The findings of this study should be useful for decision makers and transportation companies to better risk assessment of CDT.

Personality and Behavioral Predictors of Cyclist Involvement in Crash-Related Conditions

In recent years, the increasing rate of road crashes involving cyclists with a disproportionate overrepresentation in injury statistics has become a major concern in road safety and public health. However, much remains unknown about factors contributing to cyclists’ high crash rates, especially those related to personal characteristics. This study aims to explore the influence of cyclist personality traits and cycling behaviors on their road safety outcomes using a mediated model combining these constructs. A total of 628 cyclists completed an online questionnaire consisting of questions related to cycling anger, impulsiveness, normlessness, sensation seeking, risky cycling behaviors, and involvement in crash-related conditions in the past year. After the psychometric properties of the employed scales were examined, the relationships among the tested constructs were investigated using structural equation modeling. The results showed that cyclists’ crash risks were directly predicted by risky cycling behaviors and cycling anger, and the effects of cycling anger, impulsiveness, as well as normlessness on crash risks, were mediated by cycling behaviors. The current findings provide insight into the importance of personality traits in impacting cycling safety and could facilitate the development of evidence-based prevention and promotion strategies targeting cyclists in China.

Effects of personality traits and sociocognitive determinants on risky riding behaviors among Chinese e-bikers

Objective: In the last few decades, the growing popularity of e-bikes in China has raised public concerns regarding an increasing number of fatalities and injuries involving e-bikes. Although previous studies have explored the impacts of personality on driving behaviors of automobile drivers and motorcyclists, little attention has been paid to safety-related issues involving e-bikers from the aspect of their personality traits and sociocognitive variables. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of personality on e-bikers' risk-taking behaviors and test the effectiveness of the model proposed by Ulleberg and Rundmo (2003) among e-bikers.Methods: Four hundred and five Chinese e-bikers aged 16 to 61 completed a self-administrated questionnaire, which included questions investigating their demographics, personality traits (anger, altruism, sensation-seeking, normlessness), risk perceptions, safety attitudes, and risky riding behaviors. The reliability and validity of all scales were first examined through reliability analysis and principal component analysis, respectively, and a structural equation model was developed and fitted to test the relationships among e-bikers' personality traits, risk perceptions, safety attitudes, and risky riding.Results: A satisfactory level of reliability and validity was reached for all variables. Anger, altruism, sensation-seeking, and normlessness were all significantly related to e-bikers' risk perceptions and unsafe riding, and only altruism correlated significantly to safety attitude. For 2 sociocognitive variables, safety attitudes was directly and negatively related to respondents' risky riding, and risk perception only exerted impacts on riding behaviors by affecting safety attitudes.Conclusions: Personality traits of e-bikers impacted their riding behaviors both directly and indirectly, and sociocognitive variables played an intermediate role in the personality-behavior relationship. The results revealed the importance of personality traits in influencing e-bikers' risky riding and also verified the applicability of the personality-behavior model proposed by Ulleberg and Rundmo (2003) among e-bikers. The findings of this study may provide an empirical basis for evidence-based safety interventions for e-bikers in China.

Impulsive and Self-Regulatory Processes in Risky Driving Among Young People: A Dual Process Model

The present study empirically examined a novel dual process model of self-reported aberrant driving behavior in young and novice drivers that incorporates both impulsive and self-regulatory processes. Four hundred and nine participants aged 18-25 years (M age = 21.18 years, SD = 2.12; 65.5% females) completed online questionnaires on impulsivity, normlessness, sensation seeking, emotion and self-regulation, and attitudes toward driving safety. Path analysis showed that motor impulsivity was associated with self-reported driving violations, errors, and lapses, whereas sensation seeking was uniquely directly associated with self-reported errors. Non-planning impulsivity, normlessness and sensation seeking had significant indirect effects on self-reported errors, via self-regulation. Finally, motor impulsivity and normlessness had a significant indirect effect on self-reported violations, errors and lapses, via attitudes to driving safety. Based on our findings we suggest that a dual-process approach is relevant to the study of aberrant driving behavior in young and novice drivers, and the results of the present study have important implications for initiatives to promote driving safety in this population.

Personality Traits and Attitudes Toward Traffic Safety Predict Risky Behavior Across Young, Adult, and Older Drivers

In the last few decades, several studies have investigated the role of personality traits and attitudes toward traffic safety in predicting driving behaviors in diverse types of drivers across several countries. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies so far have investigated the possible moderating role played by age in relation to predictors of accident risk. Answering this open question would provide information about the generalizability of the model across different subpopulations and would make possible the tailoring of the interventions to specific target groups. The study involved 1,286 drivers from three different age groups (young: n = 435; adult: n = 412; old: n = 439) which completed a questionnaire measuring drivers’ personality traits (i.e., anxiety, hostility, excitement seeking, altruism, normlessness), positive attitudes toward traffic safety, risky driving behaviors (i.e., errors, lapses, and traffic violations), accident involvement and number of traffic fines issued in the last 12 months. Multi-group Variance Based Structural Equation Modeling (VB-SEM) across the three age groups showed that the hypothesized model had a good fit with the data in all the three age groups. However, some pattern of relationships between the variables varied across the three groups, for example, if considering the direct effects of personality traits on risky driving behaviors, anxiety, altruism, and normlessness predicted violations only in young and adult drivers, whereas excitement seeking was associated with lapses only in young drivers; anxiety was a positive predictor of drivers’ errors, both in adult and older drivers, whereas excitement seeking predicted errors in adult and young drivers. On the other hand, attitudes significantly and negatively predicted violations and errors in all the three age groups, whereas they significantly and negatively predicted lapses only in young and older drivers. The results of the present study provided empirical basis to develop evidence-based road safety interventions differently tailored to the specific life’s stage of the drivers.

Validating Driver Behavior and Attitude Measure for Older Italian Drivers and Investigating Their Link to Rare Collision Events

The present study aimed to: (a) validate the factor structures of three scales assessing driving behavior, attitudes toward traffic safety (ATTS) and self-regulation in driving, in a sample of Italian older adults, through confirmatory factor analyses and (b) to determine the effectiveness of these measures in predicting the likelihood and the frequency of collision involvements in the following year. A 28-item driver behavior questionnaire (DBQ), a 16-item ATTS, a 21-item extended driving mobility questionnaire (DMQ-A) were administered to 369 active Italian drivers, aged between 60 and 91 years. Results showed a four-factor structure for the DBQ, a five-factor structure for the ATTS and a two-factor structure for the Extended DMQ-A, as the best fitting models. Hurdle model analysis of count data with extra-zeros showed that all factors of DBQ predicted the likelihood of road collisions. Risky behavior, except for aggressive violations, self-regulation and attitudes toward traffic rules were associated with the frequency of collision involvement. The aforementioned three scales seemed to be a useful and concise suite of instruments assessing risky as well as protective factors of driving behavior in elderly.

Riding the Adolescence: Personality Subtypes in Young Moped Riders and Their Association With Risky Driving Attitudes and Behaviors

The aim of the present study was to identify sub-types of moped riders based on a cluster analysis of specific personality characteristics (i.e., driving anger, anxiety, angry hostility, excitement-seeking, altruism, normlessness, and driving locus of control) within a large sample of Italian adolescents. The study had also the aim to compare the emerged sub-types of moped riders on measures of attitudes toward safe driving, risky driving behaviors (e.g., rule's violations and speeding, not using helmet, drinking and driving, etc.), and self-reported tickets and accident involvement. One thousand two hundred seventy-three Italian high school students aged from 13 to 19 years (mean_age = 15.43, SD = 0.98) with a valid driving license for moped participated to the study. Results revealed three sub-types of moped riders (namely risky, worried and careful moped riders), which differ significantly for risky driving behaviors, attitudes toward traffic safety, risk perception, and self-reported accident involvement. Importantly, the results of the present study showed that the personality and behavioral characteristics of the three sub-groups of moped riders substantially resembled those identified by previous studies with vehicle drivers of different ages; thus, empirically supporting the notion that certain combinations of personality characteristics are associated with risk driving tendencies and behaviors in both young moped riders and car drivers. Safe driving interventions can tackle risky driving beliefs and behavioral tendencies in young moped riders and car drivers by tailoring their messages according to the personality sub-types of the target groups.

Association between speeding and use of alcohol and medicinal and illegal drugs and involvement in road traffic crashes among motor vehicle drivers

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to study the association between self-reported road traffic crashes (RTCs) and recent use of alcohol and medicinal and illicit drug use and self-reported speeding in the previous 2 years.

METHODS

During the period from April 2016 to April 2017, drivers of cars, vans, motorcycles, and mopeds were stopped in a Norwegian roadside survey performed in collaboration with the police. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The drivers were asked to deliver an oral fluid sample (mixed saliva), which was analyzed for alcohol and 39 illicit and medicinal drugs and metabolites. In addition, data on age, sex, and self-reported speeding tickets and RTCs during the previous 2 years were collected.

RESULTS

A total of 5,031 participants were included in the study, and 4.9% tested positive for the use of one or more illicit or medicinal drugs or alcohol. We found a significant, positive association between the use of cannabis and RTC involvement (odds ratio [OR] = 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-3.57; P = 0.035) and also between previous speeding tickets and RTC involvement (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.08-1.80; P = 0.012). In addition, older age groups were found to have a significant, negative association with RTC involvement, with ORs equal to or less than 0.49, when using the age group 16-24 as reference.

CONCLUSION

Speeding, as an indicator of risk behavior, and the use of cannabis were associated with previous RTC involvement, whereas increasing age was significantly associated with lower risk. This is consistent with previous studies on RTCs.

Among substance-abusing traffic offenders, poor sleep and poor general health predict lower driving skills but not slower reaction times

Background

Traffic accidents are a significant health issue in Iran. Explanations for such accidents have included single consideration of the role of poor sleep and negative psychological trait and state variables. In this study, we examined whether and to what extent sleep, general health, and aggression can concomitantly predict driving behavior.

Methods

A total of 360 male traffic offenders (driving under substance use; mean age: 31 years) participated in this study. They completed the questionnaires covering sociodemographic, sleep-related, and behavior-related variables. In addition, their visual and acoustic reaction times were objectively tested.

Results

Poor sleep, poor general health, and higher aggression scores were associated with self-rated poor driving behavior. Poor sleep was directly associated with poor driving behavior and indirectly via poor general health and aggression. In contrast, visual and acoustic reaction times were unrelated to sleep, general health, aggression, or self-rated driving behavior.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study in Iran to assess concomitantly poor sleep, poor general health, and higher aggression scores as independent predictors of poor driving behavior among a larger sample of substance-abusing traffic offenders. Furthermore, visual and acoustic reaction times were unrelated to sleep, general health, aggression, and driving behavior. Finally, importantly, poor sleep predicted both directly and indirectly poor driving behavior.

Visualization and analysis of mapping knowledge domain of road safety studies

Mapping knowledge domain (MKD) is an important application of visualization technology in Bibliometrics, which has been extensively applied in psychology, medicine, and information science. In this paper we conduct a systematic analysis of the development trend on road safety studies based on the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) articles published between 2000 and 2018 using the MKD software tools VOSviewer and Sci2 Tool. Based on our analysis, we first present the annual numbers of articles, origin countries, main research organizations and groups as well as the source journals on road safety studies. We then report the collaborations among the main research organizations and groups using co-authorship analysis. Furthermore, we adopt the document co-citation analysis, keywords co-occurrence analysis, and burst detection analysis to visually explore the knowledge bases, topic distribution, research fronts and research trends on road safety studies. The proposed approach based on the visualized analysis of MKD can be used to establish a reference information and research basis for the application and development of methods in the domain of road safety studies. In particular, our results show that the knowledge bases (classical documents) of road safety studies in the last two decades have focused on five major areas of "Crash Frequency Data Analysis", "Driver Behavior Questionnaire", "Safety in Numbers for Walkers and Bicyclists", "Road Traffic Injury and Prevention", and "Driving Speed and Road Crashes". Among the research topics, the five dominant clusters are "Causation and Injury Severity Analysis of Road Accidents", "Epidemiologic Study and Prevention of Road Traffic Injury", "Intelligent Transportation System and Active Safety", "Young drivers' driving behavior and psychology", and "Older drivers' psychological and physiological characteristics". Finally, the burst keywords in research trends include Cycling, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Distraction.

Personality factors and safety attitudes predict safety behaviour and accidents in elevator workers

Elevator accidents happen frequently and cause much loss. Personality factors and safety attitudes have been proved effective in predicting accidents in traffic and the workplace. The present study aimed to explore the effect of personality factors and safety attitudes in elevator accidents. A survey was carried out on 383 elevator installers and repairers in China, measuring personalities (conscientiousness, agreeableness and trait anxiety), safety attitudes (compliant and proactive), safety behaviours and accidents (occupational injuries). Approximately 60% of the elevator workers had been injured in the past 6 months. The structural equation model suggested that conscientiousness could predict compliant safety behaviour both directly and indirectly through safety attitude and could predict proactive safety behaviour. Agreeableness could predict compliant safety behaviour. Trait anxiety could predict occupational injuries. Recruiters should choose elevator workers who are conscientious, agreeable and of low trait anxiety. Safety trainings for elevator workers should focus on culturing their safety attitude.

Factors contributing to intercity commercial bus drivers' crash involvement risk

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of demographic, environmental, and occupational factors as well as behavioral characteristics of intercity bus drivers on their crash involvement risk. A total of 107 intercity bus drivers from Tehran, Iran, participated in the study. Logistic regression model suggested that smokers, those who drive during night to morning, less experienced drivers, and those who operate older buses are more likely to be involved in crashes. In addition, a 1-unit increase in the weekly driving hours might significantly increase the drivers' crash involvement risk. The model results also indicated that hazard monitoring, fatigue proneness, and thrill seeking might be considered other significant predictors of crash involvement risk. Implications of results are discussed.

The traffic climate in China: The mediating effect of traffic safety climate between personality and dangerous driving behavior

Traffic safety climate is defined as road users' attitudes and perceptions of traffic in a specific context at a given point in time. The current study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Traffic Climate Scale (TCS) and to explore its relation to drivers' personality and dangerous driving behavior. A sample of 413 drivers completed the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Chinese version of the TCS, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) and a demographic questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to confirm a three-factor (external affective demands, internal requirements and functionality) solution of the TCS. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of TCS were verified. More importantly, the results showed that the effect of personality on dangerous driving behavior was mediated by traffic climate. Specifically, the functionality of the TCS mediated the effect of neuroticism on negative cognitive/emotional driving and drunk driving, while openness had an indirect impact on aggressive driving, risky driving and drunk driving based on the internal requirements of the TCS. Additionally, agreeableness had a negative direct impact on four factors of the DDDI, while neuroticism had a positive direct impact on negative cognitive/emotional driving, drunk driving and risky driving. In conclusion, the Chinese version of the TCS will be useful to evaluate drivers' attitudes towards and perceptions of the requirements of traffic environment in which they participate and will also be valuable for comparing traffic cultures and environments in different countries.

The role of individual and personality factors in controlling risky behaviours related to AIDS: Proposing a causal model

BACKGROUND

Investigating previous studies show that personality traits have an important role in controlling risky behaviours related to AIDS; therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between AIDS health literacy, personality traits and mental health and controlling risky behaviours related to AIDS through self-efficacy.

METHODS

The statistical population includes all the young people in western provinces of Iran, 2015. Data analysis was carried out for a sample of 756 participants (59% female).

RESULTS

The results show that except for the socializing trait, all the other variables are related to controlling risky behaviours. In addition, variables of health literacy related to AIDS, mental health, activity, impulsive sensation seeking and hostility have a direct relation to controlling risky behaviours. Also, the predicting behaviours can predict 62% of the variance in controlling risky behaviours related to AIDS. The analysis results show that health literacy has an indirect impact on controlling risky behaviours through self-efficacy. In other words, health literacy related to AIDS leads to controlling risky behaviours when self-efficacy is high for controlling risky behaviours.

CONCLUSION

Based on the results, it is recommended that the role of self-efficacy in controlling risky behaviours be considered as a strategy for preventing AIDS. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predicting Crashes Using Traffic Offences. A Meta-Analysis that Examines Potential Bias between Self-Report and Archival Data

Background

Traffic offences have been considered an important predictor of crash involvement, and have often been used as a proxy safety variable for crashes. However the association between crashes and offences has never been meta-analysed and the population effect size never established. Research is yet to determine the extent to which this relationship may be spuriously inflated through systematic measurement error, with obvious implications for researchers endeavouring to accurately identify salient factors predictive of crashes.

Methodology and Principal Findings

Studies yielding a correlation between crashes and traffic offences were collated and a meta-analysis of 144 effects drawn from 99 road safety studies conducted. Potential impact of factors such as age, time period, crash and offence rates, crash severity and data type, sourced from either self-report surveys or archival records, were considered and discussed. After weighting for sample size, an average correlation of r = .18 was observed over the mean time period of 3.2 years. Evidence emerged suggesting the strength of this correlation is decreasing over time. Stronger correlations between crashes and offences were generally found in studies involving younger drivers. Consistent with common method variance effects, a within country analysis found stronger effect sizes in self-reported data even controlling for crash mean.

Significance

The effectiveness of traffic offences as a proxy for crashes may be limited. Inclusion of elements such as independently validated crash and offence histories or accurate measures of exposure to the road would facilitate a better understanding of the factors that influence crash involvement.

A novel framework for improvement of road accidents considering decision-making styles of drivers in a large metropolitan area

Road accidents can be caused by different factors such as human factors. Quality of the decision-making process of drivers could have a considerable impact on preventing disasters. The main objective of this study is the analysis of factors affecting road accidents by considering the severity of accidents and decision-making styles of drivers. To this end, a novel framework is proposed based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and statistical methods (SMs) to assess the factors affecting road accidents. In this study, for the first time, dominant decision-making styles of drivers with respect to severity of injuries are identified. To show the applicability of the proposed framework, this research employs actual data of more than 500 samples in Tehran, Iran. The empirical results indicate that the flexible decision style is the dominant style for both minor and severe levels of accident injuries.

The Driver Behaviour Questionnaire as accident predictor; A methodological re-meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) is the most commonly used self-report tool in traffic safety research and applied settings. It has been claimed that the violation factor of this instrument predicts accident involvement, which was supported by a previous meta-analysis. However, that analysis did not test for methodological effects, or include unpublished results.

METHOD

The present study re-analysed studies on prediction of accident involvement from DBQ factors, including lapses, and many unpublished effects. Tests of various types of dissemination bias and common method variance were undertaken.

RESULTS

Outlier analysis showed that some effects were probably not reliable data, but excluding them did not change the results. For correlations between violations and crashes, tendencies for published effects to be larger than unpublished ones and for effects to decrease over time were observed, but were not significant. Also, using the mean of accidents as proxy for effect indicated that studies where effects for violations are not reported have smaller effect sizes. These differences indicate dissemination bias. Studies using self-reported accidents as dependent variables had much larger effects than those using recorded accident data. Also, zero-order correlations were larger than partial correlations controlled for exposure. Similarly, violations/accidents effects were strong only when there was also a strong correlation between accidents and exposure. Overall, the true effect is probably very close to zero (r<.07) for violations versus traffic accident involvement, depending upon which tendencies are controlled for.

CONCLUSIONS

Methodological factors and dissemination bias have inflated the published effect sizes of the DBQ. Strong evidence of various artefactual effects is apparent.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

A greater level of care should be taken if the DBQ continues to be used in traffic safety research. Also, validation of self-reports should be more comprehensive in the future, taking into account the possibility of common method variance.

Crash risk and aberrant driving behaviors among bus drivers: the role of personality and attitudes towards traffic safety

Several studies have shown that personality traits and attitudes toward traffic safety predict aberrant driving behaviors and crash involvement. However, this process has not been adequately investigated in professional drivers, such as bus drivers. The present study used a personality-attitudes model to assess whether personality traits predicted aberrant self-reported driving behaviors (driving violations, lapses, and errors) both directly and indirectly, through the effects of attitudes towards traffic safety in a large sample of bus drivers. Additionally, the relationship between aberrant self-reported driving behaviors and crash risk was also assessed. Three hundred and one bus drivers (mean age=39.1, SD=10.7 years) completed a structured and anonymous questionnaire measuring personality traits, attitudes toward traffic safety, self-reported aberrant driving behaviors (i.e., errors, lapses, and traffic violations), and accident risk in the last 12 months. Structural equation modeling analysis revealed that personality traits were associated to aberrant driving behaviors both directly and indirectly. In particular altruism, excitement seeking, and normlessness directly predicted bus drivers' attitudes toward traffic safety which, in turn, were negatively associated with the three types of self-reported aberrant driving behaviors. Personality traits relevant to emotionality directly predicted bus drivers' aberrant driving behaviors, without any mediation of attitudes. Finally, only self-reported violations were related to bus drivers' accident risk. The present findings suggest that the hypothesized personality-attitudes model accounts for aberrant driving behaviors in bus drivers, and provide the empirical basis for evidence-based road safety interventions in the context of public transport.