Intention to speed in a rural area: Reasoned but not reasonable

To disregard the speed limit is the most frequently reported violation. High speed has been related to road traffic accidents and is the main reason for people being killed or seriously injured. There is evidence to suggest that speeding is related to beliefs which minimize the perception of risk. The aim of the following study was therefore to determine what motivates drivers to speed. An extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to examine the role of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and descriptive norms. The participants were randomly selected from the general public. The results demonstrated the value of TPB in the prediction of speeding on a rural road and that positive beliefs had a stronger link to intention than negative ones. It was also able to demonstrate the significant effect of descriptive norm and distinguish between two different groups of intenders; one low in ambivalence and one high. The latter group is relatively unknown and future research is required to explore their needs and motives in some more depth. Finally, the role of gender was assessed and the results showed that driving experience and age were important factors explaining women’s lower intention to violate. Furthermore, the model was able to predict male and female intentions equally well and the unique effect of the various constructs within the TPB was also very similar. The findings from this study call for more tailored interventions.