Relationships between young drivers’ personality characteristics, risk perceptions, and driving behaviour

Research has shown that inexperienced drivers underestimate the risks associated with a range of driving situations. In addition, personality factors are an important influence on both risk perceptions and driving behaviour. The study investigated the strength of relationship between personality factors, risk perceptions, and driving behaviour among young, mainly inexperienced drivers. One-hundred and fifty-nine students aged between 17 and 20 completed an online questionnaire assessing five facets of personality, four components of risk perceptions, and one measure of driving behaviour. Using structural equation modeling as a means of assessing the overall fit of each model, 39% of the variance in young drivers’ speeding was accounted for by Excitement-Seeking, Altruism, their Aversion to Risk Taking, and their own likelihood of having an accident, with Altruism and Aversion to Risk Taking both showing moderate negative relationships. Road safety interventions should examine whether they strengthen young drivers’ appreciation of the impact of their actions on others through positive reinforcement of altruistic norms.