Research report No. 17

Chapter 8. Overview (PDF 73 KB)

This second report from the collaboration between the Australian Institute of Family Studies, the Transport Accident Commission of Victoria and the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria examined a range of issues relating to the driving behaviour of a community sample of young Australian drivers aged in their mid-20s.

Six main issues were examined:

• the driving behaviours and driver histories of young people aged in their mid-20s;
• the stability of driving behaviour over young adulthood (between the ages of 19-20 to 23-24 years);
• links between risky driving and substance use;
• the co-occurrence of crash involvement, high-level speeding, fatigued driving and other aspects of road safety among drivers in their mid-20s;
• the influence of families on young people's car purchases; and
• connections between 23-24 year olds' personal characteristics and their driving behaviours.

As the findings and their implications for road safety practice have been discussed in detail earlier in this report, they will not be further discussed in depth here. Rather, this section aims to provide an overview of several main themes emerging from this research, as well as identifying possible areas for further research using data from the Australian Temperament Project.

8.1 Stability and change in risky driving over young adulthood

The first In the Driver's Seat report examined the learner driver experiences and current driving behaviour of more than 1,100 young drivers (aged 19-20), who had been driving, on average, for approximately one year and nine months. This second report has built upon these findings to provide further insights into the changing nature and incidence of different driving practices as young people move beyond the early years of their driving careers, and increase in maturity and driving experience.

The first report established that unsafe driving behaviours, such as speeding and driving when fatigued, were relatively common among 19-20 year old drivers. Analysis of data collected when the young people in the study were aged 23-24 indicates that these and other types of risky driving were still widespread among drivers in their mid-20s. For example, low-level speeding, driving when fatigued, and mobile phone use while driving were highly prevalent among drivers of this age, and drink-driving was a growing problem. Furthermore, while there had been a modest decrease in rates of moderate- and high-level speeding over the early adult years, the frequency of moderate-level speeding at age 23-24 was still concerning. Driving under the influence of illegal drugs and the non-use of seatbelts were less of an issue among this sample of young Victorian drivers, which is perhaps not surprising considering the low incidence of illegal substance use (other than marijuana) among this sample at this age, and the fact that Victoria, Australia, was the first state in the world to introduce compulsory seatbelt use legislation.

When viewed in conjunction with other findings from this second report, these results suggest that engagement in risky driving remained fairly stable between the ages of 19-20 and 23-24 years. For example, while overall sample trends indicated a modest reduction in some forms of risky driving over this four-year period, and some individuals showed a decrease in their risky driving tendencies over this time, the frequency of risky driving was generally similar at both ages. These findings suggest that risky driving continues to be a serious road safety issue for drivers in their mid-20s, emphasising the importance of sustaining road safety efforts beyond the early driving years. Given the high prevalence of speeding, fatigued driving, mobile phone use and drink-driving among 23-24 year old drivers, initiatives targeted at these risky driving practices would appear to be of particular value for this age group.

Nevertheless, despite the relative stability of risky driving across the sample from the late-teens into the mid-20s, the findings of this report also show there was capacity for change in individual driving patterns over this period. For instance, many who frequently took risks on the road at age 19-20, no longer did so at 23-24, whereas, conversely, risky driving emerged as a significant problem for a small number in their mid-20s.

On a positive note, the findings of this research also suggest that avoidance of risky driving during the early years of young people's driving careers may stand them in good stead, as very few young people who fell into this group later engaged in high levels of risky driving. While small group numbers prevented us from undertaking further analyses to determine the factors that may have contributed to persistence or change in driving patterns across early adulthood, this is clearly an issue that would benefit from further research.

8.2 Co-occurrence of different problem behaviours

Another issue addressed in the first report was the extent to which risky driving occurred in conjunction with other types of problem behaviour. This issue was taken up again in this report, but as well as focusing on the degree of overlap between risky driving and other problem behaviours (in this case, substance use), the interconnectedness of different forms of risky driving (e.g., speeding and drink-driving) was also examined.

The first report found substantial overlap in the precursors of risky driving, substance use and antisocial behaviour. In addition, rates of substance use and antisocial behaviour were found to be higher among high-level risky drivers than among those who engaged in low or moderate levels of risky driving at age 19-20. These findings were seen as offering partial support for the view that problem behaviours are interrelated, and may be caused by a common propensity or trait for risk-taking.

The findings of the second report further support this notion, showing a strong link between risky driving and substance use among drivers in their mid-20s. For instance, 23-24 year olds who frequently took risks on the road were more likely than their more law-abiding counterparts to binge drink and use marijuana, ecstasy and/or amphetamines. They were also more likely to use multiple legal and illegal substances.

The current findings also extend those of the first report by providing evidence to suggest that different forms of risky driving are interrelated, with drink-drivers, high-level speeders and fatigued drivers exhibiting higher rates of other problematic driving behaviours than other drivers at 23-24 years. In particular, the co-occurrence of high-level speeding with other forms of risky driving was notable.

These findings support the utility of intervention approaches that address a range of unsafe and/or unlawful driving practices as a valuable supplement to specifically targeted road safety initiatives.

8.3 Personal influences on young drivers

The first report highlighted the important contribution that personal factors can make to a driver's behaviour on the road. For instance, 19-20 year olds who exhibited different problematic driving outcomes (high-level risky driving, involvement in multiple crashes, multiple speeding violations) could be differentiated from other drivers on a range of individual attributes and behaviours during adolescence and early adulthood. These findings were seen as an important reminder that the attributes and capacities that a young person brings to the task of driving can influence their skills and effectiveness as drivers, just as can factors associated with the driving environment.

The findings of the second report reinforce these earlier findings, demonstrating a link between personal characteristics and driving style among drivers in their mid-20s. For instance, comparisons of young people who engaged in low, moderate and high levels of risky driving at 23-24 years, showed that low-level risky drivers had more highly developed personal characteristics in several areas than moderate- and high-level risky drivers, especially in terms of their levels of empathy and responsibility and their ability to see others' points of view. These capacities may help them to respond calmly and responsibly when driving.

One personal characteristic that emerged as a particularly powerful contributor to road safety behaviour, at both 19-20 and 23-24 years, was gender. The majority of high-level risky drivers at both ages were male, and males were consistently over-represented among those who sped, did not wear a seatbelt when driving, or drove when affected by alcohol. In addition, young men had more often experienced trouble with the law as a result of their driving behaviour at both ages. While females generally took fewer risks on the road, there were some risky practices that they tended to engage in more often than males (e.g., driving when fatigued).

Gender differences were not only evident in the behaviour of young men and women on the road, but also in the approaches they used to avoid drink-driving (females were more likely to abstain from drinking; males were more likely to alter their drinking habits, drink less, count or space their drinks, or consume low alcohol beer); the factors they considered important when purchasing a motor vehicle (e.g., males placed higher value on vehicle type and power/performance); and the driving practices of their friends and romantic partners (males were more likely to have friends who were drink-drivers, while females were more likely to report their partner was a drink-driver). These findings suggest that a gender-focused approach to road safety may be beneficial, to address the differing factors that characterise or are related to risky driving among young men and young women.

8.4 Social influences on driving behaviour

The findings of the first and second reports also demonstrate the significant influence that social factors may have on a young person's driving behaviour. For instance, the first report found that young people who went on to become problematic drivers at 19-20 years had typically experienced greater school adjustment difficulties and more problematic interpersonal relationships during adolescence than other young drivers.

A number of findings from the second report also point to the important role that social factors, and more particularly interpersonal relationships, may have on driving. As an example, the second report shows that parents generally played an important role in young adults' car purchases, with over two-thirds assisting their young adult children with their choice of motor vehicle, and most feeling that their advice had influenced their son's or daughter's decision to some degree. This was particularly true if parents shared close relationships with their adult children. Social factors also differentiated young people who engaged in low levels of risky driving from other drivers, with this group tending to have better quality relationships with parents at age 23-24, and more tolerant attitudes than those who engaged in higher levels of risky driving behaviour.

These findings reinforce the relevance of young people's personal qualities and broader life experiences to their behaviour as drivers. The findings from both reports highlight the importance of being connected to others as a deterrent of risky driving. The development and maintenance of adaptive interpersonal relationships with parents seemed particularly crucial and there may be scope for road safety programs to highlight and utilise parents' influence.

8.5 Levels of risk

The findings clearly highlight the road safety risk posed by the high-level risky driving group, both at 19-20 and 23-24 years. Considerable discussion of their personal attributes, circumstances and driving practices has been provided, as well as the type of road safety intervention and prevention strategies that may be most appropriate for this group. Both reports have also drawn attention to the increased risk posed by the moderate-level group; for example, these drivers had more often than low-level risky drivers been involved in antisocial behaviour and substance use from mid-adolescence to 19-20 years, and similar trends were found at 23-24 years with regard to substance use (overlap with antisocial behaviour was not examined at this latter age). Further, at 23-24 years, the moderate-level group showed similar levels of difficulties as the high-level group on personal characteristics.

The moderate-level group may be overlooked but does present a road safety concern, given that this group did engage in risk-taking on the road, and was much larger in size than the high-level group. While the high-level group presents the highest and most immediate risk, the moderate-level group may be more amenable to change, and achieving a reduction in their risky driving behaviour may result in greater gains for road safety. These findings point to the importance of targeting both the high- and moderate-level risky driving groups in road safety efforts.

8.6 Next phase of this research

The first and second reports have provided an in-depth account of the nature, prevalence and development of "normal" and "problematic" driving patterns among a large sample of young Australians and have yielded many valuable insights. Nevertheless, there remain several opportunities to exploit the road safety data contained in the unique Australian Temperament Project dataset. Further exploration of the data collected at ages 19-20 and 23-24, as well as the possible collection of a third wave of data when participants are in their late twenties could enable the investigation of issues such as:

• the stability of driving behaviour from the late teens to the late twenties;
• a qualitative, person-focused analysis of the characteristics of individuals whose driving profiles have changed over time;
• the longitudinal precursors of drink-driving from the earliest years of life;
• the effectiveness of differing strategies used by young people to avoid drink-driving;
• links between parents' road safety attitudes and behaviour and that of their sons/daughters; and
• connections between young drivers' attitudes to road safety issues and their driving behaviour.

Exploration of these issues would further add to our understanding of the road safety attitudes and behaviours of young Australian drivers.