title: Peer influence predicts speeding prevalence among teenage drivers.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  Preventing speed-related crashes could reduce costs and improve efficiency in the transportation industry.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This research examined the psychosocial and personality predictors of observed speeding among young drivers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey and driving data were collected from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers during the first 18months of licensure. Speeding (i.e., driving 10mph over the speed limit; about 16km/h) was assessed by comparing speed data collected with recording systems installed in participants' vehicles with posted speed limits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Speeding was correlated with elevated g-force event rates (r=0.335, pb0.05), increased over time, and predicted by day vs. night trips, higher sensation seeking, substance use, tolerance of deviance, susceptibility to peer pressure, and number of risky friends. Perceived risk was a significant mediator of the association between speeding and risky friends.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings support the contention that social norms may influence teenage speeding behavior and this relationship may operate through perceived risk.
authors.affiliation: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA. mortonb@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Bruce G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Simons-Morton
authors.forename: Marie Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ouimet
authors.forename: Rusan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Sheila G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Klauer
authors.forename: Suzanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Dingus
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010551:Personality; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult