The development of risky attitudes from pre-driving to fully-qualified driving.
BACKGROUND
Young drivers are at increased crash risk as a result of adopting risky driving styles. The present work examines the development of risky attitudes from pre-driving to fully-qualified driving, focussing on speed related attitudes.


METHODS
Data were drawn from a UK longitudinal study of adolescent behaviour development in the general population (the G1219 study). At baseline (modal age 17 years) there were 1596 participants, only 18% of whom were fully-qualified drivers. At follow-up (modal age 20 years) 64% were fully-qualified drivers. Attitudes to driving violations, particularly speeding, were measured in all participants at both assessments. Self-reported driving violations, also related to speeding, were measured in fully-qualified drivers at follow-up.


RESULTS
Attitudes became riskier with driver training/experience. Baseline attitudes measured in pre-drivers did not independently predict violations in those that had become fully-qualified drivers at follow-up. The attitudes of learner and fully-qualified drivers at baseline independently predicted violations at follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that the driver training period offers a promising opportunity for interventions to develop safer driving attitudes.
Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. r.rowe@sheffield.ac.uk
Richard
R
Rowe
Barbara
B
Maughan
Alice M
AM
Gregory
Thalia C
TC
Eley
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D057566:Self Report; D017678:Sex Distribution; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult