Social norms and risk perception: predictors of distracted driving behavior among novice adolescent drivers.
OBJECTIVE
Adolescent drivers are at elevated crash risk due to distracted driving behavior (DDB). Understanding parental and peer influences on adolescent DDB may aid future efforts to decrease crash risk. We examined the influence of risk perception, sensation seeking, as well as descriptive and injunctive social norms on adolescent DDB using the theory of normative social behavior.


METHODS
403 adolescents (aged 16-18 years) and their parents were surveyed by telephone. Survey instruments measured self-reported sociodemographics, DDB, sensation seeking, risk perception, descriptive norms (perceived parent DDB, parent self-reported DDB, and perceived peer DDB), and injunctive norms (parent approval of DDB and peer approval of DDB). Hierarchical multiple linear regression was used to predict the influence of descriptive and injunctive social norms, risk perception, and sensation seeking on adolescent DDB.


RESULTS
92% of adolescents reported regularly engaging in DDB. Adolescents perceived that their parents and peers participated in DDB more frequently than themselves. Adolescent risk perception, parent DDB, perceived parent DDB, and perceived peer DDB were predictive of adolescent DDB in the regression model, but parent approval and peer approval of DDB were not predictive. Risk perception and parental DDB were stronger predictors among males, whereas perceived parental DDB was stronger for female adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescent risk perception and descriptive norms are important predictors of adolescent distracted driving. More study is needed to understand the role of injunctive normative influences on adolescent DDB. Effective public health interventions should address parental role modeling, parental monitoring of adolescent driving, and social marketing techniques that correct misconceptions of norms related to around driver distraction and crash risk.
University of Michigan Injury Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Electronic address: cartpatr@med.umich.edu.
Patrick M
PM
Carter
University of Michigan Injury Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan; University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
C Raymond
CR
Bingham
University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jennifer S
JS
Zakrajsek
University of Michigan Injury Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jean T
JT
Shope
Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Tina B
TB
Sayer
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010379:Peer Group; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012919:Social Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
Adolescents; Distracted driving; Motor vehicle crash