title: Stability of risky driving from late adolescence to early adulthood.
abstract: This study examined the stability of risky driving behaviour from late adolescence to early adulthood among 823 young Australian drivers participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. This issue was explored by examining the stability of risky driving between the ages of 19-20 and 23-24 years (1) across the cohort and (2) among individuals. Focusing on cohort-wide trends, a modest reduction in the occurrence of speeding was observed across the sample between 19-20 and 23-24 years. However, drink-driving increased markedly over this period, and driving without a seatbelt or helmet for part of a trip also rose. Rates of other risky driving behaviours remained relatively unchanged. With regard to trends among individuals, while a decrease was evident in the risky driving propensities of many who had been classified as moderate or high risky drivers at age 19-20, 48% of the former group, and 77% of the latter group, still exhibited risky driving tendencies at 23-24 years. Together, these findings suggest a fair degree of stability in risky driving from late adolescence to early adulthood among this sample of Australian youth, highlighting the continuing need for road safety initiatives targeting young drivers beyond their first years of licensure.
authors: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20/485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 Australia. Electronic address: Suzanne.Vassallo@aifs.gov.au.
authors: Suzanne
authors: S
authors: Vassallo
authors: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20/485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 Australia. Electronic address: Diana.Smart@aifs.gov.au.
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Smart
authors: Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, 550 Princes Highway, Noble Park North, Vic. 3174, Australia. Electronic address: Melinda_Spiteri@racv.com.au.
authors: Melinda
authors: M
authors: Spiteri
authors: Transport Accident Commission, GPO Box 742, Geelong, Vic. 3220, Australia. Electronic address: samantha_cockfield@tac.vic.gov.au.
authors: Samantha
authors: S
authors: Cockfield
authors: Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, 550 Princes Highway, Noble Park North, Vic. 3174, Australia. Electronic address: anne@harriscook.com.
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Harris
authors: Eastern Professional Services, 3 Birdwood Avenue, Ferntree Gully, Vic. 3156, Australia.
authors: Warren
authors: W
authors: Harrison
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008004:Licensure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Drink-driving; Longitudinal; Risky driving; Speeding; Young adults