title: Factors affecting stability and change in risky driving from late adolescence to the late twenties.
abstract: The risky driving tendencies of young drivers has been extensively researched, but much less is known about across-time patterns of risky driving behavior and the factors which influence these. This study identified factors associated with stable, increasing and decreasing risky driving trajectories among 751 Australian drivers participating in an ongoing longitudinal study. Five groups were formed on the basis of participants' patterns of risky driving from 19-20 to 27-28 years (i.e., stable low-risk, stable speeding, stable high-risk, increasing and decreasing). Very few participants exhibited a stable high-risk pattern. Characteristics that differentiated the different across-time groups were identified using Multinomial Logistic Regression. The most consistent correlates of risky driving patterns were antisocial behavior, binge drinking and relationship status. Sex, school completion, temperament, civic engagement, and antisocial peer friendships were also correlated with different across-time patterns. The implications of these findings for road safety are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20/485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Electronic address: Suzanne.Vassallo@aifs.gov.au.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vassallo
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20/485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Electronic address: Julie.Lahausse@aifs.gov.au.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lahausse
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Family Studies, Level 20/485 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia. Electronic address: Ben.Edwards@aifs.gov.au.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Edwards
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D012622:Seat Belts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; Antisocial behavior; Longitudinal; Risky driving; Speeding; Young drivers