title: The role of personality traits and driving experience in self-reported risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of personality traits and driving experience in the prediction of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese population. A convenience sample of drivers (n=511; mean (SD) age=34.2 (8.8) years) completed a self-report questionnaire that was designed based on validated scales for measuring personality traits, risky driving behaviors and self-reported accident risk. Results from structural equation modeling analysis demonstrated that the data fit well with our theoretical model. While showing no direct effects on accident risk, personality traits had direct effects on risky driving behaviors, and yielded indirect effects on accident risk mediated by risky driving behaviors. Both driving experience and risky driving behaviors directly predicted accident risk and accounted for 15% of its variance. There was little gender difference in personality traits, risky driving behaviors and accident risk. The findings emphasized the importance of personality traits and driving experience in the understanding of risky driving behaviors and accident risk among Chinese drivers and provided new insight into the design of evidence-based driving education and accident prevention interventions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Da
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Factors and Ergonomics, College of Mechatronics and Control Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address: quxd@szu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xingda
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qu
mesh_terms: D000056:Accident Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010551:Personality; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Accident risk; Driving behaviors; Driving experience; Gender; Personality traits