650 – The Psychological Distress and Aggressive Driving: Age and Gender Differences in Voluntary Risk-taking Behavior in Road Traffic Crashes

Bener, A. · 2013 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(13)75901-7

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Summary

This study investigates the interplay between psychological distress, demographic factors, and aggressive driving behaviors, specifically focusing on age and gender differences in voluntary risk-taking among drivers involved in road traffic crashes (RTCs) in Qatar. The research aims to determine how these variables influence driver behavior, accident involvement, and driving performance, addressing a critical public health concern regarding dangerous driving practices. The methodology employed a cross-sectional survey design involving a representative sample of 1,824 drivers. Data collection utilized three primary instruments: socio-demographic information forms, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ), and the Driver Skill Inventory (DSI). This approach allowed for a comprehensive assessment of both behavioral tendencies and self-reported driving skills across different demographic groups. The results revealed significant gender-based disparities in driving habits and crash involvement. While mean ages were similar for males (36.5 years) and females (36.8 years), males were significantly more likely to drive four-wheel-drive vehicles (62% vs. 57%). Conversely, females reported higher rates of mobile phone usage while driving (51% vs. 39%). Males exhibited significantly higher frequencies of aggressive behaviors, including excessive speeding (39% vs. 28%), tailgating, disregarding red traffic signals, and ignoring speed limits at night and on motorways. Despite these risky behaviors, males reported significantly higher overall driving skill scores (mean 40.6 vs. 38.7). Notably, a significantly higher proportion of females were involved in head-on collisions. The study concludes that age, gender, seat belt usage, and mobile phone use are primary predictors of motor crashes and injuries. The findings highlight a paradox where males, despite reporting higher driving skills, engage in more frequent violations and aggressive driving, whereas females, though less aggressive, face higher risks of specific severe crash types like head-on collisions. The authors emphasize that the central public health challenge lies in modifying risk-taking behaviors, particularly among young male and female drivers, to mitigate dangerous driving practices and reduce RTC incidence. This research underscores the need for targeted interventions that address gender-specific risk profiles rather than applying uniform safety strategies.

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StageOutcomeToolModelPromptAttemptsCompleted
discover success Crossref 1 2026-06-25
archive success canonical_url 1 2026-06-26
extract success cached 2 2026-06-26
clean success clean 1 2026-06-25
chunk success chunk 1 2026-06-25
embed success embed Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B 1 2026-06-25
promote success 1 2026-06-25
summarize success llm qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant summ-v5 1 2026-06-26
tag success vector_similarity 6 2026-06-25
verify partial 1 2026-06-26

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