To lose or not to lose one’s grip? A comparison of psychosocial predictors of risk-taking and accident involvement among French cyclists

Varet, Florent; Victeur, Quentin; Deplancke, Antoine; Pelé, Marie; Lenglin, Vincent · 2025 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2025.02.024

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Summary

This study investigates the psychosocial predictors of risky cycling behaviors and accident involvement among French cyclists, addressing the gap in literature regarding variables such as general risk propensity, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, social norms, and perceived legitimacy of traffic rules. Motivated by rising cyclist fatalities in Europe and France, the research aims to identify specific levers for evidence-based road safety interventions by distinguishing between stable individual dispositions and malleable social or cognitive perceptions. The researchers collected data from a large sample of 1,650 French cyclists (Mage = 47.78; 52% women) via an online questionnaire. The instrument measured self-reported frequencies of violations, errors, and helmet non-use, as well as involvement in past crashes with injuries. Predictors included general risk propensity, impulsivity sub-dimensions (urgency and lack of conscientiousness), sensation-seeking, descriptive and injunctive social norms, perceived legitimacy of traffic rules, and risk perception. Statistical analysis proceeded in three stages: bivariate analyses to identify associations, multivariate hierarchical regressions to confirm predictors while controlling for sociodemographic variables, and mediation analyses to test indirect effects of predictors on crashes through risky behaviors. The findings highlight that stable individual dispositions and malleable perceptions significantly predict risky cycling. Specifically, general risk propensity and urgency (a facet of impulsivity) were associated with higher frequencies of violations and errors. Perceived descriptive norms (beliefs about others’ behaviors) and low perceived legitimacy of traffic rules also strongly predicted risky behaviors. Conversely, injunctive norms (beliefs about others’ approvals) and risk perceptions were weakly or not associated with risky cycling. Mediation analyses confirmed that these psychosocial predictors indirectly influenced past crash involvement through their effect on risky behaviors. The study concludes that interventions targeting stable traits like urgency and general risk propensity, as well as malleable perceptions like descriptive norms and rule legitimacy, are likely more effective than those focusing on injunctive norms or risk perception. The authors suggest practical applications such as emotion regulation training for high-urgency individuals and campaigns that challenge the perceived legitimacy of violations or highlight that risky behaviors do not yield expected psychosocial benefits. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of cyclist behavior, prioritizing specific psychological factors for future road safety strategies.

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Topics

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• cyclist safety
• risk taking