Assessing Risk Perception over Recidivist Traffic Offenders from a Multi-group Approach: How Gendered Could It Be?

Lijarcio, Ignacio; Llamazares, Javier; Valle, Eliseo; Montoro, Luís; Useche, Sergio A. · 2022 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.5093/ejpalc2022a4

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Summary

This study investigates the factors influencing Spanish drivers' risk perception regarding recidivist traffic offenders, with a specific focus on gender as a differentiating variable. Motivated by the persistent public health crisis of road crashes and the underrepresentation of recidivist offenders in safety interventions, the research aims to determine how demographic, psychosocial, and driving-related features predict the perceived risk of repeat offenders. The authors hypothesize that these variables significantly explain risk perception and that their influence differs structurally between male and female drivers. The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study using data from a nationwide sample of 1,711 licensed drivers across Spain’s 17 regions. Participants, with a mean age of 40.07 years (49% female, 51% male), completed telephone-based interviews assessing demographic data, driving exposure, traffic law knowledge, enforcement attitudes, and risk perception. The study employed robust statistical tests and a bias-corrected Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling (MGSEM) approach to analyze the data, controlling for non-normality issues common in self-report studies. The results indicate that driver age, driving exposure, traffic law knowledge, assessments of enforcement and reeducation, and the number of traffic fines received significantly explain risk perception toward recidivists. Specifically, higher traffic law knowledge and greater age were positively associated with higher risk perception, whereas a higher number of personal traffic fines was negatively associated with perceiving recidivists as risky. Crucially, the MGSEM analysis revealed structural gender differences: driving exposure, the perceived need for enforcement, and traffic law knowledge exerted differential influences on risk perception for men and women. For instance, traffic law knowledge significantly predicted risk perception in women but not in men, while the need for enforcement showed varying significance levels between genders. The findings suggest that psychosocial and driving-related features differentially predict risk perception based on gender. This highlights the importance of incorporating gender-specific perspectives into driving education, reeducation, and training programs. By understanding these distinct perceptual mechanisms, policymakers and safety professionals can develop more targeted interventions to address and prevent traffic recidivism, ultimately enhancing road safety strategies.

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Topics

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• sex gender
• risk taking