Lifestyle and accidents among young drivers

Gregersen, Nils Petter; Berg, Hans Yngve · 1994 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/0001-4575(94)90003-5

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between lifestyle profiles and accident risk among young drivers, aiming to identify specific high-risk and low-risk groups. While previous research has extensively covered factors like experience, skill, and maturity, the role of social situation and lifestyle remains underexplored. The authors argue that understanding these lifestyle components is crucial for both theoretical insights into accident causation and for designing targeted practical road safety measures, such as education and campaigns. The researchers collected data via a questionnaire mailed to a random sample of 3,000 twenty-year-olds from the Swedish population register. After excluding those without driver’s licenses, the final sample consisted of 1,774 respondents (54.7% male). The questionnaire assessed lifestyle actions—including sports, music, alcohol consumption, political engagement, and driving habits—as well as involvement in traffic accidents where the respondent was at fault. The analysis employed Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce 59 lifestyle items into 10 distinct factors, such as "Sports," "Alcohol," "Extra motives for driving," and "Culture." These factors, along with driving exposure variables, were then used in a cluster analysis to define 15 distinct lifestyle groups. Accident risk was calculated as accidents per license holder, and t-tests determined statistical significance compared to the sample average. The results identified four high-risk groups and two low-risk groups. The high-risk groups collectively comprised 22% of respondents but accounted for 32% of accidents, indicating an average overrisk of 150%. These groups were characterized by specific patterns: for instance, one group scored high on alcohol consumption, extra driving motives (e.g., showing off), and interest in cars, while another was heavily involved in cultural activities and clothing but also drove frequently. In contrast, the low-risk groups showed an average underrisk of 75%. One low-risk group rarely drove and scored high on culture and social engagement, while the other was highly active in sports, rarely drank alcohol, and drove frequently at night or to parties. Notably, high-risk groups were predominantly male, whereas low-risk groups had a majority of women. The study concludes that accident risk among young drivers is not uniform but varies significantly based on lifestyle profiles. The findings confirm a statistical relationship between specific lifestyle components and accident involvement. The authors emphasize that these results support the development of targeted safety interventions. By identifying high-risk profiles, authorities can tailor educational campaigns and regulatory measures to address specific behaviors, such as excessive night driving or driving for non-transport motives, rather than applying generic advice to all young drivers.

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Topics

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• sex gender
• novice drivers
• passenger effects
• sensation seeking
• induced exposure
• cultural cross national

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes