Psychosocial Identification of Drivers Responsible for Fatal Vehicular Accidents in Boston

Sterling-Smith, Robert S. · 1976 · ROSA P / United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Summary

This 1976 report, prepared by the Boston University Traffic Accident Research Special Study team for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), investigates the psychosocial and human factor characteristics of drivers deemed "most responsible" for fatal vehicular accidents in the greater Boston area. Motivated by the high rate of highway fatalities, particularly among young males, the study aimed to identify specific demographic, behavioral, and substance-use patterns associated with these drivers to inform safety interventions. The research sought to determine if distinct psychosocial profiles existed among different types of fatal accident operators and to assess the roles of alcohol, marijuana, and other drugs in these incidents. The study employed a sequential field investigation design conducted over a 30-month period from September 1971 to February 1974. The team investigated 300 fatal accidents, collecting data on 275 interrelated human factor variables for 267 operators included in the final analysis. Drivers were categorized into three primary accident types: Type I (operator killed), Type II (operator survived, but another occupant died), and Type III (operator struck and killed a pedestrian). Data sources included police records, medical examiner reports, probation histories, and personal interviews with operators, relatives, and peers. The study utilized specific instruments, including the Risk Taking Behavior Scale (RTBS) and the Human Factor Stress Scale (HFSS), to evaluate behavioral tendencies and stress levels. The findings revealed significant psychosocial differences among the three operator groups. Type II operators were characterized as "multi-problemmatical," exhibiting histories of domestic, social, legal, and risk-taking issues, along with distinct patterns of intoxicating substance use and high focal accident stress. In contrast, Type I operators were significantly older and demonstrated heavier historical and focal alcohol use, though their psychosocial behaviors were more conforming to societal norms than the antisocial Type II group. Type III operators appeared more passive in their human factor histories and stress responses, resembling the "average" Boston driver. Alcohol involvement was prevalent, with Type I operators showing higher blood alcohol concentrations and problem-drinking histories compared to other groups. Marijuana and street drug use were also documented, with varying correlations to alcohol involvement across accident types. The significance of this study lies in its detailed profiling of fatal accident operators, providing empirical evidence that different fatal accident scenarios involve drivers with distinct psychosocial and behavioral profiles. By differentiating between operators who die in crashes, those who kill passengers, and those who kill pedestrians, the research highlights the need for targeted interventions. The findings suggest that Type II operators require different rehabilitation strategies due to their complex, multi-problem backgrounds, while Type I operators may benefit from alcohol-focused interventions. This report serves as the first part of a larger study, with subsequent parts planned to compare these experimental samples against control groups of non-fatal accident drivers to further validate these psychosocial distinctions.

Key finding

Type II operators were significantly different from other groups, characterized by multi-problematic pre-accident lifestyles and distinct historical and focal substance use patterns.

Methodology

naturalistic

Sample size: 300

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• sex gender
• incidence prevalence
• demographic disparities
• pre crash contributing factors
• human error taxonomy
• induced exposure

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes, observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: dataset resource