Highlights ► General behavioral theories frame typical decision-making mechanisms of drivers. ► Heterogeneous driving behaviors are examined for their various mechanisms. ► Multi-group analysis of SEM is employed to examine the structural discrepancies. ► Age and gender are two factors useful in segmenting heterogeneous driver groups.
Abstract While many studies examine the mean score differences of psychological determinants between heterogeneous driver groups, this study reveals a structural discrepancy in a causal behavioral framework. Using young motorcyclists (ages 18–28) as subjects, this study investigates the various roles of key influential factors in determining risky driving behavior. Multi-group analysis of structural equation modeling shows that age and gender are two factors that can effectively distinguish heterogeneous driver groups exhibiting different decision-making mechanisms in shaping their risky driving behaviors. When encountering undesirable traffic conditions, road rage can immediately increase male motorcyclists’ intentions to engage in risky driving behaviors; on the other hand, young female motorcyclists further calculate their perceived risk to determine whether to engage in risky driving behaviors. This result shows that there is a significant link between risk perception and traffic condition awareness for experienced drivers (ages 25–28), but not for younger drivers (ages 18–24). This finding shows that while well-developed theories such as planned behavior and risk homeostasis provide general frameworks to explain risky driving behavior, heterogeneous driver groups may exhibit structural discrepancies that reflect their various decision-making mechanisms. This suggests that, in addition to mean differences, understanding structural discrepancies among heterogeneous groups could help researchers identify effective intervention strategies.
Beyond general behavioral theories: Structural discrepancy in young motorcyclist's risky driving behavior and its policy implications
Accident Analysis and Prevention ; 49 ; 165-176
2011-04-17
12 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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