Young male drivers’ perceptions of and experiences with YouTube videos of risky driving behaviours

YouTube features millions of videos of high risk driving behaviours and negative consequences of high risk driving (“fails”), such as injuries or deaths. Unfortunately, no information is available on YouTube viewership of these types of sites or on the effects of these videos on viewers. The purpose of this study was to examine young male drivers’ perceptions of and experiences with YouTube videos of risky driving behaviours. Using an exploratory qualitative descriptive approach, three 2-hour focus groups were conducted with young men 18–30 years of age to determine: (i) if they watch and share YouTube videos, including high risk driving videos; (ii) what effects high risk driving videos have on them and others and whether YouTube videos of negative consequences discourage high risk driving. Participants indicated three uses for YouTube; it has replaced television watching and provides entertainment and information. Motivations of both risky drivers in videos and viewers to engage in high risk driving activities included person characteristics (e.g., sensation seeking and responsivity to financial rewards for high view count videos) and socio-environmental factors (e.g., peer pressure). Most indicated that they would not try to imitate the risky behaviours exhibited in videos, although a few had tried to copy some risky driving moves from videos. Social, not mass media is now the common information and entertainment source for young people. YouTube videos of high risk driving are common and ubiquitous. Findings from these focus groups suggest that viewers could influence subsequent content of social media videos and reciprocally, videos could influence behaviours of some viewers, particularly young male viewers.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.07.035
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457518303804
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00014575
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Vingilis, Evelyn
  • Yildirim-Yenier, Zümrut
  • Vingilis-Jaremko, Larissa
  • Seeley, Jane
  • Wickens, Christine M
  • Grushka, Daniel H
  • 0000-0001-5929-075X
  • Fleiter, Judy
• Publication Date: 2018-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 46-54
• Serial:
  • Accident Analysis & Prevention
  • Volume: 120
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0001-4575
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00014575

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Behavior; Focus groups; High risk drivers; Highway safety; Males; Qualitative analysis; Risk taking; Social media; Teenage drivers; Video; Young adults
• Identifier Terms: YouTube
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01680584
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 17 2018 5:18PM