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Adolescent Distracted Driving Attitudes Influenced by Experience and Individual Differences

The present study examined the attitudes of adolescent drivers about distracted driving and associated issues, particularly how these attitudes were affected by driving experience, gender, sensation seeking, and exposure to someone injured or killed by distracted driving (risk exposure). It was hypothesized that drivers who had less experience, were higher in sensation seeking, and were male would be more accepting of distracted driving. Three hundred two adolescents (Mage = 16.15 years, SD = 0.72; 58% female) reported demographics, driving experience, and attitudes about distracted driving and completed the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. Data were collected in two in-person sessions approximately 6 weeks apart. Of those sampled, 98.3% reported having received a driving permit and 23.8% had received a driver’s license. The odds of accepting hand held phone use while driving increased by 4.7% for every additional month since acquisition of a permit. Days per week driven and months of driving with a permit at baseline were regressed on acceptance of hand held phone use, resulting in months of driving predicting acceptance. Despite this, no significant differences were found in attitudes between baseline and post-test. The odds of considering hands free cell phone use unacceptable was 31% more likely for participants who knew someone who had been injured or died from texting and driving. Gender differences were found in perceptions of distracted driving skill with greater odds that males believed they were better at texting while driving and multitasking, and greater odds that females would support legislation against reading, typing, and sending text messages. Higher sensation seeking was associated with acceptance of distracted driving behaviors. Findings suggest relations among driving experience, individual differences, and acceptance of distracted driving behaviors. Adolescents who drive more may potentially become desensitized to the dangers of driving distractedly, and those who are male or those with increased sensation-seeking may be especially susceptible to this phenomenon of desensitization. This indicates a need to continue distracted driving education past reception of a permit and to consider unique traits of adolescents when doing so.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ANB30 Standing Committee on Operator Education and Regulation.
  • Corporate Authors:

    Transportation Research Board

    ,    
  • Authors:
    • Beck, Haley
    • McManus, Benjamin
    • Stavrinos, Despina
  • Conference:
  • Date: 2019

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Pagination: 3p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01697713
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 19-04216
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Mar 1 2019 3:51PM