A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH TO DRIVING VIOLATIONS IN TWO CHINESE CITIES

This study uses a questionnaire study to investigate the determinants of aberrant driving behaviors, including possible culture-specific factors. A new Chinese Driving Questionnaire (CDQ) and a version of the Manchester Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) containing an extended set of driving violations specifically relevant to China were used. Factor analysis of the DBQ revealed four factors with high Alpha values, two of them violations and the other two lapses and errors. Factor analysis of the CDQ items also revealed four factors with Alpha values over .60: the sense of social hierarchy, potential road safety countermeasures, belief in interpersonal network and challenging legitimate authority. A correlation analysis of the DBQ and CDQ scales showed that the two violation scales were significantly and positively correlated with the social hierarchy and interpersonal network scale, but the two lapse and error scales were not. When the DBQ scales were regressed on demographic variables and CDQ scales, the results of the hierarchical regressions showed that the prediction of self-reported driving violations had been significantly improved by the addition of culturally-relevant factors measured in the CDQ, while there was no major change in the prediction of lapses and errors. Logistic regression analysis showed that aggressive violations made a significant contribution to traffic accident involvement, independent of the demographic variables. The results confirm that a sense of social hierarchy is reflected in driving-related opinions and attitudes concerning traffic law enforcement.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13698478
• Corporate Authors:

  Elsevier

  The Boulevard, Langford Lane
  Kidlington, Oxford  United Kingdom  OX5 1GB
• Authors:
  • XIE, C-Q
  • PARKER, D
• Publication Date: 2002-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 293-308
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour
  • Volume: 5
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1369-8478
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13698478

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention lapses; Behavior; Correlation analysis; Countermeasures; Crash exposure; Culture (Social sciences); Demographics; Drivers; Driving; Factor analysis; Human error; Human factors in crashes; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Social factors; Social psychology; Traffic safety; Traffic violations; Urban areas
• Geographic Terms: China
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00960801
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 22 2003 12:00AM