Do young people show riskier driving behaviour than adults?

Posted on by Pedro

Written by: Britt Geeraerts, Sam Tans, Eline Wauters, Pauline Faingnaert, Lore Neefs

Introduction

Traffic is a topic that has stirred a lot of discussions in the past and still creates a lot more. In this brochure, we will discuss the subject of risky traffic behaviour, more specifically, the question of whether young people show more risky traffic behaviour than adults.

Problems

When we look at the facts, it is noticeable that drivers between 18 and 24 years old are five times more often involved in traffic incidents. When we only look at men, the numbers are ten times more often. These are alarming statistics. In fact, in the Netherlands in 2018, one out of five people who showed up at first aid after a traffic accident was between 18 and 24 years old.

The problem with young drivers is that they show risky driving behaviour more often, making them more often involved in traffic accidents. The most common accidents are due to driving too fast, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving without a seat belt and tired driving. Other than this, young drivers also seem to get involved in traffic accidents by getting distracted. For example, they were calling while driving, leading to more accidents for young people, even when it is hands-free. Driving with passengers or with music playing also creates more accidents because of distraction. Yet, young people also seem to overestimate themselves as drivers. This contradicts the fact that they get involved in accidents more often.

Reasons

Now we know that young people would be more likely to be involved in traffic accidents and in which contexts these occur, but is this true? And why is it that young people are more likely to show riskier driving behaviour than adults?
When we investigate the truth, it shows that there are many reasons why this phenomenon occurs. We begin with the development of our youngsters. When we look at the human brain, we know that this continues to develop until at least 25 years old. This also applies to the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. Together, these two parts of the brain are responsible for impulse control and the punishment and reward response. This explains why 18 – 24 years old are more impulse in traffic: they will sooner not wear a seat belt (which leads to more risks of serious injuries), are more likely to drive too fast and are more impressionable because of the lack of impulse control and the strong influence of rewards. The strong influence of rewards also explains why young people show even more risky driving behaviour with friends. This is because of peer pressure: young people want to be ‘rewarded’ by, in this situation, their friends. For example: when their friends drive along and like the ‘sensation’ of driving fast, the chances become higher that the driver will, in fact, speed up because the friends will call it ‘cool’. A lot of young people like the feeling of sensation, anyway. This is more often with men. However, the search for sensation can lead to other dangerous situations, leading to risky driving behaviour. Examples are driving

with alcohol in your blood and driving under the influence of marijuana. Surveys among young people show that marijuana is the second most common drug among young drivers, right after alcohol. Another explanation why young people are more likely to be risky in traffic is their lack of experience. This may sound very stereotypical, but research shows that most traffic accidents happen in the first month after getting a driver’s license. This month is, in other words, the most dangerous month of your ‘driving life’. The lack of experience prevents drivers from seeing and estimating hazardous traffic situations. In combination with the slower and less efficient responsiveness, this can cause many problems in traffic.

The last necessary explanation is personality. This is a crucial factor in driving behaviour and is not only an influence on young people but on every driver of every age. A person’s standards significantly affect how they react (in traffic). Normlessness is the biggest issue: this leads to more aggressive driving behaviour and, therefore, breaking traffic rules more often. Overestimating oneself is also a dangerous characteristic when it comes to driving.

Solutions

Luckily, there are easy solutions to these problems. However, when we look at actions that already exist in other countries and in Belgium itself, a few options could be reconsidered.
First, we can invest more in awareness. Young drivers often do not know the additional risks accompanying their new obtained driver’s license. By simply explaining that 18-24 years old are five times more often likely to be involved in traffic accidents, we can give them the chance to be extra careful. Especially if we clarify the risks: the impulsiveness, the fact that they are more easily distracted, the peer pressure and the lack of seeing dangerous situations. In The Netherlands, the province of Noord-Holland invested 1,3 million euros in traffic lessons at school. These are mainly focused on awareness.

Another solution is the company. Research showed that new, young drivers are more careful in traffic when older people or kids sit in the car with them. This means that it could help if someone older often comes along in the first month of driving when a young person gets a driver’s license.
Lastly, a theory called TBD (Theory of Planned Behaviour). This is a theory that could predict (driving) behaviour. This theory explains situations like tired driving and using your phone while driving. The idea is based on three cognitive aspects (subjective norm, received behavioural control and attitude) and takes moral norms, regret, and previous behaviour into account. Thanks to this theory, it is possible to predict which drivers will take more risks while driving and/or will underestimate risks. The only question is whether this is ethically responsible or not.

Bibliography

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