Aggressiveness as Proximal and Distal Predictor of Risky Driving in the Context of Other Personality Traits

摘要

The hypothesis of aggressiveness among other personality traits being the most important factor for risky driving was tested in three different samples: more experienced drivers (N = 284), young drivers (N = 220) and drivers-learners (N = 361). Driving violations and errors were used as indicators of self-reported risky driving in the samples of experienced and young drivers; attitudes towards safe behaviour in the traffic were used as indicator of self-reported risky driving in the sample of drivers-learners. Personality was measured with the Big Five Inventory, the Aggressiveness scale, the Jackson or Donovan risk-taking scales and the Motor Impulsiveness subscale. Multivariate analysis revealed that aggressiveness should be viewed only as a distal predictor of road safety attitudes in a sample of drivers-learners. But in a sample of experienced drivers aggressiveness was found to be as a proximal predictor for both gender traffic rule violations and female errors while driving. For young drivers aggressiveness was an important predictor of male, but not female self-reported risky driving. Thus, on the large scale aggressiveness is one of the most important predictors of self-reported risky driving among other personality traits. The reduction of aggressive behaviour should become a priority in risky driving prevention and intervention programs.