RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Examine the driving impairment effects of alcohol alone and of alcohol combined with texting. METHODS: Fifteen drivers (nine male, six female; mean age: 31.1 ± 6.9 years, range: 23 to 43 years) with similar drinking habit (i.e., social drinkers) completed a lap in a closed-course section in six different situations: (I) sober; (II) sober and while texting; (III) 30 minutes after ingesting a moderate dose of ethanol (0.50 g/kg); (IV) 30 minutes after drinking and while texting; (V) 60 minutes after drinking, (VI) 60 minutes after drinking and while texting. Driving performance was analyzed by means of maximum and mean speed, braking time and braking distance; and ability to control the car (i.e., evaluating if the drivers hit a traffic cone or exceeded the boundaries of the course). P values of < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Pre and post-alcohol consumption results show a significant increase concerning the drivers' mean and maximum speed after drinking (p < 3.2x10-8). However, neither alcohol nor texting had significant effects on braking parameters (p > 0.05). Traffic cones were knocked down only in texting experiments. In addition, when using the cell phone drivers tended to reduce the speed, and to accelerate abruptly right after they finish texting. CONCLUSION: Our findings strengthen the hypothesis that even moderate alcohol doses may significantly impair the driving performance. Additionally, alcohol and texting have complementary effects on driving impairment, and their combination represents a significant risk factor for crashes.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo , Telefone Celular , Envio de Mensagens de Texto , Acidentes de Trânsito , Adulto , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas , Etanol/farmacologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Research has shown the relevance of three axes in the study of violent behaviour: the emotional axis (anger), the behavioural axis (aggression), and the cognitive axis (hostility or aggressive thinking). In the field of driving, the first two axes have received a lot of attention, whereas the third one has been less studied. The current research aimed to analyse the psychometric properties of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a Mexican sample. Besides, the structural invariance of this instruments was analysed with respect to both the Spanish and the Romanian versions. A sample of 294 participants taken from the general Mexican drivers population completed a set of measures including the DATQ and the Driving Survey, as a measure of risky driving, aggressive driving, and crash-related events. The results showed that the Mexican version of the DATQ replied the original five-factor structure, maintaining the 65 items likewise in both the Spanish and Romanian versions. Analyses of the invariance suggested the equivalence among the three versions, especially in the case of Mexican-Spanish. Moreover, the five factors were positive and mostly significantly related to each other, and with both risky driving and aggressive driving. Some significant relationships were attained also with crash-related events, especially in the case of those which happened in the last three months (short-termed). Finally, males showed higher scores than females in the five ways of aggressive thinking. Limitations of the study, practical implications and future research are discussed.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito , Condução de Veículo , Ira , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Psicometria , Romênia , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
The main objective of this research was to investigate the psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Attitudes toward Traffic Safety Scale (ATTS) for the assessment of risky driving attitudes among Spanish-speaking populations. Five hundred and fifty-eight drivers from Argentina participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the ATTS three-factor structure: Attitude towards violations and speeding, attitude towards the careless driving of others and attitude towards drinking and driving, χ2(87) = 205.91, p < .001; χ2/df = 2.36; GFI = .94; CFI = .93; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .05; 90% CI [.04, .06]. A model with one higher-order factor (overall attitude toward risky driving) also fits the data. Reliability estimates were acceptable for the total scale (α = .81) and for all subscales (with α values ranging from .74 to .84), and concurrent validity was supported by theoretically expected correlations with self-reported risky driving behavior (r ranging from .27 to .45, ps < .01). Subsequent comparison between zero-order correlation and partial correlation (controlling for Driver Impression Management) between ATTS subscales and self-reported risky driving behavior revealed minor or no effects of social desirability bias. Implications for road safety intervention are discussed.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito , Atitude , Condução de Veículo , Psicometria/instrumentação , Psicometria/normas , Assunção de Riscos , Segurança , Adulto , Argentina , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Reprodutibilidade dos TestesRESUMO
Consistent with the experiences in high-income countries, young drivers remain overrepresented in road trauma statistics in low- and middle-income countries. This article pursues the emerging interest of approaching the young driver problem from a systems thinking perspective in order to design and deliver robust countermeasures. Specifically, the focus of this paper is the cars driven by young drivers. The study of vehicles' characteristics and their interaction with driving behaviour is, more often than not, considered a minor concern when developing countermeasures in young drivers' safety not only in developed nations, but especially in developing nations. Participants completed an online survey containing the 44-item Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale Spanish version (BYNDS-Sp), in addition to providing information regarding their vehicle, any crash involvement, and driving offences. Based on the vehicle model information, the assessment of vehicle safety was conducted for three safety programs (ANCAP, Latin NCAP, U.S. NCAP). Young drivers in Colombia reported a breadth of risky driving behaviours worth targeting in broader interventions. For example, interventions can target speeding, particularly as three quarters of the participants drove small-medium cars associated with poorer road safety outcomes. Moreover, risky driving exposure was highly prevalent amongst the young driver participants, demonstrating the need for them to be driving the safest vehicles possible. It is noteworthy that few cars were able to be assessed by the Latin NCAP (with half of the cars rated having only 0-2 star ratings), and that there was considerable discrepancy between ANCAP, U.S. NCAP, and Latin NCAP ratings. The need for system-wide strategies to increase young driver road safety-such as improved vehicle safety-is vital to improve road safety outcomes in jurisdictions such as Colombia. Such improvements may also require systemic changes such as enhanced vehicle safety rating scales and investigation of the nature of vehicles sold in developing nations, particularly as these vehicles typically contain fewer safety features than their counterparts sold in developed nations.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito , Condução de Veículo , Automóveis , Assunção de Riscos , Segurança , Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Colômbia , Países em Desenvolvimento , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Risco , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: There is consistent scientific evidence that professional drivers constitute an occupational group that is highly exposed to work related stressors. Furthermore, several recent studies associate work stress and fatigue with unsafe and counterproductive work behaviors. This study examines the association between stress-related work conditions of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) drivers and risky driving behaviors; and examines whether fatigue is a mechanism that mediates the association between the two. METHOD: A sample of 524 male Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operators were drawn from four transport companies in Bogotá, Colombia. The participants answered a survey which included an adapted version of the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) for BRT operators, as well as the Effort-Reward Imbalance and Job Content Questionnaires, the Subjective Fatigue subscale of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS) and the Need for Recovery after Work Scale (NFR). RESULTS: Utilizing Structural Equation Models (SEM) it was found that risky driving behaviors in BRT operators could be predicted through job strain, effort-reward imbalance and social support at work. It was also found that fatigue and need for recovery fully mediate the associations between job strain and risky driving, and between social support and risky driving, but not the association between effort/reward imbalance (ERI) and risky driving. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that a) stress related working conditions (Job Strain, Social Support and ERI) are relevant predictors of risky driving in BRT operators, and b) that fatigue is the mechanism which links another kind of stress related to working conditions (job strain and low social support) with risky driving. The mechanism by which ERI increases risky driving in BRT operators remains unexplained. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This research suggests that in addition to the individual centered stress-reduction occupational programs, fatigue management interventions aimed to changing some working conditions may reduce risky driving behaviors and promote safety in the professional drivers' jobs and on the road.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Fadiga/complicações , Doenças Profissionais/psicologia , Assunção de Riscos , Apoio Social , Estresse Psicológico/terapia , Adulto , Colômbia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Veículos Automotores , Saúde Ocupacional , Segurança , Estresse Psicológico/complicações , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
Young drivers remain overrepresented in road crashes around the world, with road injury the leading cause of death among adolescents. In addition, the majority of road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries. All young drivers are at risk due to a breadth of age- and inexperience-related factors; however it is well recognised that young drivers may also intentionally engage in risky driving behaviours which increase their crash risk. The aim of this paper is to examine the self-reported risky driving behaviour of young drivers in Australia, New Zealand (high-income countries), and Colombia (middle-income country), and to explore the utility of a crash risk assessment model in these three countries. Young drivers aged 16-25 years completed the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS), in addition to self-reporting crash involvement and driving offences. A hierarchical segmentation analysis via decision trees was used to study the relationship between self-reported crashes and risky driving. Young drivers in Colombia reported more risky driving than young drivers in New Zealand, and considerably more risky driving than young drivers in Australia. Significant differences among and across countries in individual BYNDS items were found, and 23.5% of all participants reported they had been involved in a road crash. Handheld mobile phone usage was the strongest predictor of crashes, followed by driving after drinking alcohol, and carrying friends as passengers. Country of origin predicted mobile phone usage, with New Zealand and Colombia grouped in the same decision tree branch which implies no significant differences in the behaviour between these countries. Despite cultural differences in licensing programs and enforcement, young drivers reported engaging in a similar breadth of risky behaviours. Road crashes were explained by mobile phone usage, drink driving and driving with passengers, suggesting interventions should target these three risk factors. Whilst New Zealand and Australia have implemented graduated driver licensing programs, are geographical neighbours, and are high-income countries, the finding that behaviours of young drivers in New Zealand and Colombia were more similar than those of young drivers in New Zealand and Australia merits further investigation.