Gender Differences in Predicting Unsafe Driving Behaviors in Young Adults

Past research has uncovered personality influences on dangerous driving behavior and vehicle crashes (Furnham & Saipe, 1993; Matthews, Dorn, & Glendon, 1991). Recently, females between 16 and 20 years of age showed an increase in overall crash rate, while males within the same age group showed a decrease in overall crash rate (NHTSA, 2004; NHTSA, 2002). Adolescent and young adult females have become a critical cohort in the study of unsafe driving behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in risky driving behavior and personality influences on these behaviors. Data presented are first year cross-sectional results in a 5-year longitudinal study. Participants were 141 male and female drivers who completed the NEO PI-R, the DDDI and a driving behavior questionnaire. In addition, the driving record of each participant was obtained from the State Department of Transportation. Females reported a higher rate of traffic violations and crashes than males. No personality traits were significantly related to crashes, but Extroversion was positively related to total traffic violations within females. The DDDI scales were not significantly related to traffic violations or vehicle crashes, but gender differences were shown within the risky driving and aggressive driving scales. Gender differences were also shown in the relationship between personality traits and DDDI scales. This data indicates that researchers and insurance companies should make an effort to consider females in their work. In addition, this study provides preliminary data on gender differences in personality as it relates to risky driving behavior.