This week I decided to try a different search engine than Info-Seek Search. The name of the search engine I used is called Lycos Search. By typing in the terms "driving behavior and racing" I found an article entitled:
Risky Driving Behaviors Among Teenagers.
The article summarizes a case-control study of motor vehicle crashes among teenage drivers in Gwinnet County, Georgia, in 1993. The study was done by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, the Gwinnet County Board of Health, and the community-based Gwinnet County Teen Traffic Tragedies Task Force.
In the Gwinnet County study, "most students--regardless of whether they were cases or controls--reported engaging in risky driving behaviors". An editorial note within the article noted: Adolescent drivers are more likely than adult drivers to speed, run red lights, not wear seat belts, make illegal turns, ride with an intoxicated driver, and drive after using drugs or alcohol. The article also discusses implementing a graduated licensing system in the U.S. which would require young or new drivers to accumulate driving experience in low-risk settings until they meet requirements to obtain an unrestricted license.
The significance of this article to traffic psychology is great. Not only are adolescent drivers and their parents alerted to the fact that most teens take more risks, but it can also help many of us understand why some people drive as they do.
Most rookie drivers lack driving experience and knowledge of the roads. This causes them to do things most of us find unnecessary, like cut over from the extreme left lane to take a cutoff. With experience comes confidence, and with confidence comes better driving. Perhaps some teens are trying to prove to others that they can drive well and that's why they take so many chances.
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