The influence of social factors and personality constructs on drink driving among young licenced drivers

Young adults continue to be overrepresented in alcohol-related crashes on Australian roads. Social factors are important factors associated with drink driving behaviours among young adults and have been the focus of several intervention efforts. However, research also demonstrates that personality constructs are associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in harmful drinking and risky driving behaviours. To better understand the influence of both social and personality constructs with drink driving, 390 male and female licenced drivers aged 18–24 years completed a questionnaire that assessed Akers' social learning theory constructs and the personality constructs of Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioural Approach System (BAS) for their association with drink driving in the past 12 months. Result indicated that a relatively large proportion (36.67%) of participants engaged in drink driving. A sequential logistic regression analysis further found that several social and personality variables were associated with drink driving. Specifically, the Akers’ social learning theory constructs of Personal Definitions, Differential Reinforcement–Punishment (High), Differential Association Drink Driving–Friends, and Imitation–Friends variables and the BAS constructs of Fun Seeking and Drive were associated with drink driving. While these findings highlight the importance of targeting the social context around drink driving, the impact of personality constructs also warrants consideration with intervention efforts

Women judging: is a young male drunk driver perceived as more negligent than a young female drunk driver?

Objective: It is well established that young men are the riskiest group of all drivers, and men in general more often drive under the influence of alcohol. However, potentially oversimplified representations such as a young male problem and drunk driving as a male problem can influence action and reinforce existing attitudes by selectively directing attention to stereotypically consistent behavior. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis of possible bias toward young male drivers in the context of drunk driving.Methods: We have created a scenario study investigating whether the sex of an imaginary young drunk driver would be associated with a different perceived negligence (ranging from 0=not negligent at all to 10=extremely negligent) among our participants. These participants were a representative sample of Finnish female driver's license holders. The data for the study were gathered as part of a larger survey study on women's drinking and driving culture.Results: Perceptions of how negligent a person was depended on the age of the respondents such that the older the respondent, the higher the perceived negligence. Perceived negligence was similar for male and female drivers in the scenario; however, there was an interaction effect between driver sex and the age of respondents. The youngest (20-29 years) and 2 oldest (50-69 years) groups of our respondents found the young woman to be more negligent, whereas the opposite occurred for the other 2 groups.Conclusions: The results of our imaginary scenario study of a representative sample of Finnish female driver's license holders do not support a hypothesis that there would be a negative bias toward young male drivers in the context of drunk driving behavior.Peer reviewe

Sleepy driving and drink driving: attitudes, behaviours, and perceived legitimacy of enforcement of younger and older drivers

Sleepy driving and drink driving are two risky driving behaviours that substantially contribute to road crashes. Several studies demonstrate equivalent levels of impairment from both sleepy and drink driving. Yet, drivers perceive sleepy and drink driving distinctly different, with younger and older drivers engaging in these two risky driving behaviours at different rates. The current study sought to examine the sleepy and drink driving behaviours and perceptions in a sample of 114 younger (17-29 years) and 177 older (30+ years) drivers. Compared to older drivers, younger drivers reported more positive attitudes toward sleepy and drink driving behaviours, as well as more negative views regarding perceived legitimacy of sleepy driving enforcement. Younger drivers were also more likely to report performing sleepy driving behaviours than older drivers. Younger drivers reported greater likelihood to drive while sleepy, lower perceptions of legitimacy for sleepy driving, and more positive attitudes towards sleepy driving when compared to drink driving and the same pattern was found for older drivers as well. Subsequently, the self-reported likelihood of driving while sleepy was greater than drink driving in both age groups. Overall, the results suggest that sleepy driving is not viewed as equally dangerous as drink driving with younger drivers’ perceptions being more lenient than older drivers’ perceptions. It is likely that change is needed regarding the perceptions of dangerousness of sleepy driving with a particular focus on younger drivers seemingly needed

Younger drivers executive functioning and the relationship with experiencing signs of sleepiness

Young drivers are more likely to continue driving when experiencing signs of sleepiness and are over-represented in sleep-related crashes. Adolescence and early adulthood are characterised by comparatively poor executive functioning, and while previous research has demonstrated a link between poor executive functions and several risky driving behaviours, the relationship with sleepy driving is not well understood. Accordingly, the first aim of the current study was to examine the association between executive functions and experiencing the signs of driver sleepiness in a sample of young adult drivers. Additionally, young drivers who have less experience with driving while sleepy, may attribute less importance to the signs of sleepiness as an indicator of underlying sleepiness level. To test this assumption (aim two), the impact of experiencing signs of sleepiness on perceptions of the importance of those signs was examined. Participants included 118 young adults aged between 17 and 25 years, who completed an online survey measuring experiences with the signs of sleepiness while driving, executive functions, and demographic characteristics. This sample of young adults reported having considerable experience with several signs of sleepiness (i.e., yawning, mind wandering, and difficulty keeping eyes while driving). A linear regression analysis found that the demographic variables of age and hours driven per week, as well as the executive function constructs of organization, strategic planning, and impulse control were associated with experiencing signs or sleepiness. Moreover, having experienced more signs of sleepiness was associated with an increased likelihood in rating those signs as important indicators of sleepiness. The current findings suggest both that several high-level cognitive processes as well as levels of experience with driving when experiencing signs of sleepiness contribute to young peoples’ sleepy driving

The nature and correlates of young women's peer-directed protective behavioral strategies

Objective Recently, a number of studies have identified self-employed Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) as effective in decreasing the level of alcohol-related harm among young people. However, much of the published research has ignored important gender differences, such as women's increased tendency to rely on PBS that are social in nature. To further the understanding of women's PBS, the current study sought to investigate the nature and correlates of the strategies young women employ to keep their friends safe when drinking (i.e., peer-directed PBS). Method A scale measuring peer-directed PBS was developed and administered in conjunction with existing measures of alcohol consumption, personal PBS, and peer attachment. Participants consisted of 422 women aged 18–30 years, recruited among psychology students and the general public. Results Exploratory factor analysis revealed two clusters of peer-directed PBS; those that were aimed at reducing intoxication among one's friends and those that were designed to minimize alcohol-related harms. Further analysis found a positive relationship between women's tendency to implement personal and peer-directed PBS and that risky drinkers were less likely to engage in personal or peer-directed PBS (either type). Conclusion Findings indicate that personal and peer-directed PBS are related behaviors that are less frequently adopted by risky drinkers

Understanding the nature and impact of mature-aged women's alcohol culture

This thesis examined and compared the alcohol beliefs of mature-aged women in Sweden and Australia. The main aim of the program was to identify alcohol beliefs that were shared by a majority of women and that increased the likelihood of risky alcohol consumption. By doing so, the program contributes important information regarding middle-aged women's alcohol culture and its impact on drinking outcomes.document.getElementsByName("c12_disable_request")[0].checked = true

Predicting self-reported drink driving among middle-aged women

Highlights - Drink driving is increasing among middle-aged women in Australia and elsewhere. - The influence of alcohol beliefs and harmful drinking on self-reported drink driving was examined among Australian women aged 45–59 years. - Harmful alcohol use and the idea of alcohol as a social enhancer predicted drink driving in the current sample. - In addition to harmful drinking, the need to travel home after social gatherings involving alcohol may be a predictor of drink driving. Abstract A substantial and sustained increase in the proportion of drink drivers that is female is observed in many parts of the motorised world. Given this trend, a better understanding of the factors that influence drink driving among women is needed. The current study investigated drink driving among middle- aged women, a relatively under-researched group of female drink drivers. A total of 781 women (age; M = 51.36, SD = 4.29 years) completed a cross-sectional survey measuring a number of alcohol beliefs and drink driving. Among the included alcohol beliefs, viewing alcohol as a form of social enhancement as well as higher perceived heavy episodic drinking among same-aged women and greater acceptability toward this consumption pattern significantly increased the likelihood of self-reported drink driving. However, after adjusting for harmful consumption patterns, only alcohol as form of social enhancement remained significant. These results indicate that middle-aged women who engage in harmful alcohol consumption are more likely to drink drive, but also that the social aspect of drinking is a risk factor. Targeting both harmful consumption patterns as well as alcohol beliefs that are held by middle-aged women may reduce the incidence of drink driving in this group

Exploring the influences of country-level factors on mature-aged women's drink driving attitudes

The current study examined drink driving attitudes among mature-aged women in Sweden and Australia, two countries with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit of 0.02% and 0.05%, respectively. The study aimed to identify attitudes that might influence drink driving tendency among this group of women and further show how these attitudes vary across countries. Using an ethnographic approach, 15 mature-aged women (Sweden: mean age = 52.5years, SD = 4.8; Australia: mean age 52.2 years, SD = 3.4) were interviewed in each country. General patterns and themes from the data were developed using thematic analysis methods. The findings indicate that while women in both countries viewed drink driving negatively, the understanding of what the concept entailed differed between the two samples. The Swedish women appeared to cognitively separate alcohol consumption and driving, and consequently, drink driving was often spoken of as driving after any alcohol consumption. The Australian women’s understanding of drink driving was more closely related to the legal BAC limit. However, for some Australian women, a “Grey Zone” existed, which denoted driving with a BAC of just above the enforceable limit. While illegal, these instances were subjectively seen as similar to driving with a BAC of just under the legal limit and therefore not morally reprehensible. The practice of cognitively separating drinking from driving appeared to have implications for the tendency to drink and drive among the interviewed women. These findings are discussed in relation to current policy and legislation in Australia and the need for further research into mature-aged women’s drink driving is outlined

Sleep-impaired emotional regulation, impaired cognition, and poor sleep health are associated with risky sleepy driving in young adults

Objective: Driving during young adulthood is a time of increased crash risk. Many factors (e.g., driving experience, aggression) contribute to the increased risk, but factors associated with daytime sleepiness and sleep health may also contribute. The current study examined the relationships between experiences of sleepiness, sleep timing and stability, sleep-impaired emotional regulation, and sleep-impaired cognition among younger persons engaging in 2 risky sleepy driving behaviors: Continuing to drive while sleepy and having experienced a sleep-related close call. Method: The study was advertised in the Queensland University of Technology's online environment and 137 young adults (58.39% women) aged 18 to 25 years completed an anonymous online questionnaire assessing aspects related to daytime sleepiness, sleep timing and stability, sleep-impaired emotional regulation, and sleep-impaired cognition. Results: In total, 15.38% of the participants reported that they had experienced a sleep-related close call. The main outcomes were that both age and the sleep-impaired emotional regulation variable were associated with the outcome variables. The study variables accounted for 18.94% of the variance in continuing to drive while sleepy, and the same variables accounted for 42.69% of the variance (Nagelkerke’s R2 statistic) in having had a sleep-related close call. Shorter sleep durations and greater levels of sleep-impaired cognition were significantly associated with having a sleep-related close call. Conclusion: Different variables were associated with the 2 risky driving behaviors, suggesting different underlying factors. Sleep-impaired emotional regulation and/or sleep-impaired cognition could be used to signal drivers that they are impaired by sleepiness