The impact of driver's perception of risk, personality traits and attitudes regarding traffic safety on risky driving behaviours-risk of accident

The risky driving behaviors, which are displayed by drivers in the traffic and known to cause traffic accidents, the attitudes regarding traffic safety, and relationships between some personality traits are exhibited in our research. In order to better understand the motivations that lie behind the risky driving behaviors of drivers and traffic accidents, social cognitive theory has started to be used in traffic psychology. According to the theory, personality traits have an effect on risky driving behaviors over attitudes regarding traffic safety. In literature, there are various research reporting that individuals with highly negative personality traits have also negative attitudes regarding traffic safety and that they display risky driving characteristics at a higher rate. Our research, which is supported with this information, is guiding in developing the methods that will be used in determining the risky individuals in traffic in the mental assessments performed during the driving license check of drivers. In our research, 616 subjects, who were chosen among drivers in Ankara through "easily accessible situation sampling" approach and determined by means of power analysis, were asked to complete the questionnaire form that consisted of self-reported scales and demographic data. After the data meeting the exclusion criteria were eliminated, the number of subjects included in the data set for analyses was 577 in the end. It was determined that the said number was sufficient for statistical analysis. It was observed that all of the obtained data did not meet normal distribution criteria. Correlations between variables were analyzed with non-specific Spearman's rank order correlation method. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test whether or not there was a significant difference between genders in terms of variables. Structural equation modeling was established in order to be able to better understand the relations. According to the model, the attitudes play an intermediary role in the relationship between the risky driving behavior and personality traits. Furthermore, the relationship between the other variables and age, gender, traffic accident, number of traffic tickets, and perception of risk was evaluated as well. As a result, it was observed that drivers displaying aggressive, impulsive and anxious personality traits had a more highly negative attitude regarding traffic safety and the individuals with the said characteristics had more risky driving behaviors. It was found out that personality traits are predictive for risky driving behaviors over attitudes (indirectly). Moving forward in the light of the said facts, an effort should be spent for changing the attitudes of drivers by also considering the personality traits of them in order to decrease the risky driving behaviors displayed in traffic. As individuals with a high possibility to display risky driving behaviors are determined according to personality traits during driving license check, it is possible to increase traffic safety by changing the negative attitudes and low perception of risk and thus, decrease the number of traffic accidents and minimize the negative outcomes.