This paper presents a study aiming to build a model of accident liability, in which driving experience, driver's self-assessments, and personality factors are related to speed and driving tempo. 195 Finnish young men completed a questionnaire about driving, including accidents and penalties; 104 of them were selected for a driving test, according to various criteria. An instrumented car was equipped with two video cameras recording the road scene, one pointing straight ahead, the other to the right. A 7.1 km test route was driven twice within a longer route, and speed and acceleration were recorded throughout the test route. Driver skill inventory and personality tests were administered. Correlations were calculated between driver skill inventory and personality measures. In the study of socially desirable responding and driving measures, the subjects took a driving test and completed questionnaires as part of a driver selection process. Another study used regression analyses and correlations to model liability to accidents and traffic offences in terms of mileage, maximum speed, acceleration, driving skill, and psychological factors. Drivers' safety and skill orientation were found to predict their speed regulation. Three conclusions of the model study are presented.
Abstract