The project titled “Peer influences on young adults’ risk behavior in road traffic” analyzes the impact of peers’ characteristics on the explanation of young car drivers’ risky behavior. This research framework has emerged as a result of recent theoretical and empirical developments that integrated factors beyond the individual scope to explain behavior. The focus of this study is on the influence of social norms on individual behavior, with special regard to the differential effects of descriptive (i.e., behavioral) and injunctive (i.e., attitudinal) norms. Furthermore, this project aims to identify factors that are specific to one risk behavior (e.g. “drink & drive”) as well as factors with a generic influence on young adults’ risky behavior in road traffic. Therefore, we analyze three different kinds of risk behavior, which are all of high relevance for road traffic safety issues: speeding, drink & drive and texting. A representative sample of 311 young adults aged 18 to 24 (and having car driver’s license) was drawn. Each of these subsequently nominated three peers and all have been surveyed with a standardized questionnaire. In sum, our sample consists of 1,244 persons. The findings of this study document a strong influence of the peer group on the risk behavior in road traffic among young drivers. The results of the conducted multilevel regression models show that only drink & drive has a gender gap, i.e., men reported this kind of risk behavior significantly more frequently. Regarding the influence of individual (perceived) norms, descriptive norms of the peers (their perceived behavior) is a stronger predictor than injunctive norms (their perceived attitude). The findings of this study point to the high relevance of the peer group as an important framework concerning risk behavior related injunctive and descriptive norms of young drivers. Thus, with regard to developing strategic road traffic safety communication campaigns, the peer group has to be addressed. (Author/publisher)
Abstract