Intentions to violate.

This paper describes the results of a questionnaire survey which was used to apply Ajzen's theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to intentions to drink and drive, speed, close follow, and overtake in risky circumstances. Respondents were presented with four short written scenarios, each of which described the commission of one of the violations, and each of which was accompanied by a line drawing of the scene to reinforce the written descriptions and to ensure that all respondents' visualisations were comparable. After presentation of each scenario, respondents were asked several questions designed to measure their behavioural beliefs (BB), outcome evaluations (OZ), normative beliefs , motivations to comply (MC), perceived behavioural control (PBC) and intentions in respect of their commission of the violation depicted. The beliefs and referents measured with respect to each of the violations were selected on the basis of a pilot study, used to generate the three most commonly mentioned positive and the three most commonly mentioned negative behavioural beliefs. The pilot study also provided the six most frequently mentioned referents, including three who were perceived as approving, and three who were perceived as disapproving of the respondent's committing the violations. These were respondents' same-sex friends, partner, the 'typical young male driver', the police, family, and other drivers on the road. The beliefs and referents generated in the pilot study were used in the main questionnaire. Details were also taken of respondents' age, sex, social class, marital status, driving experience, and accident and driving offence histories. 881 drivers from four towns were interviewed, in a quota sample stratified by age, sex, geographical area (North or South of England), and proximity to the motorway. Having established in the driver behaviour questionnaire (DBQ) study that the drivers who regularly commit violations tend to be young, male, drive a high mileage, and get involved in accidents, this study has gone some way towards explaining why these drivers attempt such potentially dangerous manoeuvres. Remedial campaigns designed to modify drivers' antisocial behaviours will not be successful unless they are grounded in a thorough understanding of the 'poor' attitudes which lead to such behaviour. It is suggested that the TPB offers a useful way of highlighting those components of behavioural intention which lead to the Commission of Violations among high-risk groups such as young males, and which might be amenable to change through persuasion.