The main goals of this study were firstly, to understand drivers' risk- and self-evaluations, and their association with driver behaviour, and secondly, to develop methods and principles for measuring traffic behaviour with the use of questionnaires. A hierarchical approach was used for describing driver behaviour. The lowest level in this four-level hierarchy concerned vehicle manoeuvring, the second level mastery of traffic situations, the third level considered the goals and context of driving, and the highest level was connected with goals for life and skills for living. Each level is expected to give direction and meaning to the choices and operations made on a lower level. Principles of hierarchical approaches, recent trends in cognitive psychology, and methodological aspects are discussed in the context of traffic psychology. The material consisted of four sets of questionnaire data; novice drivers immediately after licensing (n=1311), follow-up of the same novice drivers 6-12 months after licensing (n=1033), secondary school students before licensing (n=246) and young male drivers (n=5680). Five risk- and self-evaluation scales were used; feelings of being worried, external risks, internal risks, evaluation of personal skills, and self-reported driving habits. Data on sex, age, mileage, self-reported traffic violations and accidents, and official violation records was used in addition. The results showed that risk- and self-evaluations are useful tools when studying driver behaviour. Problems with the motivational and strategical aspects of driver behaviour, i.e. on the highest levels in the hierarchy, were associated with higher number of violations and accidents. Safety-oriented motives and strategies were associated with less accidents and violations. Associations were found both in longitudinal and correlational settings. Evaluations of external risks and basic driving skills were less clearly connected with behaviour. Older novice drivers and female drivers showed lower confidence in their personal driving skills, but they had on the other hand less problems connected with the higher levels in the hierarchy. Sex differences were found already before any driving experience. Driving experience increased drivers' confidence in their personal driving skills, but did not affect the motivational and strategical aspects of their driving. Furthermore, high confidence in oneself as a driver, personal interest in cars and driving, and problematic driving habits were intertwined. The results suggest that drivers' behaviour and self-evaluations cannot be fully understood without considering motives and the strategical aspects of driving. A good questionnaire should cover all levels in the hierarchy. Instead of using general questions, the focus should be directly on drivers' personal habits and skills, and the questions should be closely tied to driving. Implications for improving traffic safety are also discussed. (A)
Abstract