Abstract
This study notes that adolescent motorcyclists are involved over-proportionately in road accidents. The main cause of this can be seen in youth specific risk-taking behaviour, which can again be viewed as a possible result of an unproductive strain-coping-process that can be based on a gender specific stress-theoretical socialisation model. A study of 137 male adolescent motorcyclists (aged 16-18 years) confirmed psychosocial stress potentials next to general risk seeking as influential factors on dimensions of risky road behaviour. Risky road behaviour was looked at within the frame of other risky behaviour and discussed as a stress compensating and gender identity reproducing function in the development of adolescents. (Author/publisher)