This report examines the attitudes of male secondary students towards road safety measures, to driving, to traffic enforcement and personnel as well as the general involvement of male students in the driving of motor vehicles, motor vehicle ownership, accidents and self-reports of actual behaviour on the roads as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. A random sample of 1,184 male secondary school students at all grade and ability levels was drawn from secondary schools in North Island areas of New Zealand which have a high population of Maoris and Polynesians. Questionnaires for licensed drivers, unlicensed drivers, non-drivers and youths under-fifteen years were administered to all male youths and a Semantic Differential Attitude Scale was administered to male students of or over fifteen years only. The results were analysed by the ethnic groups Maori, Pakeha and Polynesian and also, where applicable, by driver groups including the under-fifteens where appropriate. A factor analysis of the Semantic Differential Attitude Scale scores were carried out for drivers. In respect to attitudes the results suggest that regardless of ethnic affiliation or driver group, youths in general are essentially conventional and conformist. And regardless of ethnic affiliation, students are very much involved with the driving of motor cars both before and after the minimum licensing age and that the motor cycle is not as popular, either owned or driven, as one might expect. However, whilst ethnic groups appear more alike than different in most respects, considerable differences exist between licensed and unlicensed drivers on measures of exposure and between drivers and cyclists in their compliance with intersection laws. In respect to accidents, though the results are tentative for reasons discussed, it seems that unlicensed drivers may contribute to young driver accident statistics. (Author/publisher)
Abstract