Injuries from motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for young persons, accounting for more than one-fifth of all deaths in the late teenage years. Youthful drivers are substantially overrepresented in motor vehicle crashes compared to all other age groups. They have the highest crash rates regardless of whether the rate is based on number of licensed drivers or on number of vehicle miles travelled. In order to develop an understanding of the overrepresentation of youths in motor vehicle crashes it was necessary to look more broadly than at highway safety. This is because risky driving and other unsafe practices on the roadway system do not occur in a vacuum. They occur in the context of social, cultural, developmental, and other influences. Thus, the purpose of this literature review was to assess the state of knowledge available on risk taking behaviour that would contribute to gaining a better understanding of youthful risk taking within this broader context. To accomplish this goal, a review of theoretical as well as research articles was conducted. This review is summarised in this report. (Author/publisher)
Abstract