A pilot study was conducted (Burgess, 1996) which looked at the relationship between certain personality measures and a variety of self-reported measures of behaviour related to traffic offences. One hundred and fifteen clients attending a Driver Improvement course in Devon were asked to complete personality trait scales and a violation likelihood questionnaire. This questionnaire contains scenarios describing five acts of rule-breaking, close-following, overtaking on the nearside, red light-jumping, speeding through a motorway contra-flow and queue-barging (although this last act is not a traffic violation, it is of interest because it may be seen as an act of informal rule-breaking, or a `breach of social etiquette'). Respondents were asked how likely they would be, on a five-point scale, to engage in each behaviour. Two distinct elements of personality appear to be important; a `motivating' element, which provides the motivation to behave in a way that is likely to break rules, and an 'inhibiting' element, which dictates the strength of social influence on this behaviour. In addition, it was thought that some measure of `future orientation' would be important; that is, how far into the future an individual looks for the consequences of their current actions. In collaboration with the Automobile Association and Devon County Council, an extension of the above study is currently under way. One of the aims of this exercise is to produce an easily administered instrument capable of differentiating between drivers; propensity to commit traffic violations. The underlying motivations behind the rule-breaking behaviour will subsequently be identified, allowing for more focused interventions for drivers apprehended committing traffic offences. (A)
Abstract