This paper investigates the effect of young driver experience and psychosocial factors on the risk for self-reported drink-driving. Seventeen year old newly licensed drivers in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited and followed over the first 12 months of driving. Driver experience and psychosocial factors were assessed to determine whether they predicted the likelihood of a driver exceeding the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level in the first 12 months of driving. Drivers who frequently consumed alcohol, who were high in impulsivity and sensation seeking, low in positive driving demeanour, and had engaged in unlicensed driving prior to obtaining their L-Permit, were at increased risk for reporting drink-driving behaviour in the first 12 months of driving. The results suggest that pre-licence driver experiences and psychosocial factors are associated with drink-driving behaviour in the first 12 months of driving. Further research using more objective measures of drink-driving is required to validate these findings. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E202275.
Samenvatting