This chapter is based on a study for developing questionnaire techniques in traffic behavioural research. In addition to presenting the results, the authors want to be a bit polemic in order to provoke comment. The results show that it was possible to find self-report and self-evaluation scales which were closely and in a logical way connected with behavioural variables both in a longitudinal and a correlation setting. The connection between self-reports and driving behaviour are obvious. It is possible to predict drivers' violations and accidents in a longitudinal setting. Also driving habits can be predicted by drivers' evaluations of themselves as drivers. It is important to notice that the best predictors are more closely connected with motivational and strategic aspects of driving than with evaluations of skills and risks. The best predictors are functioning well and in a similar way both in a longitudinal and a correlation setting. It can be concluded that basing studies on a combination of questionnaires and measurement of the dependent variables at the same time is a valid approach. The results are probably the same as in a longitudinal setting, if the variables are well selected and the measuring instrument is functioning well.
Samenvatting