Attitudes towards risky driving in Lithuanian traffic offenders: meaning of personality profile

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the personality profiles of traffic offenders (based on the type of committed road traffic rules violations) and to evaluate whether theses profiles were related to differences in expression of attitudes towards risky driving. 683 traffic offenders (611 males and 72 females) participated in this study on voluntary basis. 53.1% of respondents lost driving license because of driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), 31.3% - because of speeding and 15.5% - because of other traffic violations. Their age ranged from 18 to 79 (mean age -31.58 years, SD - 11.17 years). Personality profiles were composed of different personality traits by using cluster analysis in three traffic offenders' groups. Big Five Inventory (BFI), motor-impulsiveness subscale of Barratt impulsiveness scale (BIS-11) and Aggression scale measured different personality traits. Driver attitude towards traffic safety violations and risk taking behavior scale was used to measure attitudes towards risky driving. The results showed that all traffic offenders (who lost driving license because of DUI, speeding and other violations) could be divided into two personality profiles groups - low-risk and high-risk. It was found that 44.2% of traffic offenders had low-risk personality profile and 55.8% of them had high-risk personality profile. The main findings revealed that all traffic offenders reported similar attitudes towards violations and speeding as well as careless driving of others. However, traffic offenders with high-risk personality profile reported riskier attitudes towards drunk driving in comparison to traffic offenders, who possess low-risk personality profile.