Identifying Functional Relationships in Driver Risk Taking: An Intelligent Transportation Assessment of Problem Behavior and Driving Style

Intelligent transportation systems data collected on drivers who presumably participated in a study of cognitive mapping and way-finding were evaluated with two basic procedures for data coding, including analysis of video data based on the occurrence or non-occurrence of a) critical behaviors during consecutive 15 second intervals of a driving trial, and b) the safe alternative when a safe behavior opportunity was available. Methods of data coding were assessed for practical use, reliability, and sensitivity to variation in driving style. A factor analysis of at-risk driving behaviors identified a cluster of correlated driving behaviors that appeared to share a common characteristic identified as aggressive/impatient driving. The relationship between personality and driving style was also assessed. That is, analysis of the demographics and personality variables associated with the occurrence of at-risk driving behaviors revealed that driver Age and Type A personality characteristics were significant predictors of vehicle speed and following distance to the preceding vehicle. Results are discussed with regard to implications for safe driving interventions and problem behavior theory.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1999

Author dc:creator

• Boyce, Thomas Edward

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Geller, E. Scott

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Finney, Jack W.
• Winett, Richard A.
• Kleiner, Brian M.
• Prestrude, Albert M.

• behavior analysis
• intelligent transportation
• risk-taking
• demographics personality
• driving

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-030499-155424

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/26362