Sensation seeking and risky driving: a review and synthesis of the literature

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Abstract

The relationship between sensation seeking and risky behaviour has been observed since the 1970s. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, road safety researchers have examined the relationship between sensation seeking and risky driving (e.g. driving while impaired, speeding, following too closely), as well as its consequences (e.g. collisions, violations). There is also growing evidence that sensation seeking may also moderate the manner in which drivers respond to other factors such as alcohol impairment and perceived risk. This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature on sensation seeking as a direct influencer of risky driving and its consequences and as a moderator of the influence of other factors. The vast majority of the 40 studies reviewed showed positive relationships between sensation seeking (SS) and risky driving, with correlations in the 0.30–0.40 range, depending on gender and the measure of risky driving and SS employed. Of those studies that have looked at the subscales of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Thrill and Adventure Seeking appears to have the strongest relationship to risky driving. The biological bases of SS is discussed as are the implications for collision prevention measures.

Introduction

Ever since Tillman and Hobbs (1949)stated that “a man drives as he lives”, there has been interest in the driver's personality as an underlying causal factor in driver behaviour. This interest has waxed and waned through the intervening decades with periodic reviews to punctuate the present state of knowledge (e.g. Adams, 1970; Beirness, 1993; Donovan et al., 1983; Signori and Bowman, 1974). Wilde (1994)has contended that personality has little role to play in collision involvement and that where relationships are found, they are generally weak and inconsistent.

There is a considerable body of literature which examines the relationship between the personality construct of sensation seeking (SS) and risky driving. Yet, there has never been a comprehensive review of this literature which attempts to integrate and synthesize the findings and draw conclusions about the role of SS as a causal factor underlying risky driving. There is also research which suggests that not only are these individual differences embedded in biological differences in the brain but that the latter may in fact be, to some extent, hereditary (Eysenck, 1983; Zuckerman, 1994).

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the relationship between SS and risky driving and its consequences (i.e. collisions and traffic violations). First, however, the nature and measurement of the SS construct is outlined briefly.

Section snippets

The nature and measurement of sensation seeking

According to Zuckerman (1994), SS “is a trait defined by the seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences and the willingness to take physical, social, legal, and financial risks for the sake of such experiences” (p. 27). Key to this trait is “the optimistic tendency to approach novel stimuli and explore the environment” (p. 384). Zuckerman (1994)views SS as part of a broader trait referred to as “impulsive sensation seeking” which is closely related to, if not part

Review of the literature

The review of the literature is organized into three sections which focus on drinking and driving, the most frequently studied risky driving behaviour, other risky behaviours such as non-use of seat belts and speeding, and the consequences of risky driving (i.e. collisions and citations for traffic violations). Essentially, three types of analyses have been performed by researchers: correlations/regressions of SS with risky driving; t-tests/analyses of variance on mean SS differences between

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to review the literature on the relationship between SS and risky driving. Of the 40 studies reviewed, only four did not find a significant positive relationship between SS and some aspect of risky driving. The relationship has been stronger with observed or reported driving behaviour than with traffic violations or collision involvement. Collision involvement has been less strongly associated with SS, possibly because of the lack of variance in the collision

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    This paper was presented at the International Conference onTraffic and Transport Psychology, Valencia, Spain, 22–25 May 1996.

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