Psychological functions of driving and risky driving and involvement in risky driving in adolescence

Driving a motor vehicle is a key behavior in the development of adolescents; however, driving may be dangerous for teenagers, especially when they fail to respect the traffic code or drive in a risky manner. Risky driving is, in fact, one of the main causes of motor vehicle accidents. Psychological literature has stressed that driving and risky driving in adolescence represent self-regulated actions, oriented towards the attainment of meaningful goals for individual development. In other words, driving and risky driving fulfill psychological functions in relation to adolescent developmental tasks (Jessor, 1998; Bonino et al., 2005). The study of these psychological functions is crucial to understand why adolescents engage in risky driving. The aims of the study were to investigate: 1) the psychological functions of driving and risky driving as perceived by adolescents; 2) the factors underlying psychological functions of driving and risky driving; 3) the relationships between driving and risky driving functions and involvement in risky driving. With reference to previous studies (Bonino, et al. 2005), two factors underlying the functions of risky driving were expected, the first includes functions related to identity definition (experimentation and perception of control, transgression, sensation seeking, coping) and the second includes functions related to peer relationships (visibility, peer emulation, surpassing peers, dentification with peers). Moreover, different levels of involvement in risky driving were expected in relation to different perceived functions. Data were collected through an anonymous self-report questionnaire. The sample included 626 adolescents ages 15 to 19; it was balanced for gender and representative of adolescents attending high schools in Turin (northwestern Italy). Risky driving was evaluated using the scale by Bonino et al. (2005), while scales of psychological functions were defined on the basis of a preliminary explorative study using focus group interviews with adolescent drivers (Bina et al., 2008). Confirmatory factor analysis identified the factors underlying the psychological functions of driving and risky driving. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis investigated the relationships between functions and involvement in risky driving. Factor analysis revealed two factors underlying driving functions: leisure (driving for fun, to meet friends, and to pass the time) and autonomy (in travel, from parents, to reach distant places) and two factors underlying risky driving functions (identity definition and peer relationships). Regression analysis showed that only identity definition functions were linked to involvement in risky driving. Driving functions (leisure and autonomy) and relationship functions of risky driving were not statistically significant in the regression model. Implications for risky driving and motor vehicle accident prevention programs are discussed.