Elsevier

Developmental Review

Volume 20, Issue 2, June 2000, Pages 206-226
Developmental Review

Regular Article
Risk Evaluation, Driving, and Adolescents: A Typology

https://doi.org/10.1006/drev.1999.0498Get rights and content

Abstract

High road injury rates among young people throughout the world have prompted considerable research on what features of adolescence may contribute to this major public health issue. Widely divergent explanations, such as “risk-taking” attitudes, problems with risk perception, and the need to fulfill key developmental tasks, have been explored, but have not been systematically integrated. In order to provide such an integration, a typology is presented that outlines five psychological “risk states” that may be experienced by adolescent drivers. Two of these are considered desirable from a traffic safety viewpoint: habitually cautious driving and active risk avoidance. The others are undesirable: reduced risk perception, acceptance of risk as a cost, and risk seeking. Research on the relationship of these states to age and gender is outlined. Possible traffic safety interventions and implications for further research are presented.

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  • Cited by (0)

    Niki Harré is a lecturer in the Psychology Department at the University of Auckland. Her research interests include child and adolescent health and safety issues. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Auckland. The Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation of New Zealand, which funded this research, is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. Jeff Field and Dr. Barry Kirkwood are thanked for their advice and encouragement.

    Address reprint requests to Niki Harré at the Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. Fax: (649) 3737450. E-mail: [email protected].

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