Pradedančiųjų vairuotojų psichologinės charakteristikos ir jų svarba kelių eismo taisyklių pažeidimams

LTŠioje studijoje pristatomi mokslinio tyrimo apie psichologinių charakteristikų svarbą, siekiant numatyti būsimųjų vairuotojų kelių eismo taisyklių pažeidimus bei eismo įvykius, rezultatai ir iš jų išplaukiančios rekomendacijos skirtingoms su eismo saugumu susijusioms institucijoms bei žmonių grupėms. Tyrimas vykdytas 2015–2017 m., įgyvendinant Lietuvos mokslo tarybos (toliau ir LMT) finansuotą projektą „Potencialių jaunų pažeidėjų keliuose atpažinimas prieš jiems pradedant vairuoti: psichologinis profilis“ (sutarties Nr. GER-005/2015), bendradarbiaujant su VĮ „Regitra“ ir Policijos departamentu prie VRM Administracinės veiklos ir eismo priežiūros skyriaus. Dauguma čia pateikiamų empirinių duomenų ir teorinių įžvalgų jau buvo pristatyta nepublikuotoje techninėje projekto ataskaitoje (saugoma LMT). Ši mokslo studija papildyta originaliais, kitur dar neskelbtais tyrimo rezultatais. Pagal šio tyrimo duomenis buvo publikuoti 5 mokslo ir 2 mokslo populiarinimo straipsniai, parengti 9 pranešimai tarptautiniams ar nacionaliniams mokslo renginiams (išsamus sąrašas pateiktas Priede) [Iš Pratarmės].

ENThis book is dedicated to the issues of traffic safety in Lithuania. The results and implications of a scientific study conducted in 2015–2017 are presented. The study aimed to investigate the role of psychological attributes of future drivers in the prediction of traffic rule violations and traffic accidents. The study was funded by the grant from the Research Council of Lithuania (grant No. GER-005/2015) and implemented together with state enterprise Regitra and Police Department of Lithuania. Most of the research results presented in this book were included in the unpublished report of the project (stored in the office of the Research Council of Lithuania). In addition to this, complementary original results are also introduced here. Previously the scientific results have been presented in five academic papers, two articles in the mass media, and nine presentations in national and international conferences. High number of traffic accidents and injuries remains a particularly relevant problem of public health and welfare in Europe (European Commission, 2017). It has been determined that approximately 21 percent of people killed on the roads in Europe are from 16 to 24 years old while the proportion of the same age group in the population is only 11.5 percent (Traffic Safety Basic Facts, 2007). Drivers of this young age are 1.7 times more likely to die in a traffic accident in Europe, and in Lithuania this ratio is 1.3 times higher than the European Union average (Traffic Safety Basic Facts, 2016). Also, drivers with up to a year of driving experience are at fault of 11.85 percent of all traffic accidents in Lithuania (Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications, 2016). Thus, researchers agree that young and inexperienced drivers have the highest probability of causing a traffic accident.The literature review revealed that novice drivers are more prone to risk-taking on the road compared to the more experienced drivers. Research on various groups of drivers showed that psychological characteristics contribute heavily to traffic violations and accidents. The most important predictors suggested for future investigations are as follows: drivers’ personality traits, risk taking attitudes on the road, and difficulties in emotional regulation. Additionally, low peer resistance and the need to adjust the driving behaviour to meet expectations of others are important for the novice drivers. Therefore, the aim of this research was to determine the set of psychological characteristics of the young future drivers which would predict involvement in traffic accidents or road traffic offenses in their first year of independent driving. A longitudinal two-stage study was conducted. In the first stage (from October 2015 to March 2016), all candidates who registered for the practical driving exam through the online registration system of SE Regitra received an invitation to participate in this research. In the second stage of the study – after one year (April 2017) – information on the number of traffic offenses committed by the participants during the first year of their independent driving was obtained from the official police records. 790 individuals participated in the first stage of the study; 598 of them (75.7 percent) got their driving licence before March 2017 (43.8 percent of them were male and 56.2 percent female). The mean age of participants was 23.63 years, and the average driving experience was 360.43 days. 75 (12.5 percent) participants committed at least one road traffic offense during their independent driving. 21 (3.5 percent) participants were involved in traffic accidents during their first year of independent driving, another 16 (2.7 percent) drivers were at fault for them. [...].The study results revealed that the drivers more likely to violate road traffic rules were those whose measurement before their independent driving demonstrated more pronounced traits of psychopathy, aggressiveness, and impulsivity, lower resistance to peer influence, a more favourable attitude towards road traffic offenses, and lack of emotional clarity. Aggressiveness and lack of emotional clarity distinguish the drivers who have violated road traffic rules from those who have not, even when controlling other differences in personality, risk taking attitudes, and difficulties in emotion regulation between drivers. More pronounced psychopathy of the driver, his or her inability to resist peer pressure, and less pronounced attitude of joyriding significantly increase the probability that the driver will cause a traffic accident. Due to the longitudinal nature of the research it is possible to formulate evidence-based recommendations for traffic safety specialists on how to identify a potential future traffic offender. The results confirm that emotional regulation is one of the most important challenges related to traffic offences. It should be addressed while improving the driver training and increasing the fitness to drive among novice drivers. Data suggests that traffic psychologists would be important stakeholders contributing to traffic safety through driving training process or intervention for offenders.