There’s something about youth and speed and cars.
Criminal justice doctoral student Yu-Sheng Lin tapped into it in his study of risky and aggressive driving behaviors. Surveying Washington State University students, who averaged the age of 19, he joined up with marketing graduate student Mark Mulder and associate professor Jeffrey Joireman to look at the effects of impulsivity and thrill-seeking on dangerous driving.
About a third of all accidents, and close to 67 percent of the resulting fatalities, can be linked to aggressive driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Lin asked survey subjects if they drive over the speed limit in clear weather (risky behavior) and if they let people know when they are unhappy with their driving (aggressive behavior).
The team focused on three low self-control personality traits – impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and anger – and consideration of future consequences.
Read more about this research and findings at the Washington State Magazine website here.
