Risky driving in young adults: A review of the literature

Young drivers aged between 16 and 25 are consistently over-represented in fatal crash statistics and are more likely than older drivers to be involved in a range of intentional risky driving behaviours, such as drink driving, speeding, drag racing, and tailgating. This paper reports the findings of a systematic search of published peer-reviewed literature, identifying the association between age and the characteristics of risky drivers, as well as interventions that have been developed to improve their safety. The results suggest that it is young males who are predominantly involved in unsafe driving and that these drivers are generally high in reward sensitivity, have antisocial peers, and believe that they are not dangerous drivers. Further to this, deterrence-based interventions have shown limited effectiveness for the specific category of 'hoon' drivers, suggesting the need for targeted interventions across a multitude of domains. Effective intervention requires an understanding of the antecedents of dangerous driving behaviour, and it is concluded that interventions might be most effective when targeted towards these identified criminogenic needs.