An Investigation into Unsafe Behaviors and Traffic Accidents Involving Unlicensed Drivers: A Perspective for Alignment Measurement

Abstract

Road traffic plays a vital role in countries’ economic growth and future development. However, traffic accidents are considered a major public health issue affecting humankind. Despite efforts by governments to improve traffic safety, the misalignment between the policy efforts and on-ground infringements, distractions and breaches reflect the regulatory failure. This paper uses the Bayesian network method to investigate unsafe behaviors and traffic accidents involving unlicensed drivers as a perspective for the regulatory alignment assessment. The findings suggest that: (1) unlicensed drivers are more likely to have unsafe driving behaviors; (2) the probability of being involved in a severe traffic accident increases when the drivers are unlicensed and decreases in the case of licensed drivers; (3) young drivers are noticeably more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors, usually leading to serious injuries and deaths, when their driving licenses are invalid; (4) women are more likely to engage in right-of-way violations and to have collisions with no serious injuries, contrary to unlicensed men drivers, who are involved in other types of traffic accidents resulting in serious injuries.

Effects of Mobile Phone Use on Driving Performance: An Experimental Study of Workload and Traffic Violations

“…The findings of the present study come in line with previous research that reported unsafe driving behaviors of young drivers who constitute a high-risk group for traffic accidents, for instance, unsafe driving behaviors of unlicensed young drivers [ 75 , 76 ], risk perception and driving behaviors of young drivers [ 77 , 78 ], and use of mobile phones and infotainment technologies by young drivers while driving [ 79 ]. Furthermore, many researchers confirmed that by using their mobile phones, the drivers were more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, and were less effective in controlling their lane position, managing their brake reaction time, speed, and headway deviation [ 80 , 81 , 82 ].…”

From Livable Communities to Livable Metropolis: Challenges for Urban Mobility in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal)

“…Driving behavior is influenced by the conditions of the road infrastructure, the built environment, or the weather, but also by individual factors, including the driver's status (driver's license, level of alcohol intake, influence of illegal substances, level of tiredness) or even the attitudes toward driving, which are associated with compliance with safety and speed rules, and risky driving [33][34][35][36].…”

Effects of mobile phone-related distraction on driving performance at roundabouts: Eye movements tracking perspective

“…Inattentive driving and multitasking are major contributors to road crashes and fatalities with distraction being a common factor in a significant portion of traffic crashes [ 5 , 6 ]. Moreover, previous studies analyzing road crashes associated with distracted driving and multitasking asserted that drawing attention away from driving leads to increased steering variability, lateral position deviation, aggressive braking, and delayed responses [ [7] , [8] , [9] ].…”