Theory Of Planned Behavior: A Path From Personality Traits To Traffic Violations

This was a cross-sectional study made on a sample of 236 respondents, aged 18 - 67 years (M = 39.19, SD = 11.25). Data were collected through several online survey campaigns made on social media networks, in Romania. The subjects were told that their participation helps researchers to better understand the predictors of road accidents and received no financial compensation for their effort. In order to be eligible to participate in the study, participants had to own a valid driving license and regularly drive a vehicle.
The measures were: Personality, with a 300-item NEO IPIP questionnaire (Goldberg et al., 2006; Iliescu et al., 2015), a measure based on FFM; a TPB questionnaire (Găianu et al., 2020), constructed in complying with the guidelines developed by Ajzen (2006); and Romanian version (Sârbescu, 2013) of the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ).

Demographic variables:

1. Driving setting (CI_1):
Personal use
For work purposes

2. Driving experience (CI_2)
Less than 3 years
4 – 10 years
11 – 20 years
Above 20 years

3. Frequency of driving (CI_3)
< 5 thousand km/year
5 – 10 thousand km/year
11 – 20 thousand km/year
> 20 thousand km/year

4. Education (Edu)
< Elementary
Middle
High
> Masters

5. Age (Age)
25 years below
25 – 35 years
36 – 45 years
46 and above

DBQ:
lapses (dbq_n)
mistakes (dbq_g)
ordinary violations (dbq_ao)
aggressive violations (dbq_ag)
errors (dbq_n + dbq_g)
violations (dbq_ao + dbq_ag)

Behavioral situations (for TPB Questionnaire)
Indicative (S1 - S7) and Statement of behavioral situation:
S1 “You would be willing to go over the speed limit just to impress a passenger.”
S2 “When you are in a rush you may violate certain traffic rules such as: slightly going over the speed limit, running a late yellow light, not respecting a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you etc.”
S3 “If you encounter a vehicle that goes too slowly you do your best to overcome it, even if you are on a road where you are not allowed to do this.”
S4 “If another vehicle annoys you in traffic, you do your best to show indignation to the person driving it.”
S5 “You tend to compete with other drivers, such as forcing entering on a circulation band, abruptly accelerating at the traffic light etc.”
S6 “Sometimes you drive the vehicle even after you have drunk some alcohol.”
S7 “You use your mobile phone while driving without using a hands-free device.”

TPB Questionnaire:
Intention (i and INT)
Attitude (a and ATT)
Subjective norms (ns and SN)
Descriptive norms (nd and DN)
Perceptive behavior control (ccp and PBC)

NEO IPIP:
Neuroticism (n and N)
Extraversion (e and E)
Openness (o and O)
Agreeableness (a and A)
Conscientiousness (c and C)