A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Young drivers represent a high-risk group worldwide, with their overrepresentation in road trauma placing substantial pressure on health and economic systems. Their crashes are often linked to risky driving behaviors, accentuating the need for reliable instruments to assess these patterns. The Behavior of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS) was developed to comprehensively assess multiple dimensions of risky driving behavior in drivers aged 17–29 years; however, it has not yet undergone cross-cultural validation. Aim: This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive cross-cultural validation of the BYNDS and examine differences in risky driving behaviors among young drivers from Low- and Middle- Income (LMIC) and High-Income (HIC) countries. Method: Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of n = 3,989 young drivers aged M = 22.25 years, of whom 52 % were male and 48 % female. Participants completed the BYNDS, a 44- item behavioral questionnaire administered across 12 countries (48.6 % LMICs; 51.4 % HICs) spanning five continents. Results: The findings indicate that the BYNDS supports a five-factor structure with good fit indices, strong factor loadings, and acceptable reliability, and invariance between countries of different income levels. Furthermore, the validated BYNDS-42 (comprising 42 items distributed across five factors) also showed the ability to distinguish between drivers with and without self-reported crashes or traffic fines. Conclusion: This study provides robust evidence supporting the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the BYNDS, reinforcing its value as a tool for assessing young driver behavior. These findings offer empirically grounded insights that can inform behavioral interventions aimed at improving young drivers’ road safety.
Authors: Sergio A. Useche, Bridie Scott-Parker, Francisco Alonso, Boris Cendales, Sergio Traficante, Jeremias Tosi, Ruben Ledesma, Teodora Stefanova, Stella Karapa, Anna Emmanouel, Laura Šeibokaitė, Auksė Endriulaitienė, Kristina Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė, Rusdi B. Rusli, Gabriel Dorantes-Argandar, Bolajoko I. Malomo, Maria de F. Pereira da Silva, Mario Ferrer, Duy Q. Nguyen-Phuoc, Ricardo Santa, James David Albert Newton, Xiaomeng Li, Natalie Watson-Brown, Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios
Language: English
Topic: Traffic and Road Safety
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,780
OpenAlex ID: W4416443501