Hilde Hestad Iversen

Personality, risky driving and accident involvement among Norwegian drivers

Despite the large body of studies, the role of personality in risk research still remains debatable and unclear. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of road user behaviour and accident involvement with the aim of developing effective accident countermeasures. Examining relationships between personality, risky driving and involvement in accidents can open up the possibility of early identification of those more likely to be involved in accidents. The aim is not to influence personality as such, but to develop measures constructed for specific groups. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey carried out among a sample of Norwegian drivers in year 2000 and 2001 (n=2605). The Norwegian Directorate of Public Roads financed the study. The questionnaire included measures of risky driving, accident involvement, normlessness, sensation-seeking, locus of control and driver anger. Results showed that those who scored high on sensation seeking, normlessness and driver anger reported more frequent risky driving compared to those who scored low on these variables. They were more often involved in both speeding and ignorance of traffic rules. Respondents involved in risk taking-behaviour experienced near-accidents and crashes leading to both injuries and material damage more often than other drivers. Language: en

RISK PERCEPTION AND DRIVING BEHAVIOUR AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN TWO NORWEGIAN COUNTIES BEFORE AND AFTER A TRAFFIC SAFETY CAMPAIGN

Abstract A campaign to promote safe driving behaviour has been carried out among adolescents in two Norwegian counties since 1998. It focused on traffic accident risk perception. The aims of the present paper are to present the results of the evaluation of the effect of the campaign and to examine the association between risk perception and traffic behaviour. A representative sample of adolescents aged 18–24 years old in the two Norwegian counties participating in the campaign (experimental group), as well as a control group of adolescents in two other counties not participating in the campaign were used. Data were collected before it started in October 1998 and also after the campaign ( n =4376). The pre-and post-samples consisted of independent groups of respondents. The response rate was 93%. The respondents perceived the risk to be higher after the campaign than before. The respondents of the post-sample of the experimental group also reported less risk behaviour in traffic. The number of speeding accidents was also reduced. Perceived risk was not changed among adolescents in the control group. Neither were there any changes in self-report risk behaviour. The questionnaire measured cognition-based as well as emotion-based risk perception. Model tests showed that assessments of the probability of traffic accidents and concern were non-significant predictors for self-report risk behaviour. Worry and other emotional reactions related to traffic hazards significantly predicted behaviour. Sensation seeking, normlessness (i.e. a state where social norms no longer regulate behaviour), and indifference with regard to traffic safety affected emotion-based risk perception.

Attitudes towards traffic safety, driving behaviour and accident involvement among the Norwegian public

The present study aims at identifying determinants of risk behaviour and accident involvement in traffic. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey carried out among a representative sample of Norwegian drivers drawn from the drivers licence register. The data was collected in year 2000 and 2001 (n = 2614). The questionnaire included measures of attitudes, risk behaviour and involvement in accidents and near accidents. The results showed that attitudes towards traffic safety issues influenced involvement in risk behaviour in traffic, especially attitudes towards rule violations and speeding. Risk behaviour had an effect on involvement in near accidents and accidents. Variations in attitudes and risk behaviour were related to age and gender.

Is job insecurity a risk factor in occupational health and safety

The main aim of the present study was to examine how job insecurity influences job satisfaction as well as on-the-job risk behaviour. An additional aim was to analyse how risk perception affects the associations between job insecurity, job dissatisfaction and behaviour. The results of the study are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey carried out among employees experiencing organisational change and downsizing in the UK and the Nordic Division of a company manufacturing chemical products (N=254). The company is one of the worlds largest industrial gas suppliers. Job insecurity was significantly associated with job dissatisfaction. The more insecure the employees reported to be, the more job dissatisfaction was also reported. Job dissatisfaction was also related to on-the-job risk behaviour. Employees who were dissatisfied with the working conditions reported on-the-job risk behaviour more frequently compared to those who were satisfied.

Environmental concern and environmental behaviour among the Norwegian public

Current studies indicate that the most accurate predictor of actual buying behaviour is consumer attitudes (Glendon and McKenna, Human Safety and Risk Management , London: Chapman and Hall, 1995). This study seeks to investigate questions relating to the extent to which attitudes on safety and risk issues are critical to safety-related behaviour. The dispositional view of human behaviour implies behavioural consistency across different behaviours performed in different situations, as long as the behaviours are instances of the same underlying disposition. The present study tests this hypothesis in relation to health and environmental behaviour. Both direct and indirect effects are investigated. An additional aim was to test for gender differences as well as differences due to age and educational level. The results are based on survey data of a representative sample of the Norwegian population given self-completion questionnaires during the period 1997-98. A total of 1450 respondents replied to the questionnaire. Health attitudes and the Health Value Scale correlated strongly with health behaviour and environmental concern with environmental behaviour. Attitude towards illness prevention was important for both behavioural dimensions. Health behaviour influenced environmental behaviour in an indirect way, through health attitudes. The results imply that it can be useful to study dispositional concepts. When appropriately applied, they yield useful information. It is important to focus on specific attitudes and related specific behaviours in order to change behavioural practices. In addition, it seems possible to change environmental and consumer behaviour through changing health

Risk Attitudes and Behavior Among Norwegian Adolescents

Abstract. The core aim of the present study is to compare the effects of a safety campaign and a behavior modification program on traffic safety. As is the case in community-based health promotion, the present studys approach of the attitude campaign was based on active participation of the group of recipients. One of the reasons why many attitude campaigns conducted previously have failed may be that they have been society-based public health programs. Both the interventions were carried out simultaneously among students aged 18-19 years in two Norwegian high schools (n = 342). At the first high school the intervention was behavior modification, at the second school a community-based attitude campaign was carried out. Baseline and posttest data on attitudes toward traffic safety and self-reported risk behavior were collected. The results showed that there was a significant total effect of the interventions although the effect depended on the type of intervention. There were significant differences in at...