| Sumario: | Questions were used to measure driving habits. The first item assessed the frequency of their driving (“How often do you drive?” Question examined their seat belt usage (“How often do you wear your seat belt?”). Additionally, driving habits were measured using responses from four dichotomous questions (“Have you ever: taken a driver education course, used a cellular phone while driving, received a ticket, and has an event prompted you to wear seat belts?”). One dichotomous question assessed motor vehicle crash involvement: “As a driver, have you ever been involved in a car crash?” were asked to recall the total number of tickets they received during 2003-2004. Table 2 discloses the results of the multivariate analyses for demographic variables, psychological factors, social strain, and aggressive behaviors. It was found at the multivariate analyses for anxiety, sensation, anger, road rage, educational level, driving frequency, event prompt seat belt use, smoking, drug and alcohol use were significantly associated with crash risk. Some items listed in Table 2 draw the attention to behavioral and strain theory. Anxiety and anger situations in the streets would affect Kuwaiti driving behaviors. This could be explained that driving and road rage situations would increase high rates in anxiety and anger (see Table 2). Sensation seeking has been shown to be high with risky driving behavior. Also, high school seniors and university undergraduates were 1.8 to 3.1 times more likely to be in a RTA, respectively (p for trend <0.06), compared to controls. Cases were 2.1 times more likely (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.1) to report driving a car everyday, as compared to controls. Subjects indicating that an event prompted their seat belt use were associated with 1.9 times (95% CI 1.2-2.9) the risk of RTA involvement. Sensation seeking has been shown to be high with risky driving behavior (e.g. jumping traffic, driving too close to the vehicle in front). Research has shown that there is a relationship between anger and sensation seeking. For example, McMillan, et al. (1992) found road users with multiple offences for driving under the influence of alcohol were significantly higher than first offenders in hostility and sensation seeking. Multiple offenders also had significantly more accidents, and traffic tickets than first offenders. In addition, Whiteside and Lynam (2001) found an association, via impulsiveness, between urgency and sensation seeking. From this it can be assumed that road users that display high sensation seeking in general are more likely to exhibit urgency when driving. This can be corroborated by recent research that has shown both urgency and sensation as being two distinct, but related, facets of personality associated with impulsive behavior (Whiteside and Lynam, 2001). In addition, [Arnett], Offer and Fine, (1997) found, sensation seeking correlated highly with risky driving behavior when paired with aggressiveness. One can assume that they are closely interrelated. In this respect, it can also be assumed that, similar to sensation seeking, risky driving behavior is also a mutually reinforcing activity, i.e. if the consequence of an action, like driving over the speed limit, causes positive affect within the perpetrator it is likely to be repeated, (e.g. [Lecoeur, H], et al., 1997).
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