Predicting Youth Crash Risk: Sensation Seeking, Propensity towards Substance Use and Relevant Risky Driving Practices

Background/Purpose: The current study tested a model predicting young driver motor vehicle crashes from substance use propensity. A secondary aim was to examine relevant risky driving practices for substance using youth.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of young drivers aged 16 to 22 (N = 436) completed a telephone survey with questions regarding sensation seeking, substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana), and driving practices (driving while under the influence of alcohol/drugs, driving while drowsy, driving while smoking). Structural equation modeling was used to explore the relationships between these variables and crashes. A secondary analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between substance-related driving practices and crashes.

Results/Outcomes: General propensity for substance use predicted crashes (over and above the influence of cigarette smoking, alcohol use or marijuana use), and this relationship was due in part to the relationship between substance use and sensation seeking. The secondary analysis showed that, though substance using youth showed higher rates of substance-related driving practices, there were no significant associations between these practices and crashes.

Conclusions: Youth with a propensity for substance use are at an increased risk for crashes. The higher crash risk for substance using youth is not due primarily to substance-related risky driving practices, but is likely an indicator of a general underlying risk tendency. Interventions for these youth should therefore focus on this risk rather than on specific substance-related driving practices.