Psychosocial Predictors of Observed Speeding Among Teenage Drivers During the First 18-Month of Licensure

Background/Purpose. Speeding is commonly associated with motor vehicle crashes, particularly among young drivers. The high crash rates of novice teenage drivers are thought to be due to a combination of inexperience and risky driving behavior such as speeding. This is the first study to examine factors associated with speeding among novice teenage drivers using objective measures of speeding rates. Method. Survey and driving data were collected from 42 newly-licensed teenage drivers during the first 18 months of licensure. Data recording systems installed in participants' vehicles provided information on driving performance. Prospective assessment of the associations between baseline survey data and speeding rates was assessed by regression analyses. Results. Speeding was positively correlated with another measure of risky driving, elevated g force events (r = 0.335, p < 0.05). In univariate analyses, speeding was predicted by teenagers' self-reported substance use, number of risky friends, tolerance of deviance, susceptibility to peer pressure, disinhibition, experience seeking, lower risk perceptions, and day versus night driving. In multivariate analyses, speeding was predicted by day versus night driving and higher number of risky friends; higher substance use was marginally significant. Perceived risk was a significant mediator of the associations between speeding and risky friends and between speeding and substance use. Conclusion. The findings support the contention that peer norms may influence teenage speeding behavior and this relationship may operate through perceived risk.