Role of thrill and adventure seeking in risky work-related driving behaviours

Abstract

Background Road trauma had been identified as the leading cause of work-related death in Australia. Research in general driving behaviours has shown that sensation seekers with high levels of thrill and adventure seeking traits are more likely to drive in a risky manner. However, thrill and adventure seeking has not been explicitly examined as a predictor of risky driving behaviour in work-related settings. Methodology Using a large sample of fleet drivers (N = 892) from three Australian organisations, the current study examined the role of thrill and adventure seeking in predicting risky work-related driving behaviours and involvement in crash and traffic offence. Hardcopies and online version of the questionnaire were sent to the worksite measuring participants' demographic information, work driving exposure, thrill and adventure seeking trait, work-related risky driving behaviours, and self-reported crash and traffic offences in the past 12 months. Results The results indicated that thrill and adventure seeking was a significant predictor of risky work-related driving behaviours. However, thrill and adventure seeking did not significantly predict self-reported crashes and traffic offences. Conclusion The current study implies that dispositional characteristics, such as thrill and adventure seeking, should be considered when implementing interventions in fleet safety.