The Relationship between Driving Skills and Driver Behaviors among Young Drivers

Road traffic accidents are one of the leading public health problem for all over the world and for all age groups, especially for young drivers. Driver behaviors and driving skills are important human factors components for these accidents. Examining the relationship between driver behaviors and driving skills provides detailed information regarding the nature of human factors in traffic settings. In the current study, the relationship between driving skills and driver behaviors was investigated among young drivers. Driving skills were measured by using self-reports and driver behaviors were measured by using both self-reports and driving simulator. The results showed that perceptual-motor skills were positively correlated and safety skills were negatively correlated with violations and speeding behaviors at different roads in driving simulator. According to hierarchical regression analysis, safety skills were negatively related to violations and speeding behaviors. Both perceptual-motor skills and safety skills were positively related to positive driver behaviors. For the first time in the literature, the relationship between driving skills and driver behaviors were measured by using both self-reports and driving simulator among young drivers in Turkey. The results provided detailed understanding regarding the relationship between driver behaviors and driving skills among young drivers