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Published VersionCC BY-NC V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries
Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.116, pp.1-16
2026
Abstract
Abstract
Young drivers represent a high-risk group worldwide, with their overrepresentation in road trauma placing substantial pressure on health and economic systems. Their crashes are often linked to risky driving behaviors, accentuating the need for reliable instruments to assess these patterns. The Behavior of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS) was developed to comprehensively assess multiple dimensions of risky driving behavior in drivers aged 17–29 years; however, it has not yet undergone cross-cultural validation.
Aim
This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive cross-cultural validation of the BYNDS and examine differences in risky driving behaviors among young drivers from Low- and Middle-Income (LMIC) and High-Income (HIC) countries.
Method
Data were collected from a cross-sectional sample of n = 3,989 young drivers aged M = 22.25 years, of whom 52 % were male and 48 % female. Participants completed the BYNDS, a 44-item behavioral questionnaire administered across 12 countries (48.6 % LMICs; 51.4 % HICs) spanning five continents.
Results
The findings indicate that the BYNDS supports a five-factor structure with good fit indices, strong factor loadings, and acceptable reliability, and invariance between countries of different income levels. Furthermore, the validated BYNDS-42 (comprising 42 items distributed across five factors) also showed the ability to distinguish between drivers with and without self-reported crashes or traffic fines.
Conclusion
This study provides robust evidence supporting the cross-cultural validity and reliability of the BYNDS, reinforcing its value as a tool for assessing young driver behavior. These findings offer empirically grounded insights that can inform behavioral interventions aimed at improving young drivers’ road safety.
Details
- Title
- A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries
- Authors
- Sergio A. Useche (Corresponding Author) - University of Valencia (Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia, Spain) - UVBridie Scott-Parker - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and SocietyFrancisco Alonso - University of Valencia (Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia, Spain) - UVBoris Cendales - Universidad El BosqueSergio Traficante - University of Bari Aldo MoroJeremias Tosi - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasRuben Ledesma - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasTeodora Stefanova - University of SheffieldStella Karapa - University of SheffieldAnna Emmanouel - University of SheffieldLaura Šeibokaitė - Vytautas Magnus UniversityAuksė Endriulaitienė - Vytautas Magnus UniversityKristina Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė - Vytautas Magnus UniversityRusdi B. Rusli - Universiti Teknologi MARAGabriel Dorantes-Argandar - Universidad Autónoma del Estado de MorelosBolajoko I. Malomo - University of LagosMaria de F. Pereira da Silva - Polytechnic Institute of CoimbraMario Ferrer - Alfaisal UniversityDuy Q. Nguyen-Phuoc - VinUniversityRicardo Santa - Colegio de Estudios Superiores de AdministraciónJames David Albert Newton - The University of QueenslandXiaomeng Li - Queensland University of TechnologyNatalie Watson-Brown - Queensland University of TechnologyOscar Oviedo-Trespalacios - Delft University of Technology
- Publication details
- Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.116, pp.1-16
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.trf.2025.103430
- ISSN
- 1873-5517; 1369-8478
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- Data will be made available on request.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991192143002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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