A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries

Sergio A. Useche; Bridie Scott-Parker; Francisco Alonso; Boris Cendales; Sergio Traficante; Jeremias Tosi; Ruben Ledesma; Teodora Stefanova; Stella Karapa; Anna Emmanouel; Laura Šeibokaitė; Auksė Endriulaitienė; Kristina Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė; Rusdi B. Rusli; Gabriel Dorantes-Argandar; Bolajoko I. Malomo; Maria de F. Pereira da Silva; Mario Ferrer; Duy Q. Nguyen-Phuoc; Ricardo Santa; James David Albert Newton; Xiaomeng Li; Natalie Watson-Brown; Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios

doi:10.1016/j.trf.2025.103430

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A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

A cross-cultural perspective on risky young drivers’ behavior: evidence from 12 countries

Sergio A. Useche, Bridie Scott-Parker, Francisco Alonso, Boris Cendales, Sergio Traficante, Jeremias Tosi, Ruben Ledesma, Teodora Stefanova, Stella Karapa, Anna Emmanouel, …

Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.116, pp.1-16

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2025.103430

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Abstract

Human factors

Measurement

Risky driving behavior

Road safety

Traffic psychology

Young drivers

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) - UV
Bridie Scott-Parker - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Francisco Alonso - University of Valencia (Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia, Spain) - UV
Boris Cendales - Universidad El Bosque
Sergio Traficante - University of Bari Aldo Moro
Jeremias Tosi - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Ruben Ledesma - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Teodora Stefanova - University of Sheffield
Stella Karapa - University of Sheffield
Anna Emmanouel - University of Sheffield
Laura Šeibokaitė - Vytautas Magnus University
Auksė Endriulaitienė - Vytautas Magnus University
Kristina Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė - Vytautas Magnus University
Rusdi B. Rusli - Universiti Teknologi MARA
Gabriel Dorantes-Argandar - Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos
Bolajoko I. Malomo - University of Lagos
Maria de F. Pereira da Silva - Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra
Mario Ferrer - Alfaisal University
Duy Q. Nguyen-Phuoc - VinUniversity
Ricardo Santa - Colegio de Estudios Superiores de Administración
James David Albert Newton - The University of Queensland
Xiaomeng Li - Queensland University of Technology
Natalie Watson-Brown - Queensland University of Technology
Oscar 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
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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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Psychology, Applied; Transportation