Effects of Post-License Defensive Driver Training on Attitudes Towards Risky Driving Among People with Different Personality Traits

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of post license defensive driving training which is one of the measures to reduce the number of accidents and to test how people with different personality traits react to the same training. Experiment was carried out (exp group n=58, cntrl group n=9) to test these assumptions. Results show that this particular training positively influenced driver attitudes on the single group level as measured by modified version of Driver Attitude Questionnaire but showed no statistically significant difference on the between group comparison level. The findings also suggest that drivers scoring high or low on different personality traits measured by Big five personality inventory did not perceive same training differently. The only difference was detected on the Lie scale. Training participants that scored low on extraversion scale and also participants that scored low on consciousness scale gave more socially desirable responses after the training then before the training and training participants that scored high on agreeableness scale expressed more socially desirable responses after the training when compared to before the training. Trait and accident correlations indicated that there are likely to be a negative association between conscientiousness and accidents and positive association between neuroticism and accidents. But since correlations are not significant any conclusions would be dubious. Bigger sample size for both control and experimental group would clarify many of the dubious and inconclusive results.