The Impact Of Overconfidence On Risky Driving Behavior

A lot of cognitive psychology research found that people popularly had the character of overconfidence. However, inappropriate overconfidence can often make people underestimate the risk and put themselves at risk. Take the drivers for example, if they over-estimate their driving skills, and underestimate the dangerous driving environment around, it is not surprising that there are so many road traffic accidents.This study take driver’s overconfidence level and risky driving behavior as the research objects, surveyed 322 private car drivers in Chengdu through the way of questionnaire, using methods such as factor analysis, variance analysis, regression analysis tested the differences of demographic variables such as gender, age, driving experience and accident conditions in risky driving behaviors. At the same time, the relationship between driver’s overconfidence and risky driving behaviors was also analyzed, and came to the following conclusions:(1) Male drivers are more prone to aggressive driving behaviors than women drivers; (2) Age has reverse effect of prediction of risky driving behaviors. Compared with the drivers in older age, the group of young drivers are more prone to risky driving behaviors; (3) Compared with experienced drivers, the less experienced drivers are more prone to inattention and inexperienced mistakes; (4) Compared with security group drivers, the accident group drivers are more prone to offensive violations and inexperienced errors; (5) Compared with the low penalty points of driving license drivers, the drivers with higher penalty points of driving license are prone to more general violations and offensive violations; (6) After controlling the demographic variables (gender, age, driving experience, accident situation, points), the driver’s overestimation of their driving ability has positive predict ability to their risky driving behaviors. The higher the score of driver’s driving skills assessment, the more likely of risky driving behaviors; (7) After controlling the demographic variables (gender, age, driving experience, accident situation, points), the driver’s control illusion has positive predict ability to their risky driving behaviors. The stronger sense of control about their driving behavior and the surrounding environment, the more likely of risky driving behaviors; (8) After controlling the demographic variables (gender, age, driving experience, accident situation, points), the driver’s overoptimism has positive predict ability to their risky driving behaviors. The higher degree of optimism about driving risks, the more likely of risky driving behaviors.Finally, combined with the conclusion of this study and the current situation of road traffic safety management in our country, this study gives some advices on road traffic safety management, including reinforce the drivers road traffic safety laws and regulations learning and the driving theories study, increase the testing and training subjects on risky driving cognition and attitude correction for the new drivers, and develop driving safety educational activities according to different driver groups.