Driving violations and health promotion behaviors among undergraduate students: Self-report of on-road behavior

Introduction: The purposes of this study are to characterize Israeli undergraduate students' driving violations in the terms of problem behavior theory and to identify whether there is any relationship between driving violations and health risk behaviors, daring behaviors, excitement seeking, and health promotion behaviors.

Methods: This study is based on a structured self-reported anonymous questionnaire distributed to undergraduate students in an academic institution. The sample included 533 undergraduate students (374 females and 159 males). The mean age was 23.4 (SD = 1.4, range = 5).

Results: A higher prevalence of self-reported driving violations was found among males in comparison to females. All substance use measures were positively related to driving violations; for example, use of cigarettes (OR = 4.287, P <.001) and water pipes (odds ratio OR] = 3.000, P <.001) as well as binge drinking (OR = 5.707, P <.001) and regular cannabis smoking (OR = 5.667, P <.001) raise the probability of committing rare driving violations. The strongest predictive factors for the frequent driving violations group were alcohol consumption–related variables: binge drinking (OR = 2.560, P <.01) and drunkenness (OR = 2.284, P <.05). Strong odd ratios were also found between the frequent driving violations group and selling or dealing drugs (12.143, P <.001), and stealing something valuable (13.680, P <.001). The strongest predicted variable for the rare driving violations group was physical confrontation due to verbal disagreement (3.439, P <.05) and the concept that selling or dealing drugs is socially acceptable (2.521, P <.05). The probability of executing rare driving violations was higher for subjects who reported intense physical workout regimens (OR = 1.638, P <.05).

Conclusions: Problem behavior theory succeeded in explaining health risk behavior and driving violations. This study shows that bachelors tend to be more involved in risk behaviors, such as substance use, excitement-seeking behaviors, and daring behaviors and are active physically and thus constitute a risk group for driving violations. As such, intervention resources should be directed toward this group.