The broad, long-term objective of this renewal project is to advance theory explaining adolescent and young adult high-risk driving behavior, particularly alcohol-related driving behavior, in order to enhance the design of interventions aimed at modifying the high-risk driving behavior and its antecedents. Particular emphasis will be placed on gender differences. The proposed research capitalizes on a unique opportunity to extend rich survey information from middle and late adolescence into the early adult years and link that information to driving data. The project builds on continuing research with two large samples of subjects on whom longitudinal questionnaire data were collected since 1984 and for whom Michigan driver history and crash data have been linked (n is equal to 13,688).
The specific aims of the project are to: 1) Extend driver history and crash report data acquisition through the young adult years, when alcohol-related driving behavior is the highest of any age group. Subjects' ages during the proposed renewal period fall into the age group that has been the most resilient to efforts to combat alcohol-related driving and represent difficult group to reach; 2) Conduct a telephone survey to collect self-reported driving information, and updated demographic, substance use, and psychosocial data from subjects in the two large samples. The surveys will be conducted when each of four cohorts of subjects is five to six years out of high school, and averages 23 to 24 years old; 3) Characterize the adolescent and young adult high-risk driving of two study samples using data from state traffic records; driver histories and crash reports; 4) Examine the relationship of alcohol use/misuse and previous school-based alcohol prevention programs to high-risk adolescent and young adult driving, using previously collected questionnaire data and state traffic record data; 5) Examine Problem Behavior Theory risk factors, as well as protective factors, to determine their relationship with high-risk driving behavior among adolescents and young adults. Early risk and protective factors are available from previously collected questionnaire data. Concurrent risk and protective factors will be collected via the telephone survey. Driving behavior data will be available in state traffic records as well as self-reported telephone survey data; 6) Develop comprehensive recommendations for prevention efforts in the policy, education, and enforcement areas targeted toward the high-risk driving behavior, particularly alcohol-related, of adolescents and young adults. Emphasis will be placed on broad-based prevention at the community level.
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