Dangerous driving propensity amongst Indian youth

•Addresses the role of sensation-seeking and impulsiveness in dangerous driving.•Positive correlations found amongst sensation-seeking, impulsiveness and dangerous driving.•Motor impulsiveness and disinhibition emerged as predictors for dangerous driving. The aim of the present investigation was to study the role of sensation-seeking and impulsiveness in propensity towards dangerous driving. For this purpose, a sample of four hundred young drivers between the age group of 18–23 years was assessed on measures of sensation-seeking, impulsiveness and dangerous driving. The sample was further classified into male and female drivers. The constructs of sensation-seeking and impulsiveness were studied through their components or sub-scales. Therefore, sensation-seeking was assessed with its sub-scales of boredom susceptibility, experience seeking, disinhibition and thrill and adventure seeking while impulsiveness was gauged through attentional, motor and non-planning impulsiveness. The statistical analysis of correlation was performed to assess relationships amongst variables with stepwise multiple regression analysis for prediction of dangerous driving. The results of present investigation revealed positive correlations between all the variables assessed on the overall sample and amongst the groups of male and female drivers. Through regression analysis on the overall sample, disinhibition emerged to be the major predictor showing maximum variance followed by motor impulsiveness, attentional impulsiveness, non-planning impulsiveness and thrill and adventure seeking. Amongst male drivers, motor impulsiveness showed maximum variance for dangerous driving followed by disinhibition, attentional impulsiveness and non-planning impulsiveness. However, amongst female drivers, disinhibition was found to be the major predictor for dangerous driving having maximum variance followed by motor impulsiveness and attentional impulsiveness. The study gives a psychological insight into the dangerous driving behaviour of young drivers. These issues are therefore of grave concern especially for the drivers in India with its increasing young population, growing number of vehicles on roads, incidence of road rage, fatalities and like.