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4. INFLUENCES ON BEHAVIOUR

Introduction

4.1 Participants were asked to give examples of influences on their behaviour when in a car. We also wanted to know what could change participants' behaviour as a passenger and as a driver. This was done in three ways. Firstly, participants were asked to focus specifically on the way in which alcohol and drugs influence driving behaviour. Then we asked participants to identify and prioritise the factors that influence their behaviour in a car. Finally participants were asked how, as passengers, they would respond to various imaginary situations that they may be in. This chapter sets out our findings.

Influence of Alcohol and Drugs on Driving Behaviour

4.2 Participants were firstly specifically asked to discuss the influence that alcohol and drugs have on driving behaviour. Participants had lots to say on this topic. There was general agreement - among drivers and non-drivers - that alcohol made you "pumped up, cocky and over confident" and that this meant you were likely to drive in an unsafe way. In particular participants thought it made you want to go fast, affected your concentration, made you tired and meant that you did not think about the impact of your behaviour on others. Participants had earlier highlighted that a key characteristic of being a good driver was thinking about others (see Chapter 3, paragraph 3.5).

"If you drink and drive it makes you crash. You get all pumped up." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

"If someone is used to drinking they might not think it has affected them but it can. Alcohol drops your concentration levels and your reactions." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, female, rural)

"Alcohol makes you tired - more likely to fall asleep at the wheel." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, female, rural)

"When you're drunk you don't think about others." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

4.3 One participant (the only one to admit to driving over the legal limit) mentioned that he felt he drove more carefully when under the influence of alcohol:

"I've thought 'maybe this is how I should usually drive' - you know, checking the mirrors loads, driving slowly..." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, male, rural)

4.4 Participants thought that in general alcohol affected younger people more than older people, but that this varied depending on the individual.

"Someone younger is less used to alcohol. An older person is more likely to know when they've had too much." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, female, rural)

"It (alcohol) affects young people stronger." (Non-driver, 16 to 19, male, rural)

4.5 Everyone thought that drugs affected people differently. Four young men (aged 16 to 19) thought that you could still take drugs like skunk (a strong form of cannabis) and make sensible judgements about driving:

"Skunk can make you more chilled, but it can also make you paranoid." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

"People might drive more safely if they have taken drugs because they don't want to get caught." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

Deterrents for Drink and Drug Driving

4.6 Most participants felt that the biggest deterrent for driving over the alcohol limit, or under the influence of drugs, was that you might put someone else at risk. Participants did not seem to think about the risks to themselves, but rather to their friends, siblings and other people who may be on the road. Both drivers and non-drivers gave their views on this.

"I don't want to do it because I don't want to put anyone at risk." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, female, urban)

4.7 Only one participant (a non-driver) mentioned the risk to the driver's own life if driving over the alcohol limit:

"Don't drink anything, pay for a taxi, not your life." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, rural)

4.8 There were varied views about the chances of getting caught while driving over the alcohol limit, or under the influence of drugs. Participants tended to think that it was more difficult for the police to catch people who took drugs and drove, rather than alcohol.

"Late at night you might get away with it." (Driver, 16 to 19 year old, female, urban)

Other Factors that Influence Behaviour

4.9 This section of the focus groups was conducted by splitting participants into smaller buzz groups and asking them to make suggestions as to what can change or influence behaviour. Some specific factors were probed in more detail, such as policing, parents, friends and peer pressure.

4.10 Once all possible suggestions had been exhausted, the participants were asked to rank their suggestions in order, in terms of those that affect driving behaviour the most. By ranking we established the 'top three' influences for each group. Some groups found this difficult and were not always able to come to an agreement.

4.11 In general, all of the groups made similar suggestions about influences on their behaviour. These are listed in table 4.1 below.

Table 4.1 What influences behaviour?

4.12 None of the participants mentioned alcohol or drugs in this exercise. This is probably because all of the groups had spent considerable time already discussing these issues.

4.13 Groups were asked to rank these influences in order of importance. Some of the groups found this a very difficult exercise, with varied views from participants. Comparison between the groups showed that there were no clear themes in terms of the factors which influence driving behaviour the most. Some of the most commonly suggested factors are explored in more detail below.

Friends and peer pressure

4.14 Having passengers in the car, such as friends or colleagues was an influence on driving behaviour for some of the participants. But the extent of influence varied. For example, the group of 20 to 25 year old women in the Borders indicated that friends were unlikely to be an influence (the women ranked this as least influential). But the groups of 16 to 19 year olds (in both Glasgow and the Borders) indicated that friends and peer pressure strongly influenced driver behaviour whilst in a car. These comments were made by both drivers and non-drivers (including those who were driving illegally). For example the quote below was made by a non-driver, driving illegally.

"If you are with a girl or your mates you show off, go through lights, do manoeuvres like hand brake turns." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

"Friends in the car make you show off." (Driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

4.15 These young men seemed aware that showing off was not good driving behaviour. Some of the younger male participants had experiences of being in a car with friends when they were showing off. A small minority of participants had experiences of being in stolen cars with friends and could recount stories of dangerous driving as a result.

4.16 Earlier in the focus groups, many participants had said that the main reason that they would not drive dangerously was because of fear of injuring friends or relatives. But here many participants said they would be more likely to drive dangerously when friends were in the car. There is a clear contradiction here, suggesting that while participants would not want to harm friends, in reality they behave in ways in which they might cause accidents. The negative effect of peer pressure on driving behaviour has been highlighted in other research (Department for Transport, 2008 and Scottish Government, 2008d).

Risk of getting caught

4.17 Almost all of the groups (with the exception of the younger women in Glasgow) mentioned either policing, speed cameras or the risk of getting caught as an influencing factor on their driving behaviour. This is interesting as earlier in the groups most participants said that they were much more concerned about the risk of injuring others than getting caught (see Chapter 3, paragraph 3.41). Again, this demonstrates how participant views fluctuated and were at times contradictory throughout the group.

4.18 Both groups of 20 to 25 year old men discussed speed cameras. There were mixed opinions about the influence of speed cameras. For example, one driver said that they definitely influenced his behaviour and made him a better driver. Other non-drivers disagreed, with one stating that speed cameras can create more dangerous situations with people speeding up and slowing down to avoid getting caught.

4.19 The 20 to 25 year old male participants in the Borders spoke at length about speed cameras. The drivers described their frustration at having speed cameras on the straight parts of the road. This was seen to discourage overtaking on straight parts of the road, but encourage more dangerous overtaking at the corners.

4.20 Others thought that they were either a neutral or negative influence on driving behaviour. For example, the younger males in Glasgow said that speed cameras make drivers speed up and slow down, which was potentially dangerous.

"It's just a slap on the wrists; you immediately speed up again." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

"I think they're more dangerous, because you speed up, then slow down." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old male, urban)

Music

4.21 Playing loud music in the car while driving was mentioned as a key factor influencing both driver and passenger behaviour. This was raised in three of the six groups - by 16 to 19 year old women in Glasgow, and by both groups of 20 to 25 year olds men. Participants said that music could influence the mood of the driver, particularly through fast songs encouraging them to drive faster. Again, showing off was mentioned as leading to more dangerous driving behaviour.

"Music - that's the biggest one. People see music as a reflection of themselves, so they show off." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

Other drivers

4.22 All of the groups discussed the negative influence that other drivers on the roads can have on behaviour. This was mainly mentioned by drivers, who commented on the influence of other road users, such as cars, buses and taxis. Several participants mentioned that they had been guilty of road rage.

"Other people like buses and taxis who just cut in, in front of you." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, male, urban)

Weather

4.23 All three groups of 20 to 25 year olds mentioned how the weather could influence driving behaviour. The Borders groups rated it as important, but for the older male participants in Glasgow, this was the biggest influence on behaviour.

"Weather - it's the first thing that you notice when you come out of the house." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

4.24 Linked to the weather was the condition and type of road you were driving on. Road condition was mentioned spontaneously by both the younger male groups as an influencing factor, but weather was not mentioned by any of the 16 to 19 year olds.

Parents

4.25 Very few participants mentioned the influence of parents. If parents were not mentioned spontaneously by the participants, we probed their influence on participants' driving and passenger behaviour. The drivers all agreed that when a parent was travelling in the car, their behaviour changed. But none of the participants thought about their parents if they were not present in the car. The 16 to 19 year old male participants in Glasgow rated parents as the most influencing factor on behaviour. Parents were seen as having an impact on music, which itself was rated as a factor which significantly affects driver and passenger behaviour (as discussed above).

"You're less likely to have music on and you'd drive more carefully." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old male, urban)

"They're just going to moan in your face......I don't think about them if they're not in the car." (Driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

4.26 It was clear from earlier discussions that the presence of relatives in the car does make a difference to how young people behave, particularly as drivers. Many participants mentioned that if siblings (particularly younger siblings), parents or grandparents were in the car they would drive particularly carefully. This was because participants felt a sense of responsibility for them.

Improving Driver Behaviour Through Peer Pressure

4.27 Friends and peers clearly have a significant impact on the driving behaviour of young people - as outlined above. A key aim of the study was to explore the extent to which young people could be encouraged to be more proactive in influencing the driving behaviour of their friends. To explore how young people say they currently intervene and influence the driving behaviour of others, we asked participants to work in pairs to discuss one or two imaginary scenarios (depending on time and group size). For each scenario we asked participants if they would intervene, how, why and what would encourage them to take action:

• if your friend was going to drive home drunk;
• if your boy/girlfriend wasn't wearing their seatbelt;
• if your boy/girlfriend was going too fast;
• if your friend was talking on their phone; or
• if your friend was driving while really tired.

4.28 Participants were given a few minutes to think about the scenario before reporting back to the group about what they would do in that situation. The five scenarios are discussed in turn below.

4.29 Of course, what people say they would do and what they would actually do, is not necessarily the same thing. Nevertheless, the findings that follow provide a useful indicator of attitudes, including of what people think they should do in such situations.

If your friend was going to drive home drunk

4.30 The consensus was that participants would try to stop a friend driving home after they had been drinking. Participants gave practical suggestions such as giving money for a taxi, taking the keys or driving the friend home. In some groups, discussions arose about how drunk the friend was. The young men in particular said that it would depend on how much the friend had had to drink.

"Depends on how drunk they were. If they were paralytic I'd say something, but if it was like 3 pints I wouldn't bother. I might get them a coffee or something." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

"Convince them not to do it.....but it depends on how drunk they are....if they've only had a few pints...but I'd try not to let them do it. Maybe call them a taxi." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

4.31 Similarly, some of the younger women in Glasgow indicated that it would depend on how well you knew the person. For example, if you had known the friend for a long time this was more likely to result in intervention; whereas a new relationship may be jeopardised by interfering.

4.32 In the Borders, the older male participants indicated that they had all had experience of taking keys from friends to stop them driving. These men all said they would try to stop someone driving while drunk because of the guilt they would feel if an accident happened.

"If they do drive, you feel it's not on your head because you tried to stop them." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old male, rural)

4.33 This links strongly with earlier discussions around feelings of trust and fear of involving friends in an accident (see Chapter 3, paragraph 3.41).

If your boyfriend/girlfriend wasn't wearing their seatbelt

4.34 We explored whether participants would say anything if their boyfriend or girlfriend was not wearing their seatbelt. All of the participants indicated that they would try to encourage people to wear their seatbelt. Drivers in the Glasgow group of 20 to 25 year old men were particularly concerned about incurring a fine if they were caught with someone in the car not wearing a seatbelt.

"I'd make them wear it - it would be me in trouble and I'd get fined." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

4.35 Interestingly, few participants had raised the issue of getting caught earlier in the discussion groups. In the Borders, the drivers were more concerned about safety and causing an accident than incurring a fine. The younger group of men discussed the sense of guilt they would have if they had an accident and a passenger was not wearing their seatbelt. The 20 to 25 year old men stated that they would be more likely to say something to a girlfriend, than a friend. This was also because of a feeling of guilt and responsibility for the passenger.

4.36 Some participants did make the distinction between whether you were the driver or the passenger. The women's group in the Borders indicated that if they were the driver, this gave them more authority to ask the passenger to wear a seatbelt, but if the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, these women felt there was little they could do.

If your boyfriend or girlfriend was going too fast

4.37 All of the groups involved a debate about whether participants would ever say anything to a driver who was speeding. We asked participants whether, as a passenger, they would ask a friend to slow down. Almost everyone said that they would say something to their friend if they were driving too fast. Drivers, young men and those in the rural focus groups were most likely to do so.

"I would say something if it was extreme." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, female, rural)

4.38 We followed up on this by asking what participants would do as a passenger if their boy or girlfriend was driving too fast. When discussing this, participants often said that their reaction 'would depend' on the situation - for example, how long they had known the person or how fast they were actually going. The inference was that if this was a new relationship participants would be less inclined to say something to the driver. This links with the participants' views on speaking up about drink driving (as outlined above).

"It depends how long I've known them." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

"It would depend on how fast they were going." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old female, rural)

4.39 Others would be influenced by location. For example, some of the women in Glasgow indicated that if it was a quiet, empty road they would not say anything about the speed of the car. However, if they were in a built-up area, particularly near a school, then they would ask the driver to slow down. This links with earlier discussions where many participants stated that they believed quieter roads and motorways to be less dangerous (see Chapter 3, paragraph 3.66).

4.40 One male driver in the younger group in the Borders indicated that he would say to a friend to slow down, but not to a girlfriend. This was to do with image and not wanting to look foolish.

"It's about impressing the lassies. I wouldn't want to look like a wimp in front of a girlfriend." (Driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

4.41 The women in the Borders did not make the same distinctions between friends and boy/girlfriends. They said they would be inclined to say something if they felt uncomfortable or scared in the car.

"I would say something if it was making me feel uncomfortable." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old female, rural)

4.42 A number of participants said that while they might try to intervene, they were not sure that it would make any difference.

"This young guy was driving a stolen car, I was in the back. We were going along a long straight road really fast, and we were all shouting at him to slow down. We thought about jumping out but what happened was I ended up just reaching through and pulling up the handbrake." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

If your friend was talking on the phone

4.43 We asked participants if they would say something to a friend who was on the phone while driving. Most felt that they would say something - but around a third said they would not. Talking on the phone was seen as acceptable in some cases - if the call was very short, if it was on a hands free system or if you were stopped at a red light.

4.44 Participants then discussed what they would do if the driver was talking on their phone. Again, participants offered very practical suggestions. In both groups with young women, participants suggested that they would offer to take the call on behalf of the driver. They said that this would depend on the length of the conversation and how well they knew the driver. Participants were more likely to do so if they knew the driver well. But none of the young men mentioned this. They were more likely to encourage drivers to be careful, or say nothing about it.

"I don't know. I would feel rude telling them to get off the phone, but I would say something if it's a long phone-call." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old female, rural)

4.45 Most of the participants (both male and female) said that they would not grab the phone, stating that this was more likely to cause an accident than just letting the driver speak.

"I'd advise them not to do it, but you can't physically take the phone off them. I'd say 'watch yourself' but it's their choice." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

4.46 Some participants suggested they would tell the driver to hang up the phone. But some of the 20 to 25 year old men believed that talking on the phone was the same as having a passenger in the car. The older male participants in the Borders would only intervene if the driver was sending a text message.

"It's no more (a distraction) than if you have a passenger in the car." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

4.47 There was a general agreement that texting was unacceptable. Many participants said that if their friends did this they would take the phone away from them.

If your friend was driving while really tired

4.48 Participants were asked what they would do if their friend was driving while really tired. All of the groups offered practical suggestions about keeping the driver talking, getting them coffee or offering to drive themselves (if this was an option). Participants were less likely to do anything if they were close to home.

"If it was a short journey I'd tell them to get on with it, but if it was long, I'd tell them to take a break." (Non-driver, 16 to 19 year old male, rural)

4.49 Again, participants placed a lot of trust in their friends. Most would feel confident asking their friend if they were fine to drive, and trusting their answer.

"I'd ask them if they were ok to drive and if they said yes, I'd go with it." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

4.50 The female participants were more likely to state that they would say something if they felt uncomfortable in the car.

"I would say something if I was feeling uncomfortable as the driver is putting both your lives at risk." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old female, rural)

Effectiveness of Peer Influence in Improving Driver Behaviour

4.51 The focus groups did not specifically explore participant views on the impact of any attempts to influence their friends' behaviour as drivers. But participants did raise a number of interesting issues about the likely effect of their interventions. A number of participants mentioned that simply saying something about dangerous behaviour was unlikely to have an impact. This was particularly evident in any attempts to influence speeding - where participants felt that speaking out was their only option.

"It's not easy but I would still say to her to slow down, but I doubt she would listen." (Non-driver, 20 to 25 year old male, urban)

"I would definitely listen if they were right. If I was only doing 50 or 60 I wouldn't listen - I would probably wait for a second warning." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old, female, rural)

4.52 Participants also mentioned that it was much easier for drivers to influence passenger behaviour, than vice versa.

"I would always say to them [to wear a seatbelt]. If they're driving you can't really force them to do it - it's not your car, but you can say to them to do it." (Driver, 20 to 25 year old female, rural)

"I wouldn't drive if they haven't got their seatbelt on. I'd just pull over and put the handbrake on." (Driver, 16 to 19 year old, male, urban)

4.53 This links strongly with discussions at the start of the groups, exploring what made a good passenger. Most participants felt that passengers should only occasionally provide help, and a minority mentioned that a good passenger should tell the driver if they were driving badly. There were very varied views on how much help a passenger should provide. This is explored in more detail in Chapter 3 (paragraph 3.11).

Common Themes in Peer Influence

4.54 There were a number of clear themes emerging from the discussions about when and how young people would attempt to influence driver behaviour.

• Type of relationship - Some of the scenarios specifically asked what participants would do if it was a boyfriend or girlfriend in the car, as opposed to a friend. We wanted to explore whether there were any differences in the types of relationships we presented. One male in the Borders indicated that he would speak up to a friend, but not to a girlfriend for fear of looking foolish. Other participants felt that regardless of the relationship, if they felt uncomfortable in the car (whether through speeding, or the driver talking on the phone) they would speak up. On balance, most participants felt that they would speak up whether a friend or partner. Participants also felt that drivers have far more control over how passengers behave, and that as a passenger it was difficult to influence the behaviour of drivers or other passengers.
• Trust and friendship - Participants also mentioned the length of the relationship. All agreed that if you had known the friend for a long time, you were more likely to either, trust them to drive safely (and therefore there would be no need to have to say anything) or to be able to say something and have the friendship remain intact. It was believed that new friendships could be jeopardised by saying something.
• Perception of danger - Some of the situations were seen as more serious than others. For example talking on the phone and driving when tired were not seen as being as serious as driving home drunk. Participants were more likely to intervene in what they saw as the more serious or dangerous situations. They talked about danger both for drivers, passengers and other road users - including other drivers and pedestrians.
  Each person had their own limits about the extent of dangerous driving behaviour they would tolerate. For example, some male participants said they would only intervene if the friend was going to drive after drinking more than three pints of beer. Most participants said they would only say something to a friend talking on the phone if the call was particularly long, or the driver was attempting to send a text. The personal limits were different for each individual, and dangerous driving behaviour was often tolerated.

• Ability to offer a practical solution - In most cases, the participants mentioned very practical solutions to addressing dangerous behaviour. For example, if someone was talking on the phone participants suggested taking the call on their behalf. If someone was going to drive after drinking alcohol, participants suggested confiscating their keys. And if someone was driving when tired participants suggested talking to keep them awake, or offering a place to rest. Intervention appeared most difficult when addressing speeding, where the passenger had no practical solutions. In this case the only intervention suggested by the participants was to say something to the driver.
• Guilt and responsibility - A number of participants mentioned that if you at least attempted to influence driver behaviour (even if it was not successful) then you were no longer responsible for the consequences. The main reason participants would intervene was because they would feel a sense of guilt if someone was in an accident, or hurt someone else. But participants did also mention the risk of getting caught as a factor- particularly in relation to seatbelt wearing.

Summary - Influences on Behaviour

• Participants were asked to explore how alcohol and drugs impact on driving behaviour. There was general agreement that alcohol made you "pumped up, cocky and over confident".
• Participants thought that in general alcohol affected young people more than older people, but that this varied depending on the individual. Views on how drugs affected driving behaviour were more varied.
• Views on other influences on behaviour were very varied. Among the factors mentioned were friends, music, past experiences, driving conditions, other drivers, emotions, parents and education.
• Early in the focus groups, many participants said that they wouldn't drive dangerously for fear of injuring friends or relatives. But here, participants often said that having friends in the car resulted in showing off - which they knew was dangerous behaviour. There is a clear contradiction here.
• Music had a big influence on mood, and was closely linked to showing off and dangerous driving behaviour. Parents generally only had an influence over participants when physically in the car.
• Participants were asked to discuss if and how they would intervene in imaginary scenarios where their friend was driving dangerously. Each individual had their own limits of acceptable driving behaviour, beyond which they would intervene.
• Participants were most likely to intervene if the driver was a close friend and if they could offer a practical solution - like taking a call for the driver, getting a taxi, offering to take over driving, or finding a place to stay for the night.
• Speeding was an issue which participants found difficult to address, as their only option was to say something to the driver.
• Participants suggested that their attempts to influence driver behaviour did not always have an impact, particularly if there was no practical solution to offer.
• Participants also mentioned that it was much easier for drivers to influence passenger behaviour, than vice versa.

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