High-risk Driving and Its Associated Observable Driving Behaviors, Police Records, and Car Condition: A Case-control Study

The incidence of traffic accidents in Iran is significantly higher than the global average (more than 17000 deaths a year, mostly young adults). The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of high-risk drivers based on their observable driving behaviors, police records, and car condition in Fars province (Iran). In this case-control study, an interviewer interviewed a random sample (about 1 in 5 of the drivers) of all drivers who were referred to Shiraz traffic accident court from March 21, 2021, to June 21, 2021, due to being involved in a traffic accident. Based on the police report, we interviewed at-fault drivers who caused injurious or fatal traffic accidents as the case group (200 at-fault drivers) and those not-at-fault drivers as the control group (200 not-at-fault drivers). No matching was done. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire filled out through face-to-face interviews with the drivers. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, the statistical analyses were conducted in R 4.0.2 software. In this study, a total of 400 drivers were interviewed, of whom 367 (91.8%) were male. The mean ages of the case and control groups were 32.35 years (SD=9.84) and 31.75 (SD=10.33) years, respectively (P>0.05). In addition, 102 (51.0%) and 95 (47.5%) drivers were married in the case and control groups, respectively. Based on the results of a multiple logistic regression model, statistically significant associations were observed between the risk of being the at-fault driver in an injurious or fatal traffic accident and receiving a traffic ticket due to speedingovertaking (ORspeeding overtaking/no ticket=3.38, 95%CI: 1.75, 6.49, P<0.001), self-reported high-speed driving (ORyes/no=2.41, 95%CI: 1.25, 4.63, P=0.008), and having a history of car accident within the recent two years (ORyes/no=1.87, 95%CI: 1.11, 3.14, P=0.017). Our study suggested that among several potential factors, recently receiving traffic tickets due to speeding or overtaking, self-reported speed driving, and recent car accidents may effectively be used to screen out high-risk drivers who will probably cause injurious or fatal car accidents in the future. Intervention measures for the defined high-risk drivers including closer supervision and training programs may reduce the risk of fatal accidents in Iran.