Práticas parentais, impulsividade e comportamento de jovens condutores

Abstract

The driver behavior can be determinant in traffic. In Brazil, the number of deaths among young people in traffic accidents is incredibly high and the main reason is reckless driving. In this study, the relationship between parenting styles, impulsiveness and steering behaviour among young adults was explored in a cohort of 308 young adults aged between 18 and 29 years, using the Parenting Style Inventory (PSI-I), the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Positive maternal style showed a negative correlation with traffic risk behaviour (p < 0,01), whilst impulsiveness and traffic risk behaviour presented a positive correlation (p < 0,01), in such manner that the low inhibitory control is linked with negative parenting practices and significantly associated (p = 0,04) with errors, lapses and traffic violations. This shows that the reckless driving behaviour leading to fatal accidents can be explained by the adoption of negative parenting practices, which promotes impulsiveness. These results imply that negative parenting practices promote the development of impulsivity and explain the reckless driving. Therefore, it’s suggested that parenting programs and control of impulsiveness for young drivers could be applied aiming to reduce the incidence of traffic accidents.