Measurement of readiness to reduce driving speed: a pilot study

Speeding is a preventable risky behavior that contributes to risk of accident. Readiness to change reflects an individual's recognition of and desire to change behavior. No measure to identify readiness to change has yet been validated for speeding. The Readiness to Change Questionnaire appraises readiness to change drinking behavior. The questionnaire was adapted to speeding and its psychometric properties examined. Participants (N = 112) completed the questionnaire and reported their usual driving speed. A clear component structure and acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability were found. Convergent validity was indicated by an association between higher readiness to change and lower driving speed. Results support the questionnaire's potential as a measure of readiness to change speeding, and advance research into the role of motivation in speeding behavior.