The perceptions of young rural drivers in NSW, Australia of speeding and associated risk: a mixed methods study

The study, using mixed methodology, examined perceptions of risk associated with speeding in young rural people. Focus groups discussions (age range 16-24) in which speeding was identified as often being an involuntary driving behaviour, informed the development of a survey instrument. The survey was conducted with two groups of young people, one rural (n=217) and another semi-rural (n=235). The results from both the focus groups and surveys indicate that young rural drivers had specific attitudes to speeding, when compared with other risk factors for crashing. Speeding behaviour was viewed as both acceptable and inevitable. Males and those from a rural area viewed speeding, and reducing trip time when compared to that of a peer, to be less risky than did females and those who lived in a semi-rural area. Speeding was considered to be less risky than drink driving. These perceptions of speeding may contribute to the crash rates on rural roads involving young, local drivers and need to be considered in interventions or educational programmes which aim to reduce the rural road crash rate.