Driver psychology — why do we drive the way we drive?

Why do we drive recklessly?

Each year around 2,000 people die on Polish roads. Statistics show that 94% of road accidents have human causes — drivers' errors, violations or inattention. But why do we know the rules so well and still break them?

The answer lies in psychology.

Three types of driving behaviour (DBQ)

In 1990, James Reason and his team (yes, the same Reason behind the "Swiss cheese" model in safety management) developed the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) — a questionnaire that is still the standard in traffic psychology research today.

The DBQ identifies three categories of behaviour:

1. Errors

Unintended, unintentional mistakes resulting from:

• Misjudging the situation (e.g. a wrong estimate of speed)
• Perceptual limits (e.g. not noticing a pedestrian)
• Attention overload

Examples: pulling out in front of an oncoming vehicle, braking too hard on a slippery surface.

Errors are a sign of problems with skills or conditions, not of bad intent.

2. Violations

Deliberately breaking the rules or the norms of safe driving:

• Ordinary violations: speeding, overtaking where it is prohibited
• Aggressive violations: tailgating, forcing your way through
• Serious violations: drink-driving, using the phone while driving

Violations are decisions. They stem from:

• Overconfidence ("it won't happen to me")
• Optimism bias ("I'm a better driver than others")
• Time pressure
• Social norms ("everyone drives like this")

3. Lapses

Gaps in attention and memory:

• Forgetting to check the mirrors
• "Driving on autopilot" — no memory of the stretch you just drove
• Taking the wrong roundabout exit or lane
• Dozing off at the wheel

Lapses are typical of tired or distracted people, and of routine drivers on familiar routes.

Why do we think we drive better than others?

Classic studies from the 1980s showed that 80–90% of drivers rate themselves as above average — which is statistically impossible. This effect, called illusory superiority (the better-than-average effect), means that:

• We underestimate the risk of our own driving
• We don't see our own violations as "real" law-breaking
• We believe other people are the problem on the roads

Do defensive driving techniques help?

Research confirms that defensive driving training reduces the number of accidents by 20–40%, but only if it:

• Covers not just skills but also changing attitudes
• Is combined with feedback (e.g. telematics monitoring)
• Is repeated regularly (not a one-off course)

Profile of a risky driver

The DBQ and studies of tens of thousands of drivers show that risky driving is more common among:

• Men under 30
• People high in sensation-seeking
• People with narcissistic and impulsive tendencies
• Drivers at work (under time pressure)

Measure your driving style

Our Driver Behaviour Test (DBQ), based on Reason's classic Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, measures your profile of errors, violations and lapses. 20 questions, instant results. Free. Anonymous.

Knowing your own tendencies is the first step towards safer driving.