The authors suggest that unsafe driving behaviour by 4WD owners is a
form of risk compensation. An alternative theory (and one that is borne
out by many subjective observations) is that the psychological
characteristics of non-compliant individuals, that is, those who are less
likely to observe legal and social norms, are more likely to use 4WD
vehicles.
The converse also appears to be true: that owners of less powerful
and smaller vehicles are more likely to observe legal requirements and
behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Rapid Response:
Non-compliance in 4WD Vehicles
The authors suggest that unsafe driving behaviour by 4WD owners is a
form of risk compensation. An alternative theory (and one that is borne
out by many subjective observations) is that the psychological
characteristics of non-compliant individuals, that is, those who are less
likely to observe legal and social norms, are more likely to use 4WD
vehicles.
The converse also appears to be true: that owners of less powerful
and smaller vehicles are more likely to observe legal requirements and
behave in a socially acceptable manner.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests