Transcript DrivingandEvolutiona..

Evolutionary Psychology, Demography and
Vehicle Crashes: A Theoretical Synthesis
David L. Wiesenthal & Deanna Singhal
Source: Wiesenthal, D. L. & Singhal, D. M. (In press). Evolutionary psychology, demography and
driver safety research: A theoretical synthesis. In S. Craig Roberts (Ed.), Applied evolutionary
psychology. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Some National Road Safety Initiatives
• Canada
• Finland
• Holland
• Great Britain
• Switzerland
These nations have reported
a decrease in collisions and
an improvement in driver
safety
Fatal Collisions in Canada
Fatalities
3800
3700
3600
3500
3400
3300
3200
3100
3000
2900
2800
2700
2600
19
85
19
86
19
87
19
88
19
89
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90
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91
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7
19
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20
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20
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2500
2400
2300
Ye ar
Data plotted from “Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2004. Source: Transport
Canada
Interpreting Driving Safety Statistics
• Governments attribute safety improvement to their
initiatives and/or technical improvements in vehicle
and highway design, road maintenance, driver
training, graduated licencing, and enforcement
strategies.
• These statistics need to be interpreted in relation to
the demographic situation of the specific population
in question.
• How can we explain drunk driving, risky driving,
driver aggression and roadway violence?
Evolutionary Psychology Principles
• Males, more than females, vie for status,
economic resources and engage in physical
conflict when status and resources are
involved. The greatest potential gain from risk
occurs during the stage when mate
competition begins.
• Environmental stability/instability and social
learning plays a role, so it is not a case of
simple biological determinism.
Evolutionary Psychology Principles
• Males, more than females, vie for status,
economic resources and engage in physical
conflict when status and resources are
involved The greatest potential gain from risk
occurs during the stage when mate
competition begins.
• Environmental stability/instability and social
learning plays a role, so it is not a case of
simple biological determinism.
Evolutionary Psychology (continued)
• Evolutionary psychology would predict that violent
behaviours, driver aggression, and alcohol
consumption would be the greatest for young males.
• The proportion of young males in a population will
influence the prevalence of violent crime, risk-taking
and driving while intoxicated.
• As the proportion of young males in a population
increase, the level of aggression and risk taking will
increase.
• As the proportion of young males in a population
decrease, the level of aggression and risk taking will
decrease.
Males engage in a variety of
risky behaviours:
gambling
drug use
extreme sports
crime
alcohol consumption
(from Wilson & Daly, 1985)
Mesquida’s Analysis of Coalitional
Aggression
• Young males compete with each other and form intense
hierarchies involved with mate selection
• Countries with a preponderance of young males may be at risk
for coalitional aggression
• Economic conditions (scarcity) may intensify competition to
secure resources necessary for obtaining wives
• The combination of scarcity and large numbers of young males
increases the probability for coalitional aggression (e.g., gangs,
civil wars,etc.)
The World Cup: Competitive activities
traditionally male oriented
These advertisements in advance of the World Cup of
soccer highlight the fusion of sexuality and competition
directed to a male audience.
Social learning plays a role
•
•
Media representations of areas for male
competition in a specific culture
– Advertisements
– Cinema
Imitation and modelling
Population of Canada and Proportion of
Males 15-29 yrs.
34000
Population
0.145
Males Age 15-29 yrs
32000
0.140
0.135
30000
0.125
26000
0.120
0.115
24000
0.110
22000
0.105
19
7
19 3
7
19 5
77
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7
19 9
81
19
83
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8
19 5
8
19 7
89
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9
19 1
9
19 3
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0
20 1
03
0.100
71
20000
Year
Proportion
Young Males
28000
19
Persons
(in 1000s)
0.130
Canadian Fatality Rates and Number of Motor Vehicles
2.4
18.8
18.6
2.2
18.2
18
17.8
2
17.6
17.4
17.2
1.8
17
16.8
16.6
1.6
Total Number of Motor Vehicles
(millions)
Fatality Rate per 10,000 Vehicles
18.4
16.4
16.2
1.4
16
Year
1990
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Year
Data source: North American Transportation Statistics//Note that a gap exists in x-axis
2003
Fatal Rate
Vehicle
Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic
Collision Statistics, 2003
• Males (16-34 yrs.)
represent 30.1% of
male drivers and
16% of all Canadian
drivers
• Males (15-34 yrs.)
represent 39.5% of
traffic fatalities and
43.6% of injuries
Source: Transport Canada
3800
Fatal Collisions/Personal Injuries in Canada
1985-2004
193000
3700
188000
3600
3500
3400
178000
Fatalities
3300
3200
173000
3100
168000
3000
2900
163000
2800
158000
2700
2600
153000
2500
2400
148000
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2002
Year
Personal Injuries
183000
Fatal Collisions
Personal Injury
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20
03
Number of fatalities
Driver Fatalities by Gender: Canada 1987-2003
2500
Male
2000
Female
1500
1000
500
0
Year
Driver Fatalities (16-29 Year-olds) by Gender:
Canada 1987-2003
1200
1000
Female
800
600
400
200
0
19
87
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88
19
89
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90
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Number of fatalities
Male
Year
Alcohol-involved (BAC>0) Driver Fatalities
(16-29 Year-olds) by Gender: Canada 1987-2003
600
500
Female
400
300
200
100
0
19
87
19
88
19
89
19
90
19
91
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92
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99
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Number of fatalities
Male
Year
Conclusions
• Demographic variables need
to be examined before safety
claims are attributed to
policy implementations,
engineering advances or
highway improvements.
• Evolutionary psychology
offers a theoretical basis for
driver safety research and
needs to be introduced to
sharpen scholarly work in
the area.
The Vatican’s 10 Commandments for Drivers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Thou shalt not kill
The road shall be for you a means of
communion between people and not
of mortal harm
Courtesy, uprightness and prudence
will help you deal with unforeseen
events
Be charitable and help your
neighbour in need, especially victims
of accidents
Cars shall not be for you an
expression of power and domination,
and an occasion of sin
The Vatican’s 10 Commandments for
Drivers
6. Charitably convince the young
and not so young not to drive
when they are not in a fitting
condition to do so
7. Support the families of accident
victims
8. Bring guilty motorists and their
victims together, at the
appropriate time, so that they
can undergo the liberating
experience of forgiveness
9. On the road, protect the more
vulnerable party
10. Feel responsible for others
Acknowledgements
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Rob Finlayson
Walter Giesbrecht
Paul Gutoskie
Yueh-Chin Ma
Chris Mesquida