Car accidents and risky driving behaviors among young drivers from the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

In 2019, road traffic injuries were the second leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia, affecting people of all ages. While multiple factors contribute to crashes, studies highlight the role of risky driving in increasing the chances of car crashes occurring. This study examined the one-year frequency of car crashes and risky driving behaviors among young drivers of both sexes in the Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, as well as the possible related factors and predictors that contribute toward high car crash rates. A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022 at AlAsala Colleges among young drivers aged 18 years and above. A total of 424 students were selected using stratified random sampling and answered an anonymous, self-administered, structured web-based questionnaire and the Arabic version of the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Car crashes were reported by 26.4% of young male and 19.3% of young female drivers. Male drivers were more aggressive and exhibited more speeding-related behaviors than female drivers, regardless of slight sex differences in unsafe driving behavior. Driving experience, along with other driving characteristics and DBQ items, was found to be significantly associated with road crashes. Furthermore, the type of car, traffic violations, using a phone while driving via headphones, and a distraction-related factor, were all predictive of crash involvement. Young Saudi male drivers were slightly more likely to have car crashes and engage in risky driving practices than young female drivers. Various factors that are related with and predict crashes should be addressed by a collaborative multi-layered strategic plan, with interventions at several levels.