A survey of motor vehicle driving and attitudes towards some aspects of road safety among male students : with special reference to Maori youths.

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Education
Degree name
Master of Arts
Publisher
University of Canterbury. School of Educational Studies and Human Development
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
1976
Authors
Whittaker, Thomas Graham
Abstract

This report examines the attitudes of male secondary students towards road safety measures, to driving, to traffic enforcement and personnel as well as the general involvement of male students in the driving of motor vehicles, motor vehicle ownership, accidents and self-reports of actual behaviour on the roads as pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. A random sample of 1,184 male secondary school students at all grade and ability levels was drawn from secondary schools in North Island areas of New Zealand which have a high population of Maoris and Polynesians. Questionnaires for licensed drivers, unlicensed drivers, non-drivers and youths under-fifteen years were administered to all male youths and a Semantic Differential Attitude Scale was administered to male students of or over fifteen years only. The results were analyzed by the ethnic groups Maori, Pakeha and Polynesian and also, where applicable, by driver groups including the under-fifteens where appropriate. A factor analysis of the Semantic Differential Attitude Scale scores were carried out for drivers. In respect to attitudes the results suggest that regardless of ethnic affiliation or driver group, youths in general are essentially conventional and conformist. And regardless of ethnic affiliation, students are very much involved with the driving of motor cars both before and after the minimum licensing age and that the motor cycle is not as popular, either owned or driven, as one might expect. However, whilst ethnic groups appear more alike than different in most respects, considerable differences exist between licensed and unlicensed drivers on measures of exposure and between drivers and cyclists in their compliance with intersection laws. In respect to accidents, though the results are tentative for reasons discussed, it seems that unlicensed drivers may contribute to young driver accident statistics.

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Citation
Keywords
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
Copyright Thomas Graham Whittaker