Understanding the factors influencing safe and unsafe motorcycle rider intentions.

The increasing popularity of motorcycles in Australia is a significant concern as motorcycle riders represent 15% of all road fatalities and an even greater proportion of serious injuries. This study assessed the psychosocial factors influencing motorcycle riders' intentions to perform both safe and risky riding behaviours. Using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB), motorcycle riders (n=229) from Queensland, Australia were surveyed to assess their riding attitudes, subjective norm (general and specific), perceived behavioural control (PBC), group norm, self-identity, sensation seeking, and aggression, as well as their intentions, in relation to three safe (e.g., handle my motorcycle skilfully) and three risky (e.g., bend road rules to get through traffic) riding behaviours. Although there was variability in the predictors of intention across the behaviours, results revealed that safer rider intentions were most consistently predicted by PBC, while riskier intentions were predicted by attitudes and sensation seeking. The TPB was able to explain a greater proportion of the variance for intentions to perform risky behaviours. Overall, this study has provided insight into the complexity of factors contributing to rider intentions and suggests that different practical strategies need to be adopted to facilitate safer and reduce risky rider decisions.

Self-reported motivations to change and self-efficacy levels for a group of recidivist drink drivers.

The present study reports on a group of 132 recidivist offenders' stages of change and self-efficacy levels for changing and controlling both their drinking and drink driving behaviours. The majority of the sample reported being motivated to change their drink driving, but not their drinking behaviours. The sample also indicated high self-efficacy levels for the two behaviours, although a notable finding was that participants reported higher levels of control over their drinking rather than drink driving behaviours. Examination of the self-reported frequency of drink driving revealed that both motivations and self-efficacy levels were predictors of past offences and future intentions to drink and drive. The findings have direct implications for the management of repeat offenders, such as the inclusion of rehabilitation and alcohol treatment programs in sentencing outcomes for individuals who appear resistant to change.