Methodology

Running head: REVIEW: CAUSES OF YOUTH DRIVING ACCIDENTS 1

REVIEW: CAUSES OF YOUTH DRIVING ACCIDENTS 3

Literature Review: Causes of Youth Driving Accidents in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Name

Instructor

Class

November 29, 2016

Literature Review: Causes of Youth Driving Accidents in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)

Road traffic accident (RTA) is the leading cause of death for young adult males, aged 16 to 36 (Joffe-Walt, 2010). The paper reviews literature regarding the main causes of youth driving accidents in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) using three studies, where risk factors included age, gender, formal driving knowledge, driving attitude, lack of other entertainment, poor parental control, car races, and habitual driving practices.

Comparison and Contrast on the Causes of Driving Accidents for Young KSA Drivers

Several studies showed that being male and young are two risk factors for RTA. Barrimah, Midhet, and Sharaf (2012) investigated the extent and risk factors of road traffic injuries (RTI) in Qassim and learned that young males had high RTI and RTA incidence. Mansuri et al. (2015) and Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) confirmed that the male gender and young age were RTA risk factors.

Some researchers agreed that car races increased RTAs. Barrimah et al. (2012) and Mansuri et al. (2015) learned that those who were involved in RTIs engaged in car races. Expanding these findings, Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) determined the culture of risky driving among young KSA drivers.

Authors differed, nonetheless, on their treatment of the social factors of risky youth driving. Barrimah et al. (2012) focused on customary weekend driving and income effects, while Mansuri et al. (2015) blamed poor formal driving training, lack of other youth-based entertainment, and weak parental control. Though censuring the culture of risky driving, Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) blamed the youth for lack of respect for traffic laws and their audacious attitude.

Criticism on Methodology

For Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) and Barrimah et al. (2012), survey data posed recall issues and inability to draw causal relationships. Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) relied on participant honesty and memory to acquire reliable data, which is the same flaw for the survey part of Barrimah et al. (2012). Furthermore, cross-sectional data prevented determining causal relationships.

Furthermore, Barrimah et al. (2012) and Mansuri et al. (2015) noted disorganized and incomplete data. They were both concerned of under-reporting and poor data organization, which meant lower data adequacy. Under-representation further prevented meta-analysis that will estimate size effects.

How the Proposed Study Relates to Previous Studies

The proposed study relates to previous studies by showing a gap in understanding the main individual and social factors of driving accidents for KSA youth. Though Barrimah et al. (2012) and Mansuri et al. (2015) explored RTA risk factors, they did not focus on teenage drivers. Moreover, Ramisetty-Miklera and Almakadmab (2016) did not study if risky driving attitudes predicted driving accidents.

Conclusion

These studies showed a gap in literature that determines both individual and social factors of driving accidents for KSA youth. Past research similarly used mostly quantitative research that did not further examine how risky attitudes affected driving practices. The review highlights the significance of the paper in identifying the individual and social motivators of risky driving behaviours, which can lead to proper solutions that can help reduce youth driving accidents.

References

Barrimah, I., Midhet, F., & Sharaf, F. (2012). Epidemiology of road traffic injuries in Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: Consistency of police and health data. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6, 31–41.

Mansuri, F.A., Al-Zalabani, A.H., Zalat, M.M., & Qabshawi, R.I. (2015). Road safety and road traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia: A systematic review of existing evidence. Saudi Medical Journal, 36(4), 418–424. doi: 10.15537/smj.2015.4.10003. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4404474/

Ramisetty-Miklera, S., & Almakadmab, A. (2016). Attitudes and behaviors towards risky driving among adolescents in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 3(2), 55–63.