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

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Fa

tali

tie

s

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:

gamblingdrug useextreme sportscrimealcohol 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.

Canadian Fatality Rates and Number of Motor Vehicles

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

2.2

2.4

Year 1990 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Year

Fat

alit

y R

ate

per

10,

000

Veh

icle

s

16

16.2

16.4

16.6

16.8

17

17.2

17.4

17.6

17.8

18

18.2

18.4

18.6

18.8

To

tal

Nu

mb

er o

f M

oto

r V

ehic

les

(mil

lio

ns)

Fatal Rate

Vehicle

Data source: North American Transportation Statistics//Note that a gap exists in x-axis

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

Fatal Collisions/Personal Injuries in Canada 1985-2004

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3400

3500

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3800

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2002

Year

Fat

alit

ies

148000

153000

158000

163000

168000

173000

178000

183000

188000

193000

Per

son

al I

nju

ries

Fatal CollisionsPersonal Injury

Driver Fatalities by Gender: Canada 1987-2003

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ies

Male

Female

Driver Fatalities (16-29 Year-olds) by Gender: Canada 1987-2003

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Alcohol-involved (BAC>0) Driver Fatalities (16-29 Year-olds) by Gender: Canada 1987-2003

0

100

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Year

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f fa

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ies

Male

Female

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. Thou shalt not kill

2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm

3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events

4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents

5. 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

• Rob Finlayson• Walter Giesbrecht• Paul Gutoskie• Yueh-Chin Ma• Chris Mesquida