Study Results from McGill University Update Understanding of Risk Management (Canadian drivers’ attitudes regarding preventative responses to driving…

Insurance Weekly News

Study Results from McGill University Update Understanding of Risk Management (Canadian drivers' attitudes regarding preventative responses to driving while impaired by alcohol)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Fresh data on Risk Management are presented in a new report. According to news reporting out of Montreal, Canada, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, "In many jurisdictions, a risk assessment following a first driving while impaired (DWI) offence is used to guide administrative decision making regarding driver relicensing. Decision error in this process has important consequences for public security on one hand, and the social and economic well being of drivers on the other."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from McGill University, "Decision theory posits that consideration of the costs and benefits of decision error is needed, and in the public health context, this should include community attitudes. The objective of the present study was to clarify whether Canadians prefer decision error that: i) better protects the public (i.e., false positives); or ii) better protects the offender (i.e., false negatives). A random sample of male and female adult drivers (N = 1213) from the five most populated regions of Canada was surveyed on drivers' preference for a protection of the public approach versus a protection of DWI drivers approach in resolving assessment decision error, and the relative value (i.e., value ratio) they imparted to both approaches. The role of region, sex and age on drivers' value ratio were also appraised. Seventy percent of Canadian drivers preferred a protection of the public from DWI approach, with the overall relative ratio given to this preference, compared to the alternative protection of the driver approach, being 3:1. Females expressed a significantly higher value ratio (M = 3.4, SD = 3.5) than males (M = 3.0, SD = 3.4), p< 0.05. Regression analysis showed that both days of alcohol use in the past 30 days (CI for B: -0.07, -0.02) and frequency of driving over legal BAC limits in the past year (CI for B = -0.19, -0.01) were significantly but modestly related to lower value ratios, R-2(adj.) = 0.014, p< 0.001. Regional differences were also detected. Canadian drivers strongly favour a protection of the public approach to dealing with uncertainty in assessment, even at the risk of false positives."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Accounting for community attitudes concerning DWI prevention and the individual differences that influence them could contribute to more informed, coherent and effective regional policies and prevention program development."

For more information on this research see: Canadian drivers' attitudes regarding preventative responses to driving while impaired by alcohol. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2017;106():160-165. Accident Analysis and Prevention can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Accident Analysis and Prevention - www.journals.elsevier.com/accident-analysis-and-prevention/)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting T.G. Brown, McGill University, Dept. of Psychiat, Montreal, PQ, Canada. Additional authors for this research include L. Nadeau, A. McKiernan, M.M. Hing, M.C. Ouimet and W. Vanlaar.

Keywords for this news article include: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, North and Central America, Risk Management, McGill University.