Orange light versus yellow light: validation of the behaviour of young novice drivers scale (Bynds) in a new zealand young driver population

The Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (the BYNDS, Scott-Parker et al., 2010) is a reliable and valid self-report 44-item instrument which explores the frequency of a breadth of risky driving behaviours which appear to place young and novice drivers at increased risk of road crash injury. As part of a larger collaborative research project, the Australian-developed BYNDS was piloted in a sample of 20 young New Zealand drivers (n = 14 aged 16-18 years, 9 males; n = 6 aged 19-24 years, 2 males). The wording of 21 BYNDS items was modified to reflect the cultural context of the participating New Zealand drivers. The refined BYNDS was applied in a sample of 325 young drivers (n = 116 aged 16-18 years, 65 males; n = 209 aged 19-24 years, 98 males), and the factor structure examined, including exploratory factor analysis for each gender. The 5-factor structure of the BYNDS was supported, with young drivers reporting considerable engagement in risky driving exposure, moderate engagement in transient violations and mood-related driving, and less fixed violations and driving misjudgements. Risky driving exposure was predictive of self-reported crash involvement for both males and females, suggesting targeted intervention regarding when, and the circumstances under which, the young driver is on the road.