The influence of past experiences, psychological dysfunction, and problematic mentalities: An investigation into the comprehensive nature of drink-driving deterrence

Introduction: Despite ongoing efforts to deter drink-driving, it remains a significant contributor to fatal vehicle crashes. This study aimed to investigate the influence of at-risk psychological traits, alcohol-related experiences, and problematic mentalities towards the deterrence of drink-driving. Method: An online survey was shared with a sample of Australians who use alcohol (N = 597), and the responses were analyzed using cluster, comparative, and correlational-based analyses. Two K means cluster analyses were independently conducted, and each exhibited three unique clusters, according to the degree of psychological and experiential risk for future drink driving. Results: Chi-square tests showed that the high-risk psychological group was approximately 10 times more likely to also categorize in the high-risk experiential group. Comparative analyses demonstrated that participants’ mentality towards alcohol and drink-driving significantly differed across the cluster groups, relative to the degree of psychological and experiential risk. Split-file correlations also indicated that the relationship between risk perceptions and perceived drink-driving likelihood was dependent on which cluster group was being examined. Finally, bivariate correlations and structural equation modeling confirmed potential hierarchical relationships between prior experiences with alcohol, psychological traits, alcohol and drink-driving mentalities, and perceived drink-driving likelihood, in descending order. Conclusions: Overall, this study demonstrated that at-risk experiential and psychological factors may determine the level of influence that risk perceptions (and thus deterrence initiatives) have towards offending behavior. The findings also suggested that deterrence of drink driving is multi-faceted and may require additional interventional approaches outside of traditional enforcement initiatives. Practical Applications: Relevant authorities may therefore benefit from more collaborative and comprehensive approaches to reduce the prevalence of drink-driving behavior.