Navigating Risk: The contribution of family road safety climate and sense of community to driving styles of young Arab drivers in Israel

• Higher positive dimensions of FCRS are related to lower maladaptive driving styles. • Non-commitment to road safety is related to a higher anxious driving style and to lower patient and careful driving style. • Higher sense of community is related to lower maladaptive driving styles and to a higher patient and careful driving style. • The young driver’s level of religious observance is positively related to less maladaptive driving styles. • Taken together, the family affects young Arab drivers more than their sense of community. This study investigated the contribution of family climate for road safety (FCRS) and sense of community to the driving styles of young Arab drivers in Israel, a group characterized by high rates of traffic violations and crashes. Data were collected from 341 young Arab male drivers aged 18–22 using validated instruments measuring FCRS dimensions (e.g., modeling, monitoring, feedback), sense of community, and driving styles (reckless and careless, angry and hostile, anxious, and patient and careful). The research findings indicated that higher positive dimensions of FCRS were related to lower maladaptive driving styles and to higher endorsement of the patient and careful driving style. Additionally, non-commitment to road safety was related to a higher anxious driving style and a lower patient and careful driving style. Finally, higher sense of community was related to lower maladaptive driving styles and to a higher patient and careful driving style. The examination of the combined contribution of background variables, FCRS and sense of community to young Arab drivers’ driving styles, brought to light the importance of several prominent variables: the young driver’s level of religious observance and the FCRS dimensions of modeling, limits and lack of commitment to road safety. This study fills a critical gap in understanding the sociocultural dynamics of driving styles among minority groups, offering a foundation for policies to improve road safety in Arab communities. The results highlight that interventions enhancing parental modeling and community engagement could mitigate risky driving behaviors.