The role of driver profiles in speeding deterrence: Examining interactions between speeding, personality, and risk perceptions

• Cluster analyses revealed three distinct personality and speeding profiles. • These cohorts differed in their perceptions about speeding and its enforcement. • Deterrence-based relationships were nuanced among the specific cohorts. • Personality and past speeding affected the influence of perceptions on future speeding. Introduction : Speeding is a persistent and widespread behavior that significantly contributes to vehicle crashes and road fatalities in Australia. Despite existing efforts to deter the behavior, speeding remains prevalent, highlighting the need to understand the factors underlying non-compliance. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between drivers’ personality traits, speeding behavior, and perceptions of the risks of speeding. Method : To achieve this aim, a sample of 862 Australian drivers completed an online survey. Results : Two independent cluster analyses identified three distinct driver profiles based on personality traits (adjusted, vulnerable, dominant) and past speeding behaviors (cautious, situational, habitual). MANOVAs revealed significant differences in speeding-related risk perceptions and the perceived likelihood of future speeding across both sets of cluster groups. In addition, split-file correlational analysis showed negative but nuanced relationships between risk perceptions and the perceived likelihood of speeding across the cluster groups, with stronger associations evident for the personality-based clusters. Finally, multi-group structural equation modeling demonstrated that speeding propensity predicted the perceived likelihood of future speeding via its influence on risk perceptions. However, the strengths of these relationships differed significantly across the personality clusters. Conclusions : Together, these findings suggest that personality traits and past speeding experiences shape individuals’ perceptions of speeding risks, which subsequently influence their likelihood of engaging in future speeding behavior. Practical applications : Future approaches to speeding deterrence should consider the unique characteristics of specific driver cohorts who are more or less resilient to interventions.