Analyzing driver behavior: the influence of demographics on risky, aggressive, distracted, and unlawful driving behaviors

Malik Muneeb Abid; Waqas Haroon; Ashok Kumar

doi:10.55329/xzug2157

Authors

Malik Muneeb Abid University of Sargodha, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9137-7333
Waqas Haroon International Islamic University, Islamabad https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1072-4737
Ashok Kumar University of Sargodha, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55329/xzug2157

Keywords:

aggressive driving, distracted driving, driver behaviour questionnaire (DBQ), Pakistan, risky driving, unlawful driving, urban drivers, Southern Asia, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)

Abstract

Road traffic injuries remain a major public health concern in Pakistan and other low- and middle-income countries, where driver behaviour is a dominant crash-contributing factor. However, limited multi-city evidence exists on how demographic characteristics jointly influence aberrant driving across different dimensions. This study investigates the associations among age, gender, and driving experience, and four dimensions of aberrant driving behaviour—risky, aggressive, distracted, and unlawful—using a cross-sectional survey of 400 drivers from 10 major urban centers in Punjab, Pakistan. A Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ)-based instrument was used to construct composite indices, and descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression were applied. Risky driving had the highest mean score (3.81 on a five-point scale), with higher levels among drivers with ≥10 years of experience (mean = 4.02). Younger drivers reported higher levels of aggressive behaviour, while male drivers exhibited higher levels of aggressive, distracted, and unlawful behaviour. The findings indicate that dangerous driving in Pakistan is not limited to young drivers but extends to middle-aged and experienced drivers. This study contributes to road-safety literature by providing multi-city, disaggregated DBQ-based evidence from Pakistan, showing that demographic effects are not uniform across aberrant-driving dimensions and that risky and unlawful behaviours are not confined to young or inexperienced drivers but also extend to middle-aged and experienced drivers.

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Author Biographies

Malik Muneeb Abid, University of Sargodha, Pakistan

Malik Muneeb Abid received his Ph.D. degree in Traffic Engineeringfrom Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), China. He is currently serving as an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil, Environment & Transportation Systems, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. His research interests include traffic safety, railway infrastructure, geotechnical engineering, and pavement engineering. He is dedicated to promoting research and academic excellence through teaching, scholarly activities, and collaborative research.

CRediT contribution: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Waqas Haroon, International Islamic University, Islamabad

Waqas Haroon obtained his PhD in Civil Engineering in 2025 from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila, Pakistan. He is a Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at the International Islamic University, Islamabad, Pakistan. His research focuses on transportation studies, road safety, and environmental pavement studies, and he has examined traffic behaviour and human performance in infrastructure. His initiative is to promote evidence-based practice to advance transportation sustainability and road safety.

CRediT contribution: Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing.

Ashok Kumar, University of Sargodha, Pakistan

Ashok Kumar completed his M.E in Geotechnical and Highway Engineering from Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, Pakistan. He is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environment & Transportation Systems, College of Engineering and Technology, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. His research interests include geotechnical and transportation engineering, and he is dedicated to promoting research and academic excellence.

CRediT contribution: Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing.

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