Addressing the Gap: Examining the Role of Multiple Executive Function Constructs and Associated Factors in Risky Driving Performance in Young Drivers

Abstract

Young drivers are disproportionately involved in motor vehicle crashes compared with other age groups. One potential contributing risk factor is the ongoing development of executive functions (EFs) with maturation of the frontal lobe through adolescence and into early adulthood. However, EF consists of distinct constructs, some of which have been studied more than others, and which have rarely been measured together in relation to objective driving performance on ecological and complex simulated driving tasks. This study recruited 16 to 24 year-old drivers (N = 93) and measured their performance on an EF battery targeting key constructs (working memory, inhibitory control, and set-shifting), as well as speed of processing, and related it to performance on a validated virtual driving assessment (VDA) that exposes drivers to common crash-risk scenarios, while considering EF-related covariates. Univariate analysis identified independent variables associated with VDA performance, and multivariate regression models revealed that better set-shifting performance (i.e., cognitive flexibility/task-switching ability) was associated with a 43% decrease in the likelihood of unsafe driving. Higher sensation-seeking tendencies were also associated with a 17% lower likelihood of unsafe driving. There is limited prior work examining set-shifting in young drivers, however, these results suggest it may help in explaining safe driving performance in young drivers. Clarifying the underlying mechanisms of young driver crash-risk may lead to new opportunities for interventions that aim to reduce crashes.