Conduite automobile risquée et cannabis : rôle de la fréquence de consommation et effet du soutien parental de l'autonomie
Although driving a vehicle is one common activity, road accidents are one of the top ten causes of death in the world. In recent years, a decrease of on road deaths in Canada and Quebec have shown that road safety prevention campaigns can be effective. However, these advances are insufficient, and there is a need for better intervention and prevention strategies. A better knowledge of individuals likely to be involved in road accidents would allow the development of more targeted and relevant prevention campaigns. Thus, it is already known that men, individuals aged between 15 and 29, and users of alcohol or psychoactive substances before driving have an increased risk of being involved in a road accident. Therefore, one of the objectives of this thesis is to have a better understanding of the role of frequency of cannabis use in young males’ risky driving. Also, studies have already examined the role of parents in the road behaviors of their children. However, no study seems to have focused on the role of parental autonomy support in young drivers’ risky driving. The second objective of this thesis is to investigate the impact of parental autonomy support on risky driving among young cannabis users.  In this line of thinking, Article 1 investigates the association between frequency of cannabis use and self-reported risky driving among a sample of male drivers aged between 18 and 25 years old. In addition, it evaluates the role of parental autonomy support in self-reported risky driving. Results indicate that frequency of cannabis use is positively associated with risky driving (measured with self-reported measure of driving under the influence of cannabis), and is a predictor of this measure. However, results did not show that parental autonomy support is a predictor of self-reported risky driving.  Article 2 studies risky driving through behavioral measures. These behavioral measures are observed in a driving simulator. Results of this article reveal a contribution of frequency of cannabis use in predicting observed risky driving in a driving simulator. In addition, results indicate a significant effect of the frequency of use levels on risky driving behaviors observed in the simulated driving task. Finally, results show a contribution of parental autonomy support in observed risky driving in the simulator.  The theoretical contributions of this thesis to the scientific literature on road safety, as well as its practical implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
Risky driving Cannabis use Frequency of consumption Young drivers Autonomy support Road safety Driving simulator