A sixteen-factor personality test for predicting automobile driving accidents of young drivers.

The predictive value of the Cattell 16-factor personality test on the occurrence of automobile accidents among conscripts during their 11-month military service in a transportation section of Finnish Defense Forces was examined. Automobile driving experience before and during the follow-up as well as the occurrence of traffic accidents and penalties before and during the follow-up period were investigated. Complete data on personality, mileage, and traffic accidents plus penalties were obtained for 597 conscripts. In this population, altogether 91 automobile accidents were recorded for 82 conscripts. A logistic model showed that impulsivity and adventurousness (high score in factor H), naivete and excessive trustfulness (low score in factor L), and poor self-control (low score in factor Q3) predicted significantly, and guilt proneness and depression (high score in factor O) almost significantly the subsequent occurrence of motor vehicle accidents. Factors L and Q3 remained significant when only accidents of which the subject was found guilty were being predicted. All these personality factors are related to the control of emotions. The results indicate that the 16-factor personality test is valuable when selecting safe drivers in a population of young male adults with little previous driving experience.