So back to the problem: do you have a friend who is always the victim of an accident? I do and you probably have one also. This is because there are people who seem to attract misfortune with each step they take. Until now, science was looking at them with a raised eyebrow, but recent studies proved there is a personality type prone to accidents.
The connection between personality and crashes
Your personality can provide a deep insight into your behavior, which alters the way you drive, because your personality is what makes you act in a certain way in critical situations, when you have to make vital decisions. When we think of a connection between personality and crashes we think of impulsive people, who speed up and text while driving. However, the studies contradict this image. While it’s true that non-conforming people are prone to breaking the driving rules, risk takers and adventure seekers are not the most prone to accidents. This is because these people drive often and gain excitement from driving. This makes them drive more miles than others, which also makes them more experienced and skilled than people who are afraid of accidents. And this is not the only unexpected reveal of the studies, they reveal an over-cautiously, over-optimistic person is more prone to accidents than an adventurous impulsive one. There are more surprising characteristics of the accident prone person.
1. Poor time planning abilities
If you struggle to manage your time, you might be prone to accidents. This is one of the feature found to be linked with crash prone personalities by the new studies. The explanation is a simple one: people who have trouble managing their time are most likely to be sleep deprived and in a hurry. We all know that lack of sleep is a huge enemy of driving and when you pair it with the pressure to arrive on time somewhere, the risk of being involved in a car crash increases. By comparison, people who have good time management skills are able to plan their time and get enough sleep. Also, they are less likely to be on the rush, as they know how to avoid being late on appointments. Very optimistic people were found to often assign too little time for their trips, which means they will often be in a rush. This pressure makes them prone to crashes, according to science.
2. Blaming others
A tendency to blame others is also dangerous behind the wheel. Studies found that people who fail to take responsibility in their own behavior and prefer to blame others are more likely to be involved in a car crash. Psychologists call this characteristic external, as these individuals put the blame on external factors. By comparison, internals, who always look for the fault for an accident in their own person, are more likely to avoid crashes. They are also more likely to wear seatbelts and learn from their own mistakes.
3. Living for the present
Probably the most unexpected revealing of these studies is the connection between how you see time and how likely you are to be involved in an accident. According to science there are three basic personality types depending on the individual’s relationship with time: past, present and future oriented. Past oriented people dwelve in their memories and are nostalgic. They also look into their past to learn how to act in the future. Present oriented people live for the moment and think little of the consequences of their actions. They are the most prone to indulge in dangerous behavior, such as drinking or texting while driving. Future oriented people plan ahead their future and are very aware of the consequences of their present actions. Psychologists found that present oriented people are most prone to crashes, while future-oriented ones are least likely to be involved in a crash. This also infirms the well known myth that women are more prone to car accidents than men: in reality, men are more present oriented, while women are future-oriented. If you want to know how your personality impacts your driving you can take the driving personality test. Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com
