Street racing, stunt driving and ghost riding YouTube videos: A descriptive content analysis. (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Seeley, Jane S.; Wickens, Christine M.; Vingilis-Jaremko, Larissa; Fleiter, Judy; Yildirim-Yenier, Zümrut; Grushka, Daniel H.; Vingilis, Evelyn
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 63(2019)
• Page Start: 283
• Page End: 294
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: Automobile drivers -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Automobile driving -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 629.283019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2019.04.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-8478

Abstract

Highlights: Over a million risky driving videos are being produced and viewed on the Internet. Video types show different viewing patterns and possibly different types of viewers. Risky driving activities portrayed show few consequences with little noted about their actions. Enthusiastic bystanders shown in these events are rarely at safe distances. Abstract: Objective: YouTube is a highly popular social medium that includes over a billion videos covering a wide range of topics, including high risk driving behaviours. Despite the popularity of these websites, published content analyses of high risk driving videos have been limited. Yet, research suggests that exposure to other media glorifying high risk driving is associated with risky driving behavioural intentions and behaviours (e.g., Fischer et al., 2011). This study aims to provide a snapshot of YouTube videos to: 1) describe the content of a sample of YouTube high risk driving videos, focusing on racing and stunts and 2) summarize the videos in relation to the video's form characteristics, such as number of views, "likes" and "dislikes" by YouTube viewers. Methods: Search procedures chose the first thirty videos that appeared on a university computer, on September 23, 2015 for a final sample of 65 videos: 25 for street racing, 21 for stunt driving, and 18 for ghost riding. Two primary researchers used an iterative approach to develop and refine definitions for the coding of variables in which a quantitative research matrix was developed for analysis of risky driving YouTube videos. They independently coded each video for content and inter-rater reliability was assessed. Results: Street racing videos provided the highest median number of views, viewer comments, subscribers, viewer "likes", and "dislikes" than both stunt driving and ghost riding videos. Street racing, stunt driving and ghost riding exhibited differing viewing patterns and possibly different types of viewers. A range of risky driving activities were portrayed, mostly by young men. Regardless of search term, the majority of sampled videos showed no consequences (69.8%). Bystanders were rarely at safe distances. Any comments made in the videos were most often instructions to the driver, passenger, or the audience. If an opinion was stated it was usually a positive comment about the driving or the nature of the event. Discussion and Conclusions: This study is the first examination of YouTube risky driving videos through a content analysis. The analyses clearly show high risk driving and other risk-taking behaviours in the sampled videos. Results of the study support the need for educational interventions and highlight the need for further research to examine the potential impact of social media on driving attitudes and behaviours.