Is risky driving a genetic thing? We’d all agree that risky driving is a bad thing, but to truly understand the science behind what causes it we first need to recognise that there is a spectrum of riskiness. To illustrate this point, I have devised a mathematical interpretation on the basis of a probability of 1.0 MARGINAL PROPENSITY FOR RISK + MARGINAL PROPENSITY TO ANTICIPATE = 1.0 On a scale of 0.0 to 1.0 this spectrum of risk will vary from individual to individual. Let’s take an example of driving in dense fog on a winter day. If as a driver, I totally disregard my safe distance and use of speed, I am increasing my risk of being involved in a serious road traffic collision. That means by “marginal propensity to risk”, in other words my personal risk factor, would be high— let’s say 0.8. And correspondingly, my propensity to anticipate the likely outcome of my actions would therefore be quite low—in this particular case being 0.2 (i.e. 1.0 minus 0.8). The key point here is that you, me, and every driver on the roads, has some propensity for risk and some propensity to anticipate. The question is this: what determines how much someone has of each? That’s where the science comes in. In particular, a chemical in the brain called “dopamine” has a huge impact here. Getting technical Dopamine is what scientists refer to as a “neurotransmitter”. That’s just a fancy way of saying dopamine is a chemical that transmits signals in between the nerve cells (neurons) of the brain. Or, if it makes it easier to understand, think of it as “a chemical messenger” Dopamine comes in two varieties: a long version and a short version. People born with the long version are generally involved in taking more risks in their driving. A contributing factor is an enzyme known as “monoamine oxidase” or MNO. This enzyme is quite low during the early years of male’s cerebrum development. Yet as we grow older, this level of enzyme increases thus diminishing the urge to engage in risky and reckless driving. Conclusion As drivers we are in charge of a mechanically propelled machine. In driving we need to minimise this risk by controlling our desire and urges to take risks in spite of poor visibility, weather conditions and heavy flooding on our roads. The gene in itself is not a contributing factor for taking risks on the road. The gene is far too generic, there are different strands of genetic make-up , hence why two peoples DNA is always not the same.
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