Utilizing MRBQ to investigate risky rider behavior in Chinese young riders: combining the effect of Big Five personality and sensation seeking

The motorcycle rider behavior questionnaire (MRBQ) is one of the most extensively used questionnaires to explore risky rider behavior worldwide. However, whether previous research adopted other scales or other versions of MRBQ, neither of them fully cover the typicality of the risky behavior in Chinese motorcyclists. Moreover, past research investigated the MRBQ while combining the joint effect of Big Five personality (BFP) and sensation seeking lacks. Our study aims to revise the Chinese version of MRBQ in young riders and explore the relationship among BFP, sensation seeking, MRBQ, and self-reported traffic violations. 278 online participants filled out the Big Five Inventory measuring BFP, the sensation seeking scale, MRBQ items selected from previous versions in other countries, and self-reported traffic violations from the traffic management system (crashes, traffic violation frequency, penalty points, and fines). Exploratory factor analysis suggested 7 factors (safety equipment, traffic errors, speed violations, control errors, stunts, traffic violations, and safety violations), and the internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.58–0.91. The hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that agreeableness and conscientiousness in BFP negatively predicted the total MRBQ score, while openness in BFP and sensation seeking positively predicted the total MRBQ score. In addition, the Poisson regression analysis suggested that all kinds of self-reported traffic violations could be positively predicted by the total MRBQ score. Path analysis suggested the fully mediating role of sensation seeking. In conclusion, the Chinese version of the MRBQ is useful for future studies and the sensation seeking plays a mediating role between the Big Five personality and MRBQ.