Traffic　crashes　pose　a　serious　threat　to　global　health　and　have　negative　impacts　on　social　and　economic　development.　Driving　safety　could　be　significantly　improved　if　drivers　obtained　effective　training　based　on　practical　suggestions　from　studies　of　the　relationship　between　driver　characteristics　and　driving　safety.　In　this　study,　driver　characteristics　are　analyzed　with　a　focus　on　illegal　driving　behaviors,　and　a　new　method　is　developed　to　reduce　driver　error.　However,　driver　characteristics　are　complex,　and　the　associated　interrelationships　among　variables　are　not　easily　identified.　A　structural　equation　model　(SEM)　is　adopted　in　this　paper　to　capture　the　complex　relationships　among　related　variables.　This　model　can　simultaneously　address　the　complex　relationships　among　endogenous　and　exogenous　variables.　We　investigate　five　illegal　driving　behaviors,　including　illegal　passing,　illegal　lane　changes,　speeding,　running　red　lights　and　distracted　driving,　based　on　a　driving　simulator.　Distracted　driving　is　chosen　as　an　example　to　construct　the　SEM.　We　group　13　variables　into　four　latent　variables　in　the　model.　In　this　paper,　44　participants　(average　age　+/-　S.D.　=　33　+/-　12.8　years,　range:　19-55　years;　average　driving　experience　+/-　S.D.　=　10　+/-　8.8　years,　range:　2-30　years)　were　recruited　for　the　experiment,　driving　behavior　data　were　collected　via　a　driving　simulator　and　driving　attitude　data　were　collected　using　a　questionnaire.　Our　findings　reveal　that　the　main　factor　that　influences　illegal　driving　actions　is　driving　attitude　and　the　main　factor　that　influences　distracted　driver　performance　is　basic　driver　characteristics.　Moreover,　the　driver　training　level　is　the　most　significant　factor　that　negatively　affects　the　basic　driver　characteristics　(factor　load　=　-0.91),　and　anger　with　slow　driving　is　the　main　factor　that　influences　the　driver　attitude　(factor　load　=　0.90).　According　to　the　SEM　results,　the　relationship　between　driver　characteristics　and　driving　safety　is　analyzed.　The　model　results　suggest　that　driver　training　lessons　must　be　implemented　and　traffic　issues　must　be　urgently　solved.　In　addition,　our　results　suggest　that　extra　training　sessions　should　be　required　of　young　females　and　drivers　with　bad　attitudes　and　serious　road　rage　to　improve　driving　safety.　Although　the　results　are　based　on　distracted　driving,　the　method　presented　in　this　paper　is　suitable　for　other　analyses　of　driving　behavior.　(C)　2019　Elsevier　Ltd.　All　rights　reserved.