Interconnection Between Driving Style, Traffic Locus of Control, and Impulsivity in Bulgarian Drivers

Road safety attitude and behaviour among motorcycle riders in Ghana: A focus on traffic locus of control and health belief

Road traffic accident is a leading cause of death and various life deformities worldwide. This burden is even higher among motorcycle riders in lower-to-middle-income countries. Despite the various interventions made to address the menace, the fatalities continue to be on the ascendency. One major area that has received little attention is the attitude and behaviour of motorcycle riders. The present study aimed to examine the contribution of traffic Locus of Control (LoC) and health belief on road safety attitude and behaviour. 317 motorcycle riders participated in the study. The participants completed a questionnaire comprising various sections such as motorcycle riding behaviour, road safety attitude, risk perception, the intention to use helmets, and traffic LoC. The results showed a significant positive correlation between road safety attitude and behaviour (r (295) = .33, p < .001). Drifting towards internal LoC was associated with more positive behaviour on the roads (r (295) = -.23, p < .001). Intention to use helmet, health motivation, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers were the factors in the health belief model that were associated with road safety attitude (r (295) = .404, p < .001). Finally, the multiple linear regression model showed that road safety attitude and traffic LoC made significant contributions to road user behaviour [F(3, 293) = 13.73, p < .001]. These findings have important implications towards shaping responsible behaviour among motorcycle riders.

Does Mindfulness Mediate the Relation between Impulsiveness and Job Stressfulness Perception of Professional Drivers?

(1) Background: Professional driving is a stressful occupation that requires high levels of attention and decision-making, often leading to job stress. Impulsiveness, a personality trait characterized by a tendency to act without forethought, has been associated with negative outcomes such as anxiety, stress, and risky behaviors. Mindfulness has been proposed as a potential strategy for reducing job stress in various occupational settings. However, little is known about the relationship between these variables. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of mindfulness in the relationship between impulsiveness and job stressfulness perception among professional drivers. (2) Methods: A total of 258 professional drivers from Poland, Lithuania, and Slovakia, have completed self-report questionnaires: Impulsiveness-Venturesomeness-Empathy; Subjective Assessment of Work; Five Facet Mindfulness. (3) Results: Results indicated a positive correlation between impulsiveness and job stressfulness perception, and a negative correlation with mindfulness. Mindfulness partially mediated the relationship between impulsiveness and job stressfulness perception. Additionally, variations were identified in the perceived work environment factors and mindfulness among drivers based on their country of origin. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that mindfulness could be a useful approach for reducing job stressfulness perception among professional drivers with high levels of impulsiveness. Given the implications of job stressfulness for professional drivers' health and safety, developing mindfulness interventions tailored to their specific needs could be a promising direction for future research and intervention development.

Effects of personality traits on bus drivers' prosocial and aggressive behaviours: The moderated mediating role of risk perception and gender

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to examine the effects of personality traits on bus drivers' self-reported prosocial and aggressive driving behaviours as well as the mediating role of risk perception and the moderating role of gender in this relationship.

METHODS

Three hundred and ten bus drivers who were 24-57 years old agreed to participate in this study. The measures utilized included personality scales, a risk perception scale and a prosocial and aggressive driving behaviour scale.

RESULTS

A moderated mediation model was established. The effects of normlessness/anger on prosocial driving behaviour are mediated by risk perception. Risk perception has a stronger promoting effect on the prosocial driving behaviour of male drivers (b = 0.358, p < 0.01) than it does on that of female drivers (b = 0.072, p > 0.05). The effects of normlessness/anger on the aggressive driving behaviour of both male and female drivers are also mediated by risk perception. Moreover, gender plays a moderating role in the influences of personality and risk perception on aggressive driving behaviour. Drivers with higher risk perception and less anger exhibit less aggressive driving behaviour, and this effect is clearer among male drivers than it is among female drivers.

CONCLUSION

The present study revealed the relationship between personality traits and the prosocial and aggressive driving behaviours of bus drivers through a moderated mediation model. These findings highlight the importance of taking risk perception and gender into consideration when examining the effects of personality on bus drivers' driving behaviours.

The Role of Emotional Dysregulation, Impulsivity Traits and Aggressive Behaviors in Adolescents Who Sustain Multiple Motor-Vehicle Crashes

Adolescents tend to experience multiple motor-vehicle crashes (MVCs). Recent literature has thoroughly explored the psychological consequences following an MVC, but prior psychological functioning, the ability to regulate one's emotions and tendencies to impulsivity and aggressive behaviors have been far less explored. This study aims to explore the emotional-behavioral functioning, measured with the Youth Self-Report (YSR); emotional dysregulation, measured with the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS); impulsivity traits, measured with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11); and the capacity to be mindful, measured with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), in adolescents that have experienced one or more MVCs in a year. N = 295 adolescents who visited an emergency department for MVCs were divided in two groups based on the number of MVCs they had sustained over the course of a year. The adolescents in Group 1 sustained more than three MVCs, and adolescents in Group 2 sustained only one. Participants were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Adolescents showed difficulties in emotional regulation, impulsivity traits, aggressive behaviors and a low capacity to be mindful. These results may be useful in the creation of intervention and prevention programs focused on emotional awareness targets for adolescents.

The Influence of Personality and Demographic Characteristics on Aggressive Driving Behaviors in Eastern Chinese Drivers

Purpose

Road safety research is important due to the large number of road traffic fatalities globally. This study investigated the influences of age, driving experience and other covariates on aggressive driving behavior.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Yixing City, Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China. Regression analysis was applied to explore the influences of age and driving experience and their interactions with other covariates on aggressive driving behavior. Two analyses methodologies were used to assess the simple effect of the interactions. Firstly, the Jamovi automatic analysis classification program was used to calculate the simple slope test. Second, the SPSS macro program was also used to calculate the simple slope test also.

Results

A total of 570 drivers (247 males, 282 females) participated in the survey. A negative correlation was found between age and aggressive driving behaviors, and a positive correlation was found between neuroticism and aggressive driving behaviors in the multiple regression analysis. Significant associations were also found between age, driving experience, and depression, as well as age, driving experience, and neuroticism. Simple slope tests showed that depressive symptoms could increase aggressive behaviors in the elderly and experienced drivers. When experiencing neuroticism, individuals with higher driving experience were more aggressive in driving than shorter experienced drivers.

Conclusion

Age and neuroticism influenced aggressive driving behaviors. Veteran drivers could be aggressive drivers when experiencing depressive symptoms or neuroticism. Mobile intervention could be sent to the potentially risky drivers, which would be safe and broadly feasible to prevent aggressive driving behavior in the background of COVID-19.

Explaining Sex Differences in Motorcyclist Riding Behavior: An Application of Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling

Road accidents are caused by humans, vehicles, and road environments. Human attitudes affect behavioral changes and can lead to unsafe riding behavior. The sex of an individual is a key factor that affects their riding behavior. We aimed to use structural equation modeling (SEM) by analyzing the multi-group SEM between men and women and applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the locus of control (LC) theory. The data used in the research were collected from all over Thailand, consisting of 1516 motorcycle riders (903 men and 613 women) aged over 20 years. A self-administered questionnaire was designed for data collection of the riding behavior using the Motorcycle Rider Behavior Questionnaire (MRBQ), including traffic errors, control errors, stunt frequency, and safety equipment. We found that riding behaviors between men and women were significantly different in both theories. For men, TPB showed that the main factors that highly influenced motorcycle riding behavior (MRB) were the attitudes based on health motivation (AHM) and perceived behavior control (PC); for women, AHM produced a stronger effect than in men. However, for the subjective norms (SN) factor, we found no direct effect on MRB, but did find an indirect effect through the attitudes based on severity (ASE) in both sexes. Particularly for women, the indirect influence value of the SN factor was higher. For women, the LC showed that internal factors had more influence than external factors. The same was found for men, but the effect in women was significantly stronger. We found that sex significantly affected the MRB. Therefore, policies must be implemented that address each group specifically as their attitudes and behaviors are different.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Attitudes Toward Accompanied Driving Scale and its relationship with driving styles

The present study aimed to adapt the Attitudes Toward Accompanied Driving Scale (ATADS) to a Chinese drivers sample and to examine its reliability and validity. Five hundred and seventy-two drivers aged 18 to 25 years old were asked to complete the ATADS and a validated Chinese version of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory. The factorial structure of the ATADS was examined using exploratory factor analysis (N = 259) and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 313). The validity of the scale was evaluated by examining the associations between the ATADS factors, demographic variables and driving styles. The results showed that both the findings of the EFA and CFA showed a five-factor structure of the ATADS, including tension, relatedness, avoidance, disapproval and anxiety. Second, significant gender differences were found in tension, relatedness, avoidance and anxiety. Third, tension, avoidance, disapproval and anxiety were moderately or weakly correlated with risky, anxious, angry and careful driving styles. Moreover, the number of traffic accidents after the accompanying phase was positively correlated with disapproval and avoidance. The findings supported the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the ATADS and highlighted the adverse effects of young drivers’ negative attitudes toward accompanied driving on their driving styles.