The Risks of Road Rage: An Investigation Into the Influences of Driving‐Related Anger on Driver Attention
Steven Love, Yolinda Indrawan, Michele Clark, Grégoire S. Larue
Abstract
ABSTRACT The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between driving‐specific meta‐mental beliefs, anger rumination and anger experiences with driver inattention. A sample of 527 adult Australian drivers completed an online survey about their driving‐related anger and attention. Bivariate correlations revealed positive relationships between meta‐mental beliefs, anger rumination, anger experiences and the frequency of driver inattention (errors and lapses). In contrast, negative associations were typically found between the anger‐related variables and the self‐reported ability to regulate attention (i.e., attentional presence, flexibility, capacity) while driving. Notably, however, driving anger shared a positive relationship with attentional flexibility. Structural equation modelling demonstrated hierarchical relationships existed between the variables, whereby meta‐mental beliefs indirectly affected driving attention, via the effects they had toward driving‐related anger. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into how anger‐related experiences are developed on the road and how these experiences influence driver attention.