Aggressive Driving in Young Motorists

Authors: Suneel M. Agerwala, Ashley Votta, Briana Hogan, John Yannocone, Steven Samuels, SheilaChiffriller

Abstract:

Road rage is an increasingly prevalent expression of aggression in our society. Its dangers are apparent and understanding its causes may shed light on preventative measures. This study involved a fifteen-minute survey administered to 147 undergraduate students at a North Eastern suburban university. The survey consisted of a demographics section, questions regarding financial investment in respondents- vehicles, experience driving, habits of driving, experiences witnessing role models driving, and an evaluation of road rage behavior using the Driving Vengeance Questionnaire. The study found no significant differences in driving aggression between respondents who were financially invested in their vehicle compared to those who were not, or between respondents who drove in heavy traffic hours compared to those who did not, suggesting internal factors correlate with aggressive driving habits. The study also found significant differences in driving aggression between males versus females, those with more points on their license versus fewer points, and those who witnessed parents driving aggressively very often versus rarely or never. Additional studies can investigate how witnessing parents driving aggressively is related to future driving behaviors.

Keywords: Aggression, college, driving, road rage.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1060789

References:

[1] Denson, T. F., Pederson, W. C., & Miller, N., (2006). "The Displaced Aggression Questionnaire." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 1032-1051.
[2] Smart, R. G., Asbridge, M., Mann, R. E., & Adlaf, E. M., (2003). Psychiatric distress among road rage victims and perpetrators. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48, 681-688.
[3] Sharkin, B. S. (2004). Road rage: Risk factors, assessment, and intervention strategies. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 191- 198.
[4] Krahe, B. (2005). Predictors of women-s aggressive driving behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 31, 537-546.
[5] Krahe, B. & Fenske, I., (2002). Predicting aggressive driving behavior: The role of macho personality, age, and power of car. Aggressive Behavior, 28, 21-29.
[6] Wiesenthal, D. L., Hennessy, D., & Gibson, P. M., (2000). The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ): The development of a scale to measure deviant drivers- attitudes. Violence and Victims, 15, 115-136.