Enfoque
Introduction
Driving is a complex activity that requires continuous decision-making. The correct management of emotions is crucial in traffic environments, where drivers may encounter numerous events that elicit emotions influencing their decisions. Previous research has emphasized the role of anger while driving, linking it to aggressive and risky behaviours such as speeding, tailgating, and honking. However, not all drivers respond the same emotionally way to driving stimuli. Emotion regulation ability is a key factor to controlling anger and reducing maladaptive driving styles.
Aims
The goal of this study was to investigate the role of emotion regulation as a moderating factor between the anger provoked by specific driving events and the tendency to engage in aggressive and risky driving behaviours.
Methods
In a group of 678 drivers, whose mean age was 36.87 years (SD = 13.69), being 313 men (46.17%) and 365 women (53.83%), it was administered the Driving Anger Scale (DAS) to assess the levels of anger experienced in certain driving situations, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI) to evaluate the tendency to undertake aggressive and risky driving behaviours (DDDI AD and DDDI RD, respectively), and the managing emotions branch of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to examine the ability to manage and regulate emotions (MSCEIT ME).
Results
Two separate multiple linear regression analysis were performed. The model including Aggressive driving behaviour as criterion, and Anger, Emotion regulation and their interaction as predictors, revealed a significant relationship for Anger (p < .001), Emotion regulation (p < .001) and Anger x Emotion regulation (p < .05). The model including Risky driving behaviour as criterion, and Anger, Emotion regulation and their interaction as predictors, also revealed a significant relationship for Anger (p < .001), Emotion regulation (p < .05) and Anger x Emotion regulation (p < .05). Further analysis of the interactions revealed that the lower scores of emotion regulation, the stronger the positive relationship between anger and aggressive and risky driving behaviour. The sociodemographic variables of age, gender, and driving experience were controlled in the analysis.
Discussion
Those individuals with a greater emotion regulation ability would be less likely to engage in aggressive and risky driving, concluding that emotional abilities could be key in protecting against hazardous driving styles through their impact on the anger generated by road events. These results are in line with previous research in non-driving contexts, indicating the benefits of emotional regulation on anger. The development of evaluation and intervention programs in emotional regulation would help to promote safer driving and reduce road accidents, particularly in drivers exhibiting high levels of anger and a lack of impulse control.
