Can emotion regulation explain the association between age and driving styles?. (October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Navon – Eyal, Meital; Taubman – Ben-Ari, Orit
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 74(2020)
• Page Start: 439
• Page End: 445
• Publication Date: 2020-10
• Subjects: Driving styles -- Young drivers -- Age -- Emotion regulation; Automobile drivers -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Automobile driving -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 629.283019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2020.09.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-8478

Abstract

Highlights: Emotion regulation difficulties mediate the relation between age and maladaptive driving styles. Full mediation was found for the angry and hostile and the anxious styles. Partial mediation was found for the reckless and careless and the patient and careful styles. Emotion regulation difficulties explains the connection of age and driving styles. Abstract: Numerous studies have sought to explain why young drivers tend to engage in maladaptive driving styles more than older drivers. The current study seeks to further this line of inquiry by examining the mediating role of emotion regulation in the association between age and driving style. The sample consisted of 287 drivers aged 18 to 72 who completed scales assessing their driving style and emotion regulation difficulties. Results show that the younger the drivers, the more they tended to report difficulties in regulating emotion, which, in turn, was positively related to the maladaptive driving styles: reckless and careless; angry and hostile; and anxious. Understanding the role of emotion regulation in the choice of driving style is crucial for promoting the substantial efforts invested in attempts to reduce traffic crashes.