Caregivers Dependent upon Drivers with Dementia

This paper reports findings of a preliminary study of caregivers dependent upon drivers with dementia. Fifteen caregivers who perceived themselves as dependent upon their partner for transportation and 15 who perceived themselves as independent were surveyed. Dependent caregivers were significantly more likely to rely on the cognitively impaired driver for routine daily activities such as shopping, medical appointments, and visiting family and friends. Only 20% of the dependent caregivers believed that the driver with dementia should decrease or discontinue driving. Dependent caregivers were less likely than independent caregivers to take an active approach in encouraging driving cessation. Compared to the independent caregivers, the dependent caregivers believed that if the patient with dementia could no longer drive, it would significantly affect their quality of life. The authors discuss the issues and problems uniquely associated with the dependent caregiver.     

Driving anger: correlates and a test of state-trait theory

A survey and field study evaluated predictions from state-trait theory applied to driving anger. Trait driving anger, the propensity to become angry when driving, correlated positively with anger in frequently occurring driving situations and in day-to-day driving and with aggressive and risky behaviors while driving. Although not correlated with crash rates or moving violations, trait driving anger correlated with crash-related conditions such as loss concentration, loss of vehicular control, and close calls. Results generally supported predictions from state-trait theory and the construct validity of the Driving Anger Scale, as well as mapping correlates of the disposition to become angry while driving.     

Promoting safety belt use among state employees: the effects of prompting and a stimulus-control intervention.

This study assessed the effects of dashboard stickers and signature sheets on safety belt use among occupants of state-owned vehicles in three Florida agencies. The stickers and signature sheets contained information regarding a regulation requiring safety belt use and a consequence of a 25% reduction in benefits for noncompliance if the driver were to become involved in an accident. Safety belt use significantly increased during the intervention phase in all three agencies and maintained variable but high levels for 5 months. In Agency 1 and Agency 2 (stickers plus signature sheets) safety belt use increased from averages of 10.8% and 9.4% during baseline to 57.4% and 47.0%, respectively, during intervention. In Agency 3 (stickers only) the rates of safety belt use averaged 9.7% during baseline and 38.0% during intervention. Some increases in private vehicle use were observed. A substantial reduction in workers'' compensation claim costs was shown for the target agencies with some reductions also shown in the nontarget agencies.     

An analysis of public posting in reducing speeding behavior on an urban highway

The effects of public posting on speeding behavior on an urban highway were assessed using a reversal design. During baseline the percentage of drivers speeding was measured with a concealed radar unit. During the daily posting condition a highway sign was installed which provided feedback on the percentage of drivers not speeding yesterday and the best record to date. This sign was then covered and reintroduced. Results indicated that the sign was effective in reducing speeding behavior. Furthermore, the effects were most pronounced in reducing the speeds of the faster drivers. Next, daily and weekly postings were compared with the sign alone without numerical feedback: results revealed that the weekly posting condition was as effective as the daily posting condition, but that the sign had no influence when numbers were not posted. Finally, the weekly posting procedure remained effective during a 6-month follow-up condition.     

KNOWING WHEN TO SAY WHEN: A SIMPLE ASSESSMENT OF ALCOHOL IMPAIRMENT

The use of writing samples as indices of alcohol impairment was explored. Students at a campus fraternity party wrote a sentence and their signatures before and after consuming alcohol (in beer and mixed drinks). Later, undergraduate and graduate students attempted to discriminate between pre- and postparty handwriting samples. The average percentage of correct discriminations of entrance and exit writing samples was 83.7% for sentences and 67.5% for signatures, and the percentage of correct discriminations increased directly with the blood alcohol concentration of the partier who gave the writing sample. When a partier's blood alcohol concentration reached 0.15, all of the judges accurately discriminated 90% or more of the sentences, and 25 of the 28 judges correctly discriminated at least 80% of the signatures. All of the judges correctly discriminated at least 90% of the 18 sentences written by partiers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.12 or more. Implications of these findings for reducing the risk of driving while intoxicated are discussed, as well as directions for follow-up research.     

危险类型对公交驾驶员危险知觉的影响

结合反应时方法和多维度驾驶风格量表,以140名公交驾驶员为研究对象,采用2（危险类型：隐藏危险、明显危险）×2（驾驶员分组：有无交通违规/事故记录）的混合实验设计考察危险类型对危险知觉的影响。结果发现：驾驶员对明显危险的反应时比隐藏危险短,无交通违规/事故记录驾驶员对明显和隐藏危险的反应时均比有交通违规/事故记录驾驶员短。控制驾驶风格后,危险类型主效应不再显著。结果表明,公交驾驶员危险知觉的特点随着危险类型不同而变化。     

驾驶决策的研究现状与展望

驾驶决策是驾驶员对不同交通场景进行判断、选择,并产生驾驶行为的过程。驾驶决策的研究起源于人因工程学,并随着认知心理学的发展而逐渐受到关注。驾驶决策的研究范式主要采用心理测量与实验法;并与年龄、性别、风险感知、情绪以及决策风格相关;为了有效防止交通事故的发生,驾驶决策的改善逐步成为研究的新热点。今后的研究可以从认知与情绪角度综合探讨适合中国国情的驾驶决策的结构与特征,以提高驾驶员的决策能力。     

Predictors of women's aggressive driving behavior

Predictors of women's aggressive driving behavior were explored in a study involving 256 female motorists. Sex role orientation, dispositional aggressiveness, age, and annual mileage were measured as independent variables, and aggressive driving behavior was included as the dependent variable. Stepwise hierarchical regression analysis showed that age was negatively related to driving aggression, whereas annual mileage had a positive relationship with driving aggression. Dispositional aggressiveness was a significant predictor of driving aggression. Of the two components of sex role orientation, only femininity was associated with driving aggression, with higher femininity scores predicting lower aggressive driving scores. Masculinity failed to predict aggressive driving, as did the interaction of masculinity and femininity. In combination, the predictors explained 29% of the variance in women's aggressive driving. The results are discussed with respect to the role of dispositional variables as predictors of driving aggression in women. Aggress. Behav. 00:1–10, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Emotional intelligence and risky driving behaviour in adults

BackgroundRisky driving is considered a key predictive factor in road traffic accidents resulting in morbidity and mortality. Intra-individual emotional and personality factors have been shown to influence risk-taking behaviours among drivers. Despite this, there is limited research investigating the individual dimensions of these constructs and their relationship to risky driving behaviour (RDB). The current study therefore aimed to assess whether the individual dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (EI) were implicated in RDB.MethodsThe sample comprised 179 adults (55% male) aged between 18 and 64 years (M = 29.85, SD = 11.46) and who currently held a valid driver’s licence completed an online survey. Emotional Intelligence was assessed via self-report using the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (SUEIT), and RDB was measured using both the Brief Distracted Driving Scale (BDDS) and the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI).ResultsRegression analyses revealed that ‘Risky Driving’ was related to greater levels of Emotional Recognition and Expression and lesser Age [F_{(6, 172)} = 2.27, p < 0.05: R² = 7.3%], and the Negative Emotions sub-scale of DDDI, was significantly predicted by Emotional Control and Age [F_{(6, 172)} = 6.41, p < 0.05: R² = 18.3%]. A mediation model incorporating Age, Emotional Control scores and the Negative Emotions driving behaviour score indicated that a significant indirect effect of Age through Emotional Control (K² = 0.08, 95% CI [−0.02, −0.03]). (H [3] = 10.98, p = 0.012).ConclusionsLower scores on specific indices of EI are associated with increased rates of RDB, suggesting that poor emotional control may impede an individuals’ ability to make safe behavioural decisions when driving. The effect sizes for these models were small, however, and further research is needed to explore the contributory components in this association. Greater awareness of the role of emotional regulation and driving behaviours may be useful in preventing RDB in adults.     

汽车驾驶员攻击性驾驶行为的研究

攻击性驾驶行为影响着交通运输的安全。本文简要叙述了攻击性驾驶行为操作性定义的有关研究 ,以及导致该行为的年龄、性别、人格特质、情绪等个人因素和社会环境因素。