The association between driving anger and driving outcomes : A meta-analysis of evidence from the past twenty years

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

116 Scopus Citations
View graph of relations

Author(s)

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)50-62
Journal / PublicationAccident Analysis and Prevention
Volume90
Online published23 Feb 2016
Publication statusPublished - May 2016

Abstract

Through the use of meta-analysis, this study investigated the relationships between driving anger and five types of driving outcomes (aggressive driving, risky driving, driving errors, near misses and accidents). The moderating effects of three variables (age, study publication year, and participants' country of origin) on these relationships were also examined. A total of 51 studies published over the past two decades met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The results showed that driving anger significantly predicted all three types of aberrant driving, with zero-order correlations of 0.312, 0.243, and 0.179 with aggressive driving, risky driving and driving errors, respectively. The correlations between driving anger and accident-related conditions, though at relatively weaker levels, were still statistically significant. Tests for effects of the moderating variables suggested that driving anger was a stronger predictor of risky driving among young drivers than among old drivers. Also, the anger-aggression association was found to decrease over time and vary across countries. The implications of the results and the directions for future research are discussed.

Research Area(s)

  • Accidents, Aggressive driving, Driving anger, Driving errors, Meta-analysis, Risky driving