Dimensions of driver stress

A new scale, the Driving Behaviour Inventory (DBI) was developed to study dimensions of driver stress. The DBI was administered to two independent samples of drivers who commuted daily to work and/or for whom driving was part of their job. In both studies driver stress was defined by five factors which accounted for over 40% of the variance. These were identified as: driving aggression, dislike of driving, tension and frustration connected with successful or unsuccessful overtaking, irritation when overtaken and heightened alertness and concentration. Multiple regression analyses pointed toward variables extraneous to driving as predictors of driver stress, among which life stresses appear to play a predominant role.