Anger-provoking events in driving diaries: A content analysis

• Published in: Transportation research. Part F, Traffic psychology and behaviour Vol. 19; pp. 108 - 120
• Main Authors: Wickens, Christine M., Roseborough, James E.W., Hall, Ashley, Wiesenthal, David L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier India Pvt Ltd 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Categories; Causation; Coding; Content analysis; Diaries; Driver aggression; Driver anger; Driving diaries; Negligence; Perception; Urgency; Driver anger; Driver aggression; Driving diaries; Content analysis
• ISSN: 1369-8478; 1873-5517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2013.02.002

•A coding scheme of offensive driver behaviour was successfully applied to driving diaries.•A coding scheme of perceived causation for offensive driver behaviour was piloted.•The most frequently reported driver behaviour was weaving and cutting.•The most frequently reported perceived cause of offensive behaviour was negligence. A previously validated coding scheme of offensive driver behaviour was used to content analyse driving diary entries. A new perceived causation coding scheme was also developed to identify victims' perceptions of why events occurred. Inter-rater reliability of the behaviour coding scheme was very good (kappa=.81). The most frequently reported driver behaviours were weaving and cutting, which was included in 33% of all diary entries, followed by slow driving (20%), speeding (13%), perceived hostile driver displays (13%), and tailgating (11%). These results were contrasted with those of the previous applications of the coding scheme. Assessed independently across all diary entries, inter-rater reliability of the coding of three causation categories was within an acceptable range (kappa=.51, .41, .67 for retaliation, time urgency, and negligence, respectively). When applied exclusively to the critical diary entries identified by each participant as the most negative and upsetting, the reliability improved greatly (kappa=.60, .80, and .81). The most frequently reported source of perceived causation was negligence, involved in 15% of all diary entries and 41% of critical events, followed by time urgency (14% of all entries and 29% of critical events) and retaliation (9% of all entries and 11% of critical events). Future research applications of the content coding systems and implications of the findings for driver safety are discussed.