Do drivers need spiritual fitness? The mediating effect of spiritual fitness on the relationship between personality traits and risky driving behaviours

Abstract

Drivers’ risky behaviours continue to be a major cause of traffic fatalities. Cultural changes, including fast-paced lifestyles, considerably contribute to speeding, fatigue, and texting while driving. Investigating the causes of these behaviours and resilience factors that can prevent or reduce negative outcomes is vital. The construct of spiritual fitness— defined as ‘the ability to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values needed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing a mission’—is an interesting proposition developed by the U.S. Army. Intervention programmes related to spiritual fitness are effective for vehicle operators' performance optimisation. Thus, this study introduces this phenomenon into research on civilian drivers. Specifically, the relationships between spiritual fitness, personality traits, and risky driving behaviours were examined. The study group comprised civilian drivers (N = 1037; Mage = 39.48 ± 13.32 years) who completed online self-reported questionnaire. Results showed that spiritual fitness was related to personality traits and risky driving behaviours. Additionally, spiritual fitness was a predictor of risky driving behaviours. Finally, spiritual fitness mediated the relationship between personality traits (impulsiveness, empathy, and conscientiousness) and risky behaviours. These findings confirm that spiritual fitness is a relevant resilience factor that merits further investigation on how it affects the on-road performance of civilian drivers. Study limitations and other possible research avenues are outlined.