The level of driver personality and stress experienced as factors influencing behavior on the road

Abstract

The aim of the study was to describe the relationship between personality traits, stress levels, and the way of participating in the traffic. The authors wish to draw attention to the fact that the nature of man and the way how he/she copes with stressful situations can have a decisive influence on behavior on the road. The study group included 25 active professional drivers, with the right to conduct trucks (driver license cat. C and C + E), in good psychophysical condition. Studies were conducted in the laboratory, simulated (truck driving simulator) and in real conditions. In the laboratory, participants performed psychological tests aimed at identifying the characteristics of personality, the estimation of psychomotor skills and the level of stress and how to deal with it. For this purpose, test and questionnaire methods were used, including the Vienna Test System, Impulsiveness Questionnaire – Impulsiveness, Venturesomeness, Empathy (IVE), Perceived Stress Scale–10 (PSS-10), Coping Questionnaire in stressful situations (CISS). The results helped to confirm the assumption about the essential relationship between personality characteristics, the level of stress experienced, and the way of participating in the traffic. Studies have shown, among other things, that a high level of stress is associated with a tendency for people to make mistakes. The authors therefore point out the necessity of reducing the stress and tension of drivers, which may lead to wrong decisions, and thus result in dangerous behavior.