The quiet passenger: Cognitions, avoidance, and onset among people with driving anxiety

Abstract

BackgroundAnxiety over driving can have consequences for road safety and individual well-being. This area is under-researched in Australia, despite international research suggesting that most drivers experience some level of anxiety over driving. ObjectivesThis study aimed to contribute to the understanding of driving anxiety by 1) confirming the factor structure of two questionnaires designed to understand the concerns (Driving Cognitions Questionnaire: DCQ) and avoidance behaviours (Driving and Riding Avoidance Scale: DRAS); 2) providing evidence of anxiety manifestations in Australian drivers, and 3) understanding whether these differ according to the initial onset of this anxiety. MethodsA total of 1,600 people (77% females; age ranging from 18 to 89 [M = 27.92; ± 13.49], 75% licenced, 20% learning, 5% unlicenced) in Australia who identified as having “some” level of anxiety over driving, completed an online questionnaire regarding their anxiety. ResultsConfirmatory Factor Analyses showed the two-factor structure of the DRAS (general and traffic avoidance; and weather and riding avoidance) and the two-factor structure of the DCQ (crash-related concerns and social and panic related concerns) best fit the data. The most common anxiety onsets were crash involvement (14%), knowing someone who had been in a crash (9%) and due to criticism from others (9%). While no differences emerged between these groups on avoidance behaviour nor on crash concerns, social and panic concerns were higher for the criticism onset group. ConclusionsThe results demonstrate difference sources of anxiety and provide evidence of the importance of interactions with passengers in determining how a driver feels about the driving task. Practical implicationsAvenues for the reduction or avoidance of anxiety are proposed. These include better awareness and education for drivers regarding the importance of positive interactions and/or well as better journey management to avoid triggers of anxiety.