ABSTRACT
The driver is the most commonly reported factor contributing to death and injury on the roads (Department for Transport, 2008) but nevertheless people are usually able to cope with the demands of the driving task and generally drive with a safety margin as opposed to at the limits of control (Fuller, 2005). However, drivers’ increased speed and/or reduction in capability (e.g. through tiredness, drink, drugs) may erode safety margins, compromise road safety and sometimes result in collisions. The adoption of safety margins by drivers can be considered in relation to stable human factors such as personality or in terms of more transient factors such as motivation, emotion and mood.
