ABSTRACT
Introduction
Anger is a unique emotion because in many ways it contrasts with the influence of other negative emotions. fearful or sad drivers may be more likely to drive cautiously and adopt safer driving behaviours (for example, Arnett et al., 1997). Angry drivers, however, can become aggressive and tend to incorporate a higher level of risk-taking into their driving style (Deffenbacher et al., 2001). This may be because anger encourages confidence and when angry, we can overestimate, or fail to estimate, the amount of control we have in specific situations and make quick, stereotypical judgements (Lerner and Keltner, 2001). The dangerous effect of anger is worsened in the driving context because anger-driven aggression and risk-taking have very real consequences, both for the driver, any passengers in the vehicle and for other road users. Angry drivers have been found to be twice as likely to be involved in traffic accidents during simulated driving scenarios (Deffenbacher et al., 2003). In real traffic conditions, self-reported anger has been related to near miss accidents (Underwood et al., 1999) and excessive speed choices (Arnett et al., 1997). For these reasons, it is important to understand what makes drivers angry, how this anger is expressed and who the potential targets of driver aggression may be.
