Traffic climate and motivation to drive safely: A cross cultural study

2023-11
Kaçan Bibican, Bilgesu
Traffic is an open and complex system in which various factors interact. Many factors also play a role in the formation of driver styles that is the main cause of accidents. In this study, the interaction between traffic climate and self-determination theory-based safe driving motivation, which is thought to have an impact on driver styles, was examined by comparing Israel and Turkey. Therefore, correlation, ANCOVA and moderated moderation analysis were used. The results of the correlation analysis of the two countries are similar and autonomous forms of motivation are associated with patient-careful driving style, while extrinsic regulation and amotivation are associated with maladaptive driver styles. Israeli drivers showed more dissociative driver style, less angry driver style and less patient-careful driver style than Turkish drivers. In addition, Turkish drivers stated that they have more autonomous regulation styles and that Turkey's traffic is more emotionally demanding. According to the results of the moderated moderation analysis, the motivation to drive safely and the traffic climate affect the two countries in different ways. The prominent finding of the study is that traffic climate which is emotionally demanding and requires abilities and skills and controlled forms of motivation and amotivation have an effect on anxious and dissociative driving styles in Israel, while emotionally demanding traffic and autonomous forms of motivation and amotivation in Turkey have an effect on patient-careful driving style. The results of the study were evaluated with the existing literature, and possible implications and suggestions for future studies were made.
Citation Formats
B. Kaçan Bibican, “Traffic climate and motivation to drive safely: A cross cultural study,” Ph.D. - Doctoral Program, Middle East Technical University, 2023.