Traffic climate, driver behaviour, and accidents involvement in China

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Transportation Science
• Road Safety

Background:

• New measurement tools, the Traffic Climate Scale (TCS) and Positive Driver Behaviours Scale (PDBS), require validation in diverse linguistic contexts.
• Understanding factors influencing driver behavior is crucial for enhancing road safety and reducing accidents.

Purpose of the Study:

• Translate the TCS and PDBS into Chinese.
• Assess the factor structures of the translated scales in a large Chinese driver sample.
• Investigate the impact of TCS factors on driver behaviors and traffic accident involvement.

Main Methods:

• Online survey administered to 887 licensed Chinese drivers.
• Exploratory factor analysis to determine the TCS factor structure.
• Convergent validity assessed through correlations with driver behaviors (DBQ) and accident data.

Main Results:

• The Chinese TCS demonstrated a robust three-factor structure: 'Functionality', 'External affective demand', and 'Internal requirement'.
• 'External affective demand' positively correlated with aberrant behaviors and negatively with positive behaviors, indirectly increasing accident risk.
• 'Functionality' negatively related to aberrant behaviors and positively to positive behaviors, with no direct effect on accidents.
• 'Internal requirement' negatively related to aberrant behaviors, positively to positive behaviors, and directly increased accident risk.

Conclusions:

• The Chinese versions of the TCS and PDBS are valid and reliable tools for assessing driver psychology in China.
• Driver climate, particularly 'external affective demand' and 'internal requirement', significantly predicts aberrant and positive driving behaviors, impacting accident involvement.
• Findings provide a basis for targeted interventions to improve driver behavior and road safety in China.