The behaviours, attention, risk assessment, and decision-making processes of road users can be influenced by the emotions they experience in general and during their travels. This presentation will offer a synthesis of evidence concerning a broad spectrum of affective states-such as anger, frustration, stress, and boredom-and examine how state and trait factors interact within the cross-cultural context of road safety and driver behaviours. For instance, a recent study has demonstrated that positive and negative affect follow distinct pathways to both positive and aberrant driver behaviours. In this context, perceived stress and driving anger play a critical role, with perceived stress being positively associated with driving anger, which in turn leads to increased aberrant behaviours.


Through a cross-cultural perspective, it is evident that emotional experiences in traffic, such as driving-related anger and its association with driving behaviours, vary across different countries. Research utilising the Measure for Angry Driving in Türkiye and China has identified differences in the frequency of various anger triggers and their correlation with aberrant behaviours, while the overarching construct-level trends remain consistent.


The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the role of technology and its implications for emotions and road safety. Although modern vehicles are equipped with numerous safety features, research indicates that these features can also provoke anger and frustration among drivers. Additionally, the implementation of driver monitoring systems and automated driving systems presents new challenges in research, policy, and practice. We will conclude with a research agenda aimed at integrating state-trait modelling with technological and cultural contexts to achieve scalable and equitable safety improvements.