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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Problematic substance use and implications for road safety: An investigation on psychological dysfunction and risky driving styles
Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.104, pp.42-58
2024
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Problematic alcohol and cannabis use has been linked with psychological dysfunction and engagement in risky behaviour. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between alcohol and cannabis use patterns with self-regulatory dysfunction (i.e., worry; anger rumination; mindlessness; impulsivity), psychopathology (i.e., anxiety; depression; anger), and risky driving styles (i.e., anxious; dissociative; angry; reckless driving). An online survey was administered to three unique samples (n = 200 each) of Australian adults: frequent alcohol users, frequent cannabis users, and non-frequent substance users (i.e., the control group). Eligible participants did not use any other substance more than once per month. Comparative analysis (MANOVA) showed that frequent cannabis users had the highest self-reported psychological dysfunctioning and risky driving styles, followed by frequent alcohol users, and then the control group. Bivariate correlations revealed that most prominently, the severity of substance dependency and the frequency of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and cannabis were positively related to specific forms of psychological dysfunctioning and risky driving styles. Such findings highlight the potential relevance of both chronic and acute influences on driving behaviour. Finally, four separate path analyses were implemented which predicted specific risky driving styles (e.g., anxious driving), with substance use dependency as the moderator, and the corresponding self-regulatory dysfunction (e.g., worry) and psychopathology (e.g., anxiety) variables as mediators. The results suggested that substance use dependency indirectly affected risky driving styles, through its influence on specific self-regulatory dysfunction, and psychopathology, whilst controlling for the effects of DUI. Together these findings highlight the increased road safety risks associated with problematic alcohol and cannabis use, outside of acute-related influences.
Details
- Title
- Problematic substance use and implications for road safety: An investigation on psychological dysfunction and risky driving styles
- Authors
- Steven Love (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationSjaan Koppel - Monash UniversityKerry Armstrong - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research Collaboration
- Publication details
- Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.104, pp.42-58
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Date published
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.trf.2024.05.011
- ISSN
- 1873-5517; 1369-8478
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The authors do not have permission to share data.
- Grant note
- This study was funded by the Motor Accident Insurance Commission.
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991034598002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Psychology, Applied
- Transportation
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Source: InCites