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Emotions of Lorry Drivers

The relationship between road safety and emotions and moods of lorry drivers has been brought into picture by a recent SWOV study. The study examined especially the feelings brought on by two measures specifically aimed at lorry transport: the speed limiter and an overtaking prohibition on specific parts of Dutch motorways. 291 lorry drivers filled in questionnaires. The study is part of SWOV's long-term research programme.

The study consisted of three parts (SWOV report R-2001-14, in Dutch). In the first part, the main subject of this article, a study was made of how freedom-limiting traffic measures are related to irritation. The second part linked elements from existing theories of emotions to road safety. The third part examined the road safety consequences of lorry drivers' moods and emotions.

The first part was an inventory of 32 traffic situations that are the result of the overtaking prohibition or speed limiter, or both. It was studied how often these situations occur, and how annoying they are considered. When situations are very annoying or frequent, irritation occurs. The frequency multiplied by the annoyance is, therefore, a good measurement of irritation. Certain situations are, maybe, not so frequent but are extremely annoying. This can bring on as much irritation as a situation that is slightly less annoying but frequent.

A number of situations with a relatively high score for irritation were studied further. Three of these six situations are relevant to the overtaking prohibition and three to the speed limiter.

Relevant to the overtaking prohibition

Relevant to the speed limiter

You are driving your lorry on a motorway behind a car that is driving slower than you would like. There is an overtaking prohibition, so you cannot overtake.

You are driving your lorry on a motorway and you are overtaking another lorry. This takes a long time because of your speed limiter.

You are driving your lorry on a motorway. A lorry behind you is driving close to you to hurry you up. There is an overtaking prohibition which means that he cannot overtake you.

Because of your speed limiter, you have more difficulty driving up a hill or bridge.

You are driving your lorry on a motorway in a column of lorries. This because of the overtaking prohibition.

You are driving your lorry on a motorway and you are overtaking a car. While doing this, the car accelerates. Because of your speed limiter, overtaking takes a long time.

Table: Traffic situations studied

The study showed that situations relevant to the overtaking prohibition are more irritating, and give rise to more anger, than situations that are relevant to the speed limiter. It is therefore important to keep paying attention to the goal of the measure, for example by emphasizing the traffic-flow advantage of the overtaking prohibition.

Moreover, car drivers' behaviour is experienced as being more annoying than the same behaviour of lorry drivers. Information aimed at both groups of drivers can increase the mutual understanding, and maybe thus diminish negative feelings.

Apart from the relationship between traffic measures and irritation, the moods and emotions of lorry drivers were also studied using theories of emotions. In the theory of emotions, experiencing the damage to one's own interests is of great importance. In the case of lorry drivers, one can also take into account the 'not being able to drive on', or 'adverse effects on the feeling of safety'. The study showed that when lorry drivers experience such damage to their own interests, they more often break traffic laws and are fined. Breaking laws and fines also appear to relate to certain moods and emotions, such as irritability and being hurried. If you wish to know more about theories of emotions, traffic measures, and lorry drivers; we refer you to the summary of SWOV report R-2001-14, which is available via our website.

SWOV Research Activities 18 - November 2001

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