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This paper reconsiders the new mobilities paradigm and its relevance for the understanding of transport systems and behaviour. It argues that the mobilities field will gain from more systematically drawing on conceptual and empirical insights from psychology to complement insights as mostly derived from sociology, geography, innovation studies, anthropology, cultural studies and continental philosophy. Focused on the car as one of the most dominant objects of individual consumption, it examines psychology epistemologies that are different from those that prevail in the mobilities literature. Transport systems shape and are shaped by social and personal identities, fears and anxieties, trauma and phobia; aggression and rebellion; and the search for community and companions. These aspects have been debated in the mobilities literature, but transport psychology investigates the more fundamental motives and conditions underlying the systems, processes and practices that shape transport behaviour. This paper discusses interrelationships and common ground between the mobilities and psychology literatures, and elaborates on the specific contributions made by social, evolutionary and clinical psychology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Drivers often lack reflection on their behaviour. For predictive purposes and educational interventions, it is useful to know the individual traffic risk picture of the driver under investigation. Objective: This paper aimed to show the psychometric properties of the questionnaire and to establish a hierarchy of traffic situations in terms of perceptions of associated danger. Material and Methods: A total of 548 people aged between 18 and 68 years participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire method was used to measure situational (road) awareness and the ability to anticipate the consequences of engaging in unsafe road traffic actions. The tool's accuracy was verified with the 'Controversy' questionnaire, which is used to measure the severity of drivers' normative beliefs about breaking traffic laws. Results: Satisfactory psychometric values of the questionnaire were obtained. After taking into account the correlation of measurement errors, an acceptable fit was obtained: χ2 /df = 2.48; GFI = 0.95; AGFI = 0.92; CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.06 (0.048-0.072). Mean values and standard deviations for 14 descriptions of unsafe traffic situations were shown. Conclusions: The satisfactory reliability and accuracy of the measurement allow the method to be used in research and individual diagnosis in the areas of transport psychology and education. Overtaking at pedestrian crossings, on a bend, uphill, and continuing to drive despite fatigue are the most dangerous traffic situations associated with the risk of traffic accidents.

There is a general consensus that private car ownership is a significant barrier to transport system change, specifically in regard to injuries, space, air pollutants, or greenhouse gas emissions. Observed changes in automobile characteristics also suggest that the system is becoming less sustainable, given trends towards larger cars with greater mass and horsepower. It is thus relevant to understand how the automobile system progresses. National statistics provide data on the technical side of car ownership, such as changes in vehicle specifics or national fleet size. This paper complements this view with a socio-psychological perspective on aspirational car ownership, i.e. the type of car people preferred to drive if given a free choice. Data is derived from an online panel (n = 1,211) representative of the German population, and also contains information on current car ownership, use, driving style, traffic behavior, attitudes towards traffic risks and safety measures, as well as political orientation. This allows for a discussion of driver segments in relation to the characteristics of cars, and hence to better understand the socio-psychological drivers of the development of the automobile system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate and timely decision making of drivers is vital to ensuring public safety and reaching the destination in time. This paper presents a detailed comparison of the expectation of regulatory bodies in implementing flashing amber lights and explores the actual driver responses to flashing amber lights at a signalised T-intersection by taking speed variation as a proxy for their decision making. A survey was conducted at a signalised T-intersection during the operation of flashing amber lights to measure the speed variation. Time-distance and speed gun techniques were used to collect speed data of motor cars. Results reflect those drivers show only a marginal response to flashing amber lights. Therefore, the intention of regulatory bodies that vehicles maintaining lower speed at a T-intersection with flashing amber lights was not satisfactorily fulfilled. The marginal response of drivers to flashing amber lights can be a leading cause of accidents occurring in signalised T-intersections at odd (night) hours.

Past research shows that age and driving experience has a significant impact on on-road behavior. Both reaction time, as well as visual-motor coordination and speed of decision making, play an important role with regard to safety. Consequently, research in this area has been carried out for many years. However, there are still very few studies on the impact of these variables on the speed and way of taking control of an automated vehicle.

Introduction. Recent years have seen a dynamic increase in people from eastern countries employed in Polish road transport. The aim of the study was to compare the cognitive and psychomotor performance of Polish and Ukrainian drivers. Material and Methods. The results of 336 male truck drivers aged between 22 and 64 years were analysed. There were 174 respondents in the Polish sample (M = 38.6 years; SD = 10.3) and 162 respondents in the Ukrainian sample (M = 36.8 years; SD = 8.3). The level of intellectual performance was assessed using the Raven's Matrix Test (TMS) and the Precision of Movement and Quick Thinking (PIM) Index. Psychomotor performance was verified using computer tests belonging to the SDP System. Results. Ukrainian drivers, compared to Polish drivers, were characterised by analogous results in terms of cognitive processes and psychomotor performance. The mean scores of the Raven's test, PIM index and also coordination tests were comparable in both groups. A strong positive correlation was found between TMS and PIM. Conclusions. 1. Drivers from Ukraine and Poland have similar intellectual and psychomotor abilities. 2. The PIM index correlates strongly positively with TMS and can be a reliable tool in intelligence screening. 3. The presented methods of the SDP System are not culturally loaded. Standardised scales addressed to the Polish driver population should be used to assess these areas in Ukrainian subjects.

In accordance with the requirements of the NHTSA guidelines on Level 3 automation, the comfortable control transition times is about 40 seconds. The data obtained so far are consistent with the assumption that the situation is better when drivers receive a warning about critical events than when they have to take over control unexpectedly. How these variables are shaped in the presence of distractors and what influences psychological factors have on these aspects remains unknown. For this purpose, a research experiment was developed in which control was taken over when the driver was additionally forced to perform the indicated activity (e.g. by looking away from the road), or when road conditions made it impossible to focus on the road. Psychological (temperament) and psychomotor variables (reaction time, hand–eye coordination) were controlled. The study was conducted on active road traffic participant drivers (N=95). Not only the time of taking control was analyzed, but also the way that may have a significant impact on road safety. The results revealed a significant influence of distractors on the manner control is taken over. In the conditions without distractors, the subjects were more likely to take over control than to cause automatic braking.

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The aim of the paper is to investigate which psychometric tools commonly used by Polish transport psychologists appropriately measure necessary abilities of professional drivers. According to Levis-Evans’ differentiation between the driver ’s performance and the driver’s behavior, we explored a statistical relation between the results of tests currently used by transport psychologists, measured according to Szalma’s individual differences and safe behaviors on roads. We examine validity of tests using data based on real professional drivers’ behavior. The sample included 200 drivers involved in accidents and collisions, and 100 who behaved safely. We tested external validity of chosen psychometric tools by analyzing statistically the relation between test scores and unsafe driving behavior recorded by the police. The results show that only few measurements are valid for differentiation of safe and unsafe drivers. The paper indicates the methodology to reach the prognostic value of the diagnostic tests employed by transport psychologist.

This publication is a translation (with detailed comments) of a multidisciplinary model of support and promotion of mobility in the EU countries – Psychologische en medische hulp voor een veilige mobiliteit (germ.), Psychological and Medical Assistance for Safe Mobility (Engl.) - PASS, which was developed in Germany. This model serves as the basis for the definition of an "object field” of psychology of traffic in Europe, and helps to highlight the most important and significant aspects, both for applied research and various kinds of psychological practices in this area. Model authors: A. Allhof-Cramer, B. Krohn, G. Laub, W.Nickel, C. Rolfing, B. Rothenberger, W. Schubert, E. Stephan. It is the first presentation of this model in Russia which is made with a consent of the members of the Organizational Committee of the “Traffic Psychology International” (the German version is presented below)

Background The aim of this study was to search for comprehensive socio-demographic and personal (personality and temperamental) determinants of risky on-the-road behavior. Based on the results of previous studies, we assumed that the main predictors of dangerous traffic behavior include: internal locus of control, sensation seeking, risk seeking and risk acceptance, as well as high self-esteem, a low level of reactivity combined with a high level of endurance and activity (which together determine a strong need for stimulation and a preference for hedonistic values); and among socio-demographic variables – age, gender, education and duration of having a driving license. Participants and procedure The study included a group of 380 participants, aged between 19 and 61 years (Me = 24). In order to verify the hypothesis, a battery of research tools measuring personality and temperamental variables was adopted, namely: the Formal Characteristics of Behavior – Temperament Questionnaire, Rotter I-E Scale, Risk Acceptance Scale, Stimulating-Instrumental Risk Inventory, Scheler Value Scale, Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results The dangerous driver syndrome was found to be promoted by high levels of experience and sensation seeking, low levels of tolerance to boredom and monotony, high need for stimulating risk and high risk acceptance, high self-esteem, a preference for hedonistic values coupled with aversion towards moral values, as well as low sensory sensitivity, and was especially visible among older men with short driving experience. Conclusions It can be concluded that both socio-demographic and psychological variables, such as temperament and personality, are significant predictors of dangerous traffic behavior.

Late modernity in developed nations is characterized by changing social and psychological conditions, including individualization, processes of competition and loneliness. Remaining socially connected is becoming increasingly important. In this situation, travel provides meaning through physical encounters, inclusion in traveller Gemeinschaft based on shared norms, beliefs and interests, and social status in societies increasingly defined by mobilities. As relationships are forged and found in mobility, travel is no longer an option, rather a necessity for sociality, identity construction, affirmation or alteration. Social contexts and the underlying motivations for tourism have changed fundamentally in late modernity: non-tourism has become a threat to self-conceptions. By integrating social and psychological perspectives, this paper expands and deepens existing travel and mobilities discussions to advance the understanding of tourism as a mechanism of social connectedness, and points to implications for future tourism research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questionnaire instruments have been used extensively by researchers in the literature review for evaluation of various aspects of public transportation. Important implications have been derived from those instruments to improve various aspects of the transport. However, it is important that instruments, which are designed to measure various stimuli, meet criteria of reliability to reflect a real impact of the stressors. Particularly, given the diverse range of commuter characteristics considered in this study, it is necessary to ensure that instruments are reliable and accurate. This can be achieved by finding the relationship between the item's properties and the underlying unobserved trait, being measured. The item response theory (IRT) refers to measurement of an instrument's reliability by examining the relationship between the unobserved trait and various observed items. In this study, to determine if our instrument suffers from any potentially associated problems, the IRT analysis was conducted. The analysis was employed based on the graded response model (GRM) due to the ordinal nature of the data. Various aspects of the instruments, such as discriminability and informativity of the items were tested. For instance, it was found while the classical test theory (CTT) confirm the reliability of the instrument, IRT highlight some concerns regarding the instrument. Also, the person fit assessment measure, for instance, highlights some concern regarding respondents answering some of the questions due to lack of interest, choosing answers randomly. Not many studies have examined instruments' reliability in determining the psychological impacts of public transportation on commuters in the way that was performed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]