Anger hits the road: Validation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Arabic version of driving anger scale and its association with road traffic crashes and fines

Abstract

Abstract Background: Traffic and driving situations constitute a typical context that triggers anger among drivers which can lead to road traffic crashes (RTCs). Objectives: This study aims to validate the Arabic version of the Driver Anger scale (DAS) and explore its multidimensional structure for assessing anger among Lebanese drivers. Besides, it targets to investigate the association between DAS and risk involvement (RTCs and traffic offenses). Methods: Using a self-completion Arabic questionnaire, a cross-sectional study was conducted among Lebanese drivers recruited from all Lebanese governorates using a non-probability convenience sampling method. A face-to-face approach was used for data collection. The questionnaire includes demographic information and driving variables in addition to the Arabic version of DAS measured by 33 items. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed using SPSS version 24. Exploratory factor and confirmatory analysis were performed to investigate the factorial structure of the DAS. To test the correlation between continuous variables, the Pearson correlation test was used. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association between DAS subscales and being involved in RTCs or being fined for traffic offenses. Results: A total of 1102 drivers participated in this study. The Exploratory Factor Analysis on DAS data differentiated six dimensions of driving anger with good reliability: hostile gestures (α=0.92), illegal driving (α=0.87), traffic obstruction (α=0.84), slow driving (α=0.89), discourtesy (α=0.81), and police presence (α=0.91).The results of the Confirmatory Factor Analysis demonstrated that the original six-factor model of the DAS fitted the Lebanese driving anger data. Gender, occupation, experience, and annual mileage differences were revealed in regards to anger subscales. Compared to other countries, Lebanese drivers displayed a high level of anger in the majority of anger aspects and the hostile gestures dimension was found the greatest contributing factor to driving anger. Drivers who experienced anger resulting from illegal driving, discourtesy, slow speeding, and police presence reported prior involvement in RTCs than their counterparts who didn’t experience such emotions. Conclusion: The Arabic version of the DAS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing traits driving anger among Lebanese drivers in different driving situations. The revealed role of driving anger in increasing the risk of RTCs in this study stressed the importance of adopting countermeasures to relieve driver anger.