The Restorative Effects of Roadside Vegetation

Abstract

Anger and frustration may contribute to unsafe driving and may trigger instances of aggressive driving or road rage. Research shows that stress, fatigue from the exercise of directed attention, or a combination of these factors can exacerbate anger and frustration. It also suggests that exposure to vegetation can facilitate recovery from stress and fatigue. Can highway vegetation mitigate automobile driver anger and frustration? We assigned 106 participants at random to view one of three video-tapes of highway drives, which varied in the amount of vegetation versus man-made material. The experiment obtained Speilberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) measures of anger before and after video exposure and obtained a measure of frustration tolerance after the video. No significant effect on anger emerged, but the results for frustration tolerance showed higher frustration tolerance (respondents spent more time on unsolvable anagrams) after exposure to videotapes with more vegetation. Parkway design and roadside vegetation appear to have restorative effects in reducing frustration.