Robert B. Isler and Samantha A. Newland School of Psychology University of Waikato The link between Happiness and Safe Driving Behaviour

2 People drive the way they live. Video

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4 Driver violations intentions predict risky driving behaviour leading to crashes. to crashes: Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: In the future how often would you expect to do each of the following? Never - 0 Certain Speed over the legal limit 2.Be angry about a bad driver 3.Deliberately violate a road rule 4.Cut off other drivers 5.… etc.,

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7 People drive the way they live.

Mental Languishing Moderate Flourishing Disorder Mental Health Mental Health f Are flourishing people low-risk drivers?

10 Three Orientations to Happiness and Life Satisfaction

11 First Pathway to Happiness: Pleasure PLEASURE: Hedonic definition of well-being: More experienced pleasure is equivalent to higher well-being. e.g., -Life is too short to postpone the pleasure it can provide -I go out of my way to feel euphoric

12 Second Pathway to Happiness: Meaning MEANING: Finding meaning in one’s life is an important determinant of psychological well-being. e.g., - I have a responsibility to make the world a better place - What I do matters to the society 1 = Strongly disagree ……. 5 = Strongly agree

13 Third Pathway to Happiness: Engagement ENGAGEMENT: Well-being through engaging in activities that are engrossing and absorbing- creating flow feelings. e.g., - I am always very absorbed in what I do - Regardless what I am doing, time passes quickly. 1 = Strongly disagree ……. 5 = Strongly agree

14 Questionnaire 1.Demographics: Age, Gender, Licence type, Mileage 2.Driving History: Fines, Near Misses and Crashes (Incidences) 3.Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: Driver Violations Intentions (20 Questions) 4.Three Dimensions of Well-being: Pleasure, Engagement, Meaning (18 Questions)

15 Sample first, second and third year students -Age range: years; Mean: 24 years years (N=140); >25 years (N=20) -116 females, 44 males

16 Incidences and mileage, by Groups

17 Pleasure, Meaning and Engagement, by Groups

18 r = , p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.45

19 r = , p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.34

20 r = , p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.1

21 r = , p < 0.01, R 2 = 0.28

22 People engage in maladaptive coping strategies in order to cope with psychological issues - by doing too much of something – or not enough e.g.,: Starving Indulging Driving too slowly Driving too fast Insomnia (Fatigue) Oversleeping Procrastination Workaholic Abstinence Drink-Driving Bored Stress Maladaptive coping strategies

23 The happiness dimensions of meaning and engagement strongly relate to low-risk driving behaviour The happiness dimension of pleasure may predict risky driving - possibly relating to sensation and thrill seeking Conclusions

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