What triggers anger behind the wheel? An invariance study on personality traits and risky attitudes in Italian and Australian older drivers

Introduction: Driving Anger (DA) arises from various traffic-related situations and influences risky driving behaviors. While several studies have explored DA in younger drivers, there is limited research focused on older drivers, who represent a growing driving demographic. The current study examined the relationship between personality traits, attitudes toward safety, and DA in 242 Italian and Australian older drivers. Method: Using a multi-group path analysis, we tested the hypothesis that dispositional variables (i.e., personality traits and attitudes towards safety) predict DA in older drivers, controlling for sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender and education). Cultural differences emerged, as Italians showed higher levels of driving anger, while Australians exhibited more positive attitudes toward road safety. Results: The results indicated that different DA facets were differentially predicted by Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, as well as attitudes toward safety, with invariances across nationality groups. Conclusions and practical applications: These findings highlight the role of personality traits in DA among older drivers, suggesting that personality assessment may improve the design of personalized interventions and policy revisions to reduce risky driving in vulnerable groups of drivers.