Feelings of vulnerability and effects on driving behaviour – A qualitative study

• We qualitatively review feelings of vulnerability on driving behaviour.
• Triggering events, challenging circumstances, passengers and risk perception increase feelings of vulnerability.
• Feeling vulnerable can result in self-regulation and over-regulation and can constrain life choices.

Feelings of vulnerability in driving can be considered an emotional response to risk perception and the coping strategies adopted could have implications for continued mobility. In a series of focus groups with 48 licensed drivers aged 18–75 years, expressions of vulnerability in driver coping behaviours were examined. Despite feelings of vulnerability appearing low, qualitative thematic analysis revealed a complex array of coping strategies in everyday driving including planning, use of ‘co-pilots’, self-regulation, avoidance and confrontive coping, i.e. intentional aggression toward other road users. The findings inform future intervention studies to enable appropriate coping strategy selection and prolong independent mobility in older adults.