Psychosocial factors influencing aggressive driving among commercial and private automobile drivers in Lagos metropolis

Using 300 purposively selected private and commercial automobile drivers in Lagos, Nigeria as participants, and with a combination of FGD, interview and questionnaire, the study investigated the influence of psychosocial factors such as (locus of control, age, years of driving experience, marital status and educational status) on aggressive behavior among the drivers based on the frustration – aggression hypothesis. Given the chaotic traffic situation in Lagos, premise was that the aggressive instincts in human beings would be more pronounced among the drivers thereby negatively affecting their behavior. Result showed that commercial drivers were significantly higher on aggressive driving behavior. Younger drivers were more aggressive than older ones. Aggressiveness was attributed to other factors in the environment other than the drivers themselves. The need for training of drivers in proper and acceptable way of driving within their cultural context was emphasized.

► We examined psychosocial factors that can influence aggressive driving among drivers within Lagos metropolis in Nigeria. ► We sampled commercial drivers and private vehicle owners with the view to comparing them on aggressive driving. ► The premise was that; given the chaotic traffic situation in Lagos, aggressiveness will be more pronounced in automobile drivers irrespective of whether they are private vehicle owners or not. ► We conclude that commercial drivers were more aggressive than the private vehicle drivers and that younger drivers are more aggressive than the older ones. There is therefore the need to train automobile drivers in acceptable way of driving within their cultural context.