Psychology and Cognitive Sciences · Vol. 3, No. 3 · 2017 · pp. e6–e8 · e-ISSN 2380-727X

Moral Reasoning in Driving Behavior

Leon J. James

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17140/pcsoj-3-e006 · Published 2017-06-27 · Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 · © 2017 The Author(s)

Also available as PDF (figures and tables appear in the PDF).

Abstract

Driving has become stressful, dangerous, and demeaning. Drivers report being stressed out, threatened by each other, exhibit bad moods, terrorize their passengers, and often fantasize violent acts against other motorists or bicyclists.1-3 These serious issues indicate that there is a strong need for driving psychology and education that can help reverse this trend and change people’s driving habits. Drivers need to be taught the moral dimension of driving, which indicates the character we have as a driver.4,5 Research is needed to assess how drivers can be taught to assess their own driving personality as supportive or hostile, rational or impatient, calm or frustrated, error-free or making mistakes, and cooperative or opportunistic. There is a need for motorists to acknowledge that driving is a social activity that requires coordinated interactions.

Conclusion

A recent study, investigated the relationship between socio-moral reasoning and traffic safety among drivers in the Netherlands.14 The results showed that drivers in stage 1-compliance experienced a higher number of accidents, and drove faster and more aggressively. Interestingly, this relationship was more pronounced for men than women. It is clear that moral reasoning and socio-moral reflection ought to be present in driver education and public safety educational announcements. For example, public safety announcements on the radio routinely appeal for self-protection and financial cost as the motive for slowing down and driving cautiously. However, a few of the sports announcements make an appeal to the people’s sense of pro-social behavior and altruism by referring to the victims and their plight.

The moral dimension of driving has not yet become the focus of researchers and safety officials. Raising the moral thinking level of drivers in traffic may turn out to be an effective approach towards decreasing competitiveness and promoting cooperation with each other in the traffic.

References

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