Evaluating Emotion Regulation Techniques for Supporting Driving Safety and Performance

People operating motor vehicles are often required to engage in decision-making while under substantial cognitive loads imposed by the driving environment. In such situations, distractions, both external and internal, can compromise the safety of individuals and the system. Driving under the influence of elevated emotions has been shown to increase the risk associated with driving by 10 times compared to driving in a calmer emotional state. Aggressive driving behaviors, which include driver interaction with other drivers on the roadway, lane change behavior, and speeding, are often associated with rage and anger, but they are also seen in the experience of elevated states of happiness. Therefore, there is a need for interventions to deescalate elevated emotional states in a manner that improves driving safety and performance while imposing minimal additional load on the driver to engage with these interventions. This study employed three interventions that utilized different sensory modalities and a range of cognitive demands from the driver and compared them to driving under anger and happiness with no intervention. Results suggest that the use of interventions can have a positive effect on aspects of driving, such as tailgating, speeding, and yellow light behavior, as well as the driver’s workload.