Traffic psychology theories: Towards understanding driving behaviour and safety efforts

The paper's purpose is to search general mechanisms that would explain the drivers' dynamic behavior, focusing on the question of primary interest in traffic psychology: what actually guides a driver in traffic? What are the basic mechanisms that, for example, determine drivers' moment-to-moment speed control, in different environments, as restricted by speed limits or not - in other words, the paper searches for general psychological pacing factors in driver's behavior. The paper proposes a framework for explaining and evaluating behavioral adaptation effects, a multiple comfort zone model, with the following variables to exemplify normal driving situations: safety margins; good or expected progress of trip; rule following; vehicle/road system; and, pleasure of driving. Other motives, and respective feelings, such as hurry, social pressure, self enhancement, competition, anger, and aggressiveness, thrill seeking, may also take control.