Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering

Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering

Effects of Personality Traits and Demographic Characteristics on Driving Behavior among Public Transport Drivers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammad Amin Ebrahimzadeh 1
Amir Hossein Jashnian 2
Ali Abdi Kordani 3
Navid Nakhaie 2
Mahdise Dabbaqi 2
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Ka.C., Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
2 Department of Civil Engineering, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 Faculty of Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
10.48308/ijce.2026.246548.1030
Abstract
Driving behavior is a major human factor affecting road safety, particularly among professional drivers operating public transport vehicles under demanding traffic and working conditions. This study examines the effects of demographic and personality-related characteristics on driving behavior among public transport drivers. Data were collected through face-to-face questionnaire surveys involving 678 professional drivers, including suburban and urban bus drivers, taxi drivers, and truck and trailer drivers. Six behavioral dimensions were assessed: driving fatigue, risk identification, calmness, patience, driving stress, and thrill seeking. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to identify the underlying behavioral structure,while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were also applied to examine associations between demographic characteristics and behavioral dimensions. The results confirmed the suitability of the data for factor analysis and demonstrated acceptable overall questionnaire reliability. Age, education level,and vehicle ownership were significantly associated with several driving behavior dimensions. Older drivers exhibited differences in fatigue, calmness, patience, and thrill-seeking behaviors, while education level was significantly related to fatigue, calmness, patience, and thrill seeking.These findings highlight the relevance of demographic and personality-related characteristics for understanding behavioral differences among professional drivers and provide implications for driver selection, safety training, fatigue management, and public transport safety policies.
Keywords
Driving Behavior
Public Transport Drivers
Personality Traits
Demographic Characteristics
Road Safety
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Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 6
Spring 2026
Pages 222-250