Psychological Resilience and Driving Behavior: A PRISMA-Guided Systematic Review and Bibliometric Synthesis (2002–2025)

Abstract

The present systematically literature review synthesizes findings from 221 peer-reviewed articles indexed in the Web of Science Core database to examine how resilience, along with its cognitive, emotional, and dispositional correlates, influences driving behavior. Building on the broader doctoral project that investigates resilience as a moderator between emotional attachment and driving styles, this study focused specifically on resilience–driving relations.

Bibliometric mapping with VOSviewer highlighted seven thematic clusters linking resilience to risky driving, emotional regulation, stress adaptation, neurobiological mechanisms, occupational spillover, developmental antecedents, and individual differences.

Findings consistently suggest that resilience functions as a protective factor in driving contexts (Gras, 2016). Resilient drivers display enhanced emotional regulation, lower aggressiveness, and better adaptation to stressors, whether age-related, occupational, or situational. Among young drivers, resilience mitigates impulsivity and risky behaviors; in older drivers, it supports adaptive self-regulation and reduces negative outcomes of driving cessation(Renée M. St. Louis, 2022). Military and professional driver studies further confirm that higher resilience correlates with discipline, reduced violations, and safer performance (Rosenbloom T., 2016).

Despite limitations such as reliance on self-report data and predominantly cross-sectional designs, the evidence points to resilience as a key psychological resource for traffic safety. Practical implications include the integration of resilience-building programs - emotional coping training, mindfulness, and psycho-educational interventions - into driver education and public safety strategies.