A measure of driver’s justifications to traffic violations

Abstract

This paper describes the development and validation process of a measure of drivers’ justifications for traffic violations. The instrument was based on the moral disengagement model for transgressive actions, which describes processes of self-influence by neutralizing one’s moral standards through four sets in eight mechanisms. In Study 1, 100 drivers responded the Driver’s Justifications Scale (EJM) and results showed a positive correlation with a measure of traffic violations. In Study 2, the items were improved, evaluated by experts and the scale was completed by 547 drivers. The obtained factors partially reflect the original model: Reconstructing the Conduct; Minimizing Guilt; and Distorting Conduct’s Agent. Results of both studies suggest EJM has semantic, content, and construct validity, good internal reliability and can be used in studies of traffic violations.