The influence of traffic congestion, daily hassles, and trait stress susceptibility on state driver stress: An interactive perspective

State driver stress was measured in both low and high traffic congestion us ing cellular telephones. The contributions of time urgency, trait driver st ress, and hassles were also examined. Drivers showed substantially more sta te driver stress under high than low congestion. Time urgency made a signif icant positive contribution to state driver stress at both congestion level s. Trait driver stress also contributed positively under low congestion. Th ere was a significant hassles X trait stress interaction under high congest ion. Hassles exposure moderately increased state driver stress for high tra it stress drivers, but reduced state driver stress for medium and low trait stress drivers, These findings indicate that state driver stress is influe nced by a combination of situational and personal factors, including factor s external to the driving context.