A mixed methods study of conflict, pressure, and safety threats among motorcycle delivery riders in Türkiye

Motorcycle delivery riders are known to operate under conditions that combine sustained traffic exposure, time pressure, and demanding work environments. This mixed-methods study examined the psychological and behavioral profiles of motorcycle delivery riders in Türkiye and explored their experiences with road rage in everyday occupational traffic settings. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 119 male motorcycle delivery riders recruited from delivery workplaces.

Quantitative data were collected using the Short Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (S-DBQ), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and a structured questionnaire. In addition, 69 of them who reported at least one previous road-rage incident provided open-ended accounts of these experiences. Model-based clustering was used to identify rider profiles based on behavioral and psychological indicators, and reflexive thematic analysis was applied to the qualitative data.

Four profiles were identified, labeled risky, moderate, passive, and prosocial riders. These groups differed significantly across riding behaviors and psychological symptoms. The qualitative analysis yielded four interrelated themes describing systemic stressors, risky traffic interactions, emotional responses, and escalation of road rage/accident consequences.

Overall, these findings suggest that road rage among motorcycle delivery riders appears to be associated not only with risky riding patterns, but also with broader psychosocial and occupational pressures that may intensify conflict in traffic. The author thanks Professor Sergio A. Useche for his guidance, and Turgut Ay, President of the Motorcycle Couriers Federation, for facilitating contact with the participants.

Department of Psychology, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Türkiye Yenişehir Mah. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Merkez Kampüsü, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Merkez, Sivas, Türkiye The authors declare no competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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