Why do ‘so’ much behind the wheel? How obsessive-compulsive symptoms, mindfulness, and anxiety influence distracted driving behaviours

• Pioneering SEM study integrating OCS as a psychological predictor of distracted driving behaviour, advancing road safety research concerning sub-clinical psychological symptom. • OCS reduces mindfulness; both OCS and mindfulness influence anxiety, directly/indirectly affecting distractions via PS and PBC. • Task-induced anxiety during driving increases distraction risks, revealing novel mechanisms in anxiety-behavior models. Driver Distraction Behaviour (DDB) contributes significantly to motor vehicle crashes, psychological factors playing a crucial role in its occurrence. This study aimed to examine the impact of Obsessive–Compulsive Symptoms (OCS), mindfulness, and driving-related anxiety on DDB, as well as the roles of Perceived Safety (PS), Perceived Risk (PR), and Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). A total of 539 participants (53.6 % female; mean age = 39.6 years, SD = 8.5, range = 21–66 years) completed an online survey assessing self-reported DDB and the six aforementioned factors. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among psychological factors, while one-way ANOVAs assessed the effects of individual characteristics on psychological variables. As expected, the SEM results revealed significant positive correlations between OCS, driving-related anxiety, PS, PBC, and DDB, while mindfulness showed a significant negative correlation with DDB. PR had no significant association with DDB. These findings suggest that mindfulness practices may help reduce DDB, whereas anxiety may exacerbate it. OCS, a prevalent negative psychological symptom, may impair mindfulness and, in turn, increase DDB. One-way ANOVA results showed that gender, age, education level, and driving characteristics (i.e., driving age, driving frequency, and annual mileage) significantly influenced some latent variables. With the fast pace of modern life, more individuals engage in non-driving-related tasks while driving. Therefore, further research is needed to explore how mindfulness interventions and strategies to alleviate OCS and anxiety can mitigate DDB and reduce traffic risks. Additionally, traffic safety agencies should implement targeted education programs to address drivers’ overestimation of their control over DDB, reinforce awareness of its risks, and ultimately decrease its prevalence.