Although some characteristics of physiological signals under different emotions have been studied previously, the differences of electroencephalograms (EEG) between normal driving and angry driving are generally unknown. Moreover, motorists from different countries may have different EEG characteristics because of their different customs, lifestyles, and cultures. Because of this, it is believed that the traffic environment and driving behaviors in China are very different from those in developed countries. Therefore, a study of motorist's EEG characteristics under angry driving conditions is necessary and beneficial for better understanding the impacts of aggressive driving on traffic safety, in China, where "road rage" is common. This study is different from traditional laboratory simulation experiments because ten professional drivers were recruited to drive along a real and particularly busy route in Wuhan. The EEG data and driver anger level scale reported by the driver himself were recorded. Study results show that the amplitude of EEG signal is significantly bigger under angry driving conditions. Furthermore, the mean value of frequency percentage of β waves is significantly larger under angry driving conditions than the value under normal driving conditions. Finally, the mean value of frequency percentage of 6 waves is much smaller under angry driving conditions than the value under normal driving conditions. The results can provide an effective method to distinguish between angry driving and normal driving, which can provide theoretical support for designing emotion recognition equipment in the future.
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