Driving violations have been found to be related to road traffic accidents, and are partly determined by drivers' attitudinal and demographic factors in Western cultures. The research reported in this thesis investigates Chinese drivers' aberrant driving behaviours in terms of categorization, determinants and consequences. In Chapter 1, previous research on aberrant driver behaviour is described, focusing on its precursors and consequences. The problem of road traffic accidents and impact of national culture on driver behaviour are also discussed. A questionnaire study is reported in Chapter 2, in which the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) and the Driving Skill Inventory (DSI) are administered to 363 Chinese drivers in Beijing. The distinctions between driving violations and errors and lapses, and between perceptual-motor and safety skills, are confirmed. Driver's safety orientation, and especially the frequency of reported driving violations are found to be important to the causation of road traffic accidents. A review of Chinese culture and its potential relevance to driving is reported in Chapter 3. It is hypothesized that a sense of social hierarchy, the functioning of interpersonal networks, and a lack of emphasis on legitimated laws may obstruct the enforcement of traffic laws. Chapter 4 reports a semi-structured interview study in which 20 drivers from each of two Chinese cities are interviewed. The information gathered confirms the above hypotheses and points out directions for the next study. Chapters 5,6, and 7 describe a further questionnaire study, Study Three. Chapter 5 introduces the methodology adopted, including the development of the Chinese Driving Questionnaire (CDQ) and the extension of the DBQ. The results of this study are reported in Chapter 6. The positive association between driving violations and accident involvement is confirmed. The prediction of self-reported driving violations has been significantly improved by the addition of culture relevant factors measured in the CDQ, while there is no major change in the prediction of lapses and errors. In Chapter 7, the results of the third study are discussed with particular reference to the issue of the traffic environment's relevance to driving behaviours, both socially, psychologically and physically. While all three kinds of aberrant driving behaviours are shown to be influenced by driving conditions, the commission of driving violations are largely determined by some culture-specific factors. The impact the demographic variables had on driving in this study is also related to the current situation in China in terms of social and economic development. Chapter 8 provides a brief overview of all three studies including the main findings, methodological issues, practical implications and directions for future research.