The purpose of this analysis was to examine the views of Canadian drivers on sharing the road with large trucks. The study was based on a cross-country telephone survey in which drivers were asked about their safety concerns with respect to large trucks and how they would react to given situations while driving. It was found that a significant proportion of Canadian drivers are concerned about their safety when sharing the highways with large trucks. The level of concern varied with the characteristics of the individual, the location and the road situation. Older drivers were more concerned about trucks than younger drivers, and female drivers were more concerned than male drivers. In virtually every category, drivers in eastern Canada expressed more concern than those in western Canada. One third of all drivers expressed some concern related to the conduct (speeding, lack of consideration of other drivers on the road), reliability (fatigue, alcohol/drug abuse), or training of truck drivers. Significant concerns were also expressed about vehicle-related safety problems (size and maintenance). Drivers felt much safer on four-lane divided highways than on two-lane highways. The results of this study raised many question for further research concerning regional differences, age and gender differences, perception versus reality, frequency of driving, passing or being passed, and relative safety concerns. (A)
Abstract