Despite fatal truck crash totals reaching their lowest levels in U.S. DOT recorded history in 2009, both industry and government remain convinced there is room for improvement. Reacting to recent research which has highlighted the pivotal role that driver-related factors play in truck crashes, it is clear that efforts aimed at further reducing preventable crashes must focus in large part on driver behaviours. In 2005, ATRI conducted research that identified specific truck driver behaviours that are most predictive of future truck crash involvement.1 Numerous factors could have changed these relationships over the past five years, however. Therefore, an updated analysis was warranted to discern which truck driver behaviours from the original study continue to hold predictive value in terms of crash involvement. The main objective of this research was the identification of specific types of driver behaviours (violations, convictions and crashes) that are most highly correlated with future crash involvement. The Research Team examined to what extent drivers with certain driving records in one year (2008) were more likely to be involved in a truck crash in the following 12 months (2009), compared to drivers who did not have the same violations, convictions or prior crash history. Additionally, the Research Team sought to determine how the updated 2011 findings relate to those from ATRI’s 2005 study. Overall, the findings in this report suggest that driver interventions and industry innovations are capable of altering the magnitude and even the presence of the linkage between behaviors and future exposure to crashes. By becoming aware of problem behaviors, carriers and enforcement agencies are able to address those issues prior to them leading to serious consequences. The converse is also true, however, as lower priority behaviors, if ignored, may begin to play an increasing role in crash involvement. To receive a copy of this report please visit: http://www.atri-online.org (Author/publisher)
Abstract