Evidence and Dimensions of Commercial Driver Differential Crash Risk

Abstract

This paper highlights evidence from several instrumented vehiclestudies that crash risk varies significantly among commercial truck drivers, andalso cites findings from surveys of fleet safety managers and other experts on thetopic of individual differences in commercial driver crash risk. Within varioussubject groups, 10-15% of the drivers typically account for 30-50% of the crashrisk. This pattern is seen in measures of driver errors associated with crashes andalso in measures of driver drowsiness. The evidence also suggests, but does notyet prove, that these individual differences are long-term. To the extent that theseindividual differences are long-term, they may be considered personal traits. Thispaper conceptualizes driver risk factors, provides illustrative examples ofdifferential individual risk within groups of drivers, identifies driver factorsthought to be most associated with crash risk, and considers the opportunities forimproved commercial driving safety presented by differential crash risk