Predicting risk in occupational drivers: adopting a broader perspective

Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) are one of the leading causes of death in the UK. Much existing research is limited in its applicability to training within the commercial transport sector in the UK due to the use of samples recruited from a student population or specific groups of drivers or virtual environments. An integrated approach using a purposive sampling strategy is needed to generate findings that are more applicable to occupational drivers. With a view to developing a short, valid, and reliable tool to inform driver awareness training in occupational drivers, the aim of this study was to identify factors that predict accidents and cumulative risk (accidents, points on licence, speeding tickets and other recorded offences). Design: A mixed-method, cross-sectional design was employed to identify factors predictive of accidents and cumulative risk. Method: 443 participants from four focal categories of occupational drivers (Delivery, HGV, Occasional, and Sales) were recruited through various organisations. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed, and content analysed. Based on both a structured literature review, and the categories established with qualitative analysis, the new scale (Cronbach a=.702, N=6) was validated with existing well-established tools used to identify factors predictive of risky driving (e.g. Arnett, 1994; Deffenbacher et al., 2002; Zuckerman, 1994). Results: Qualitative data indicated that Sensation Seeking, Anger, Inattention, Deliberate risk taking and Venting were important aspects in dangerous driving. Analysis of quantitative data indicated Deliberate risk taking and Inattention to be the most important predictors of accidents; Sensation Seeking and Venting emerged to be the most important predictors of cumulative risk. Predictive factors differed across the individual groups of drivers. Conclusions: A unified approach to assess different groups of drivers is oversimplified. The present study provided support for well-established risk factors, added to existing work through the focus on informing professional driver awareness training for predominant groups of occupational drivers, and raised a number of important aspects to be addressed in further studies