National Academies Press: OpenBook

Individual Differences and the "High-Risk" Commercial Driver (2004)

Chapter: Chapter 6 - Research and Development Needs

« Previous: Chapter 5 - Operational Safety Management Methods
Page 45
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Research and Development Needs." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Individual Differences and the "High-Risk" Commercial Driver. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13770.
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Page 45
Page 46
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 6 - Research and Development Needs." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2004. Individual Differences and the "High-Risk" Commercial Driver. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13770.
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Page 46

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45 CHAPTER 6 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS This synthesis has presented survey results and statistical findings from a number of studies supporting the view that commercial drivers differ greatly in their levels of crash risk and that a relatively small percentage of drivers (perhaps 10 to 15%) account for a disproportionate percentage of total fleet risk (perhaps 30 to 50%). Questions remain about these findings, however. One question is whether the findings are reliable or just the result of random variation. Most of the findings cited appear to be reliable (statistically significant), but any systematic new studies on the issue should incorpo- rate rigorous designs and statistical analyses to ensure the reliability of the findings. The findings presented in this synthesis generally imply, but do not verify, that relative driver risk (general and specific, e.g., fatigue, aggressive driving) endures across long periods of time. In other words, “risk” is to some extent a long-term personal trait, in addition to being obviously related to specific situations and conditions. A pressing research need is to perform studies to provide answers to the “trait versus state” debate or to incor- porate these questions into various other motor carrier safety studies. The term “accident prone” means different things to different people and thus has not generally been used in this synthesis. However, there clearly is some truth to the idea, and future research could increase the understanding of it. This synthesis (especially Chapter 4) has presented an array of personal factors that may be underlying dimensions or cor- relates of commercial driver crash risk. The most pressing R&D need is systematic and quantitative determination of the role that the many factors discussed play in commercial driver risk. A truly systematic approach would review all major human characteristics potentially associated with driver crash risk, select the best available tests to measure them (or develop new tests), and empirically determine the relation of each fac- tor to commercial driver crash, violation, and incident involve- ment in the same group of drivers. Of course, the study sample should be broadly representative of commercial drivers. Both prospective and retrospective comparisons with criterion safety measures could be made. Instrumented vehicles that continuously monitor driver performance might be employed to provide stronger statistical comparisons, because observed driver errors and other incidents are likely to be far more numerous than reported crashes and traffic violations. Instru- mented vehicle studies might also enable researchers to assess the relationships of various personal factors to various kinds of driver mistakes and misbehaviors, such as tendencies to make recognition errors (failure to recognize a crash threat) or tendencies to drive aggressively and take risks. A case- control crash risk study design (e.g., systematically compar- ing crash-involved with non–crash-involved drivers) would be one way to associate each factor studied with the probability of crash involvement (Boyle et al. 2002). Many factors could be included in the study, and statistical methods like multiple regression could be used to combine factors to derive the best possible predictions of driver risk. Study data could serve as the basis for developing and validating practical selection tools to be used by fleets to improve the safety quality of drivers hired. In addition to findings on personal traits, study results related to situational factors might help carriers to identify and avoid risky situations such as various schedules, road- way types, and environmental conditions. There is a specific development opportunity relating to the identification of individuals with high susceptibility to fatigue while driving. As discussed in Chapter 4, there is compelling evidence of wide individual differences in fatigue susceptibil- ity and further evidence that these differences persist over time. Given the essential role played by vigilance in driving, it is likely that some individuals are simply constitutionally ill- suited to long-haul commercial driving because they cannot sustain alertness under the rigors of commercial transport oper- ations. Conversely, there are low-susceptible individuals who are unlikely to be involved in fatigue-related incidents and crashes. Ideally, a diagnostic tool (e.g., a physiological or performance test) could be developed to efficiently and accu- rately assess a candidate driver’s level of fatigue susceptibil- ity. Such a tool would not diminish the importance and value of improved fatigue management by drivers and fleets; rather, the combination of driver selection and alertness-supportive management techniques would combine to dramatically reduce drivers’ risks of attentional lapses and falling asleep at the wheel. The various personality and performance variables dis- cussed almost all have some potential for increased use in selecting drivers. In most cases, tests of the various person- ality and performance factors have already been developed. While refinements to the various tests would certainly be beneficial, the principal development need for most psycho- logical tests is validation in relation to driving safety criteria and practical application to actual fleet settings.

Chapter 5 of this synthesis addressed carrier management approaches to addressing the high-risk driver problem and capitalizing on the fact that most commercial drivers are not high risk. R&D is needed in relation to all major driver man- agement functions: selection, evaluation, and management intervention. Selection-related studies might focus on validat- ing the use of specific selection procedures or instruments, such as selection tests. Criterion-based test validation requires the use of safety performance criteria (e.g., crash, violation, and incident involvement) to validate the predictive power of questionnaires, sensory-motor tests, and other types of assess- ment tools. Several different CMV industry operations types (e.g., long-haul, short-haul, motor coach) might be employed to ensure that test validity generalizes to different segments of the industry, or to determine if some tests work better in some operations than in others. Also, as noted in Chapter 4, any research on underlying factors has the potential to be applied to the practical goal of improving driver selection. In the area of driver performance evaluation, a particular R&D opportunity relates to OBSM. OBSM can potentially measure multiple safety-critical driving behaviors that are the source of safety outcomes such as crashes. A systematic study addressing the safety applications of OBSM might include the following: • Assessment of the safety significance of different on- board performance measures. • Evaluation of in-vehicle displays and warnings; what is the best way to communicate information to the driver? • Approaches to reducing, analyzing, and benchmarking the data. 46 • Management approaches to providing feedback, posi- tive rewards and incentives, and, as necessary, nega- tive discipline to drivers based on OBSM data. In other words, what are the best ways to change behavior in positive ways? • Legal and litigation risk issues relating to the recording of safety performance and behavior-related data. Behavioral safety management in general would be a worthy topic for motor carrier safety management research. BBS has been highly successful in other industries, but has not been widely applied to truck and bus safety, perhaps because of the solitary nature of commercial driving where drivers do not work in groups. A systematic long-term study might assess the applicability and effectiveness of BBS techniques in CMV operations. This could include the use of BBS for drivers in general as well as its use to target the driving behavior of problem drivers. Study findings might form the basis for an educational program to teach carrier safety managers how to effectively employ behavioral man- agement methods. The behavioral MIL (Geller 1998) is a positive, heuristic model of how different workers respond to behavioral man- agement interventions. Determination of specific fleet man- agement practices associated with these levels might help carrier safety managers to use BBS with greater confidence and authority. Individuals who do not respond to the most vigorous behavioral management interventions are probably constitutionally unsuited to commercial driving and should be encouraged to leave the profession.

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TRB's Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Synthesis 4: Individual Differences and the “High-Risk” Commercial Driver explores individual differences among commercial drivers, particularly as these differences relate to the “high-risk” commercial driver. The synthesis identifies factors relating to commercial vehicle crash risk and assesses ways that the high-risk driver can be targeted by various safety programs and practices, at both fleet- and industry-wide levels.

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