Understanding commercial truck drivers’ decision-makin process concerning distracted driving

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Understanding commercial truck drivers’ decision-makin process concerning distracted driving

Swedler, David I. / Pollack, Keshia M. / Gielen, Andrea C.

Highlights • Qualitative interviews identified ways in which supervisors might affect truck drivers’ distracted driving behavior. • Surveys of truck drivers found associations between components of decision making and distraction-involved near crashes. • A mixed methods synthesis of these results indicated that how work-related a distraction is should guide interventions.

Abstract A concurrent mixed methods design was used to explore personal and workplace factors, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, that affect truck drivers’ decision-making about distracted driving on the job. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with experts in truck safety and distracted driving, and quantitative data were collected via online survey of truck drivers in the United States. Findings from the interviews illustrated how drivers perceived distractions and the importance of supervisors enforcing organizational distracted driving policies. Survey results found that behavioral intentions were most important in regards to texting and crash and near-crash outcomes, while perceived norms from management best described the correlation between dispatch device use and negative crash-related outcomes. By using a mixed methods design, rather than two separate studies, these findings revealed nuanced differences into the influence of supervisors on distracted driving.