National Academies Press: OpenBook

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage (2005)

Chapter: Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys

« Previous: Chapter 3 - Regulatory Framework
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13838.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13838.
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13838.
×
Page 14
Page 15
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13838.
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12 CHAPTER 4 FLEET MANAGER SURVEYS 4.1 SURVEY METHODOLOGY A survey was used to obtain data from 120 fleet managers on driver safety belt use and ways to increase use. The fleet manager survey form can be found in Appendix B. This sec- tion describes the methodology behind the survey in greater detail, and the next section provides the principal results. A general consideration regarding most of the survey responses is that they represent subjective responses to sub- jective questions. A few questions were objective (e.g., ask- ing fleet managers whether or not they used a safety belt promotion practice), but most called for subjective judgments or estimates by respondents. This group was highly qualified to render such judgments, however, so the surveys could be said to capture expert opinion, particularly in regard to fleet management practices. 4.1.1 Survey Distribution and Analysis Survey forms were distributed in two principal ways. First, they were distributed by mail, with each form accompanied by a cover letter and a stamped envelope addressed to project per- sonnel at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Recipients were primarily respondents from previous CTBSSP synthesis studies for whom contact information was available. Second, many survey forms (with attached cover letter) were distributed through the safety councils or at safety meetings of trucking industry associations. This included the National Private Truck Council, American Trucking Associ- ations, Missouri Trucking Association, Georgia Motor Truck- ing Association, and Minnesota Trucking Association. In addition, surveys were distributed to fleet manager attendees of fatigue management training sessions co-sponsored by the ATA and state associations, including the Oregon Trucking Association, Washington Trucking Association, and Ohio Trucking Association. The fleet manager respondent sample is best considered as a convenience sample. Study resources did not permit the design of a systematic subject sampling and survey distribu- tion process or the tracking of survey return rates for various respondent groups. Moreover, those who complete and return a survey of this nature are likely to be those most interested in the topic of safety belts and most committed to the promo- tion of their use. The research team considers the current sample of survey respondents to consist primarily of safety conscious fleet managers. As with most surveys, not all respondents answered all the questions. In this analysis, the response percentages reported were based on the total that answered the question. 4.1.2 Survey Design and Content The fleet manager survey form contained 36 questions and was divided into five parts: • Part 1: General Questions. This first part contained fill-in and multiple choice questions to ascertain use of safety belts as well as possible reasons for non-use. • Part 2: Fleet Methods to Promote Use. This part listed different fleet methods to promote use. There were two- part questions. The first part asked fleet managers to answer “yes” or “no” in relation to their own fleet meth- ods. The instructions then stated, “If ‘yes,’ then rate your perception of the level of effectiveness in promoting belt use by circling the appropriate number.” The ratings for all questions were based on the same 5-point (0 to 4) scale. • Part 3: Government/Industry Programs to Promote Use. Respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of each government/industry program listed using a 5-point (0 to 4) scale. • Part 4: Comments. Fleet managers were asked for any comments on CMV driver safety belt use and ways to promote it. Several lines of space were provided for these comments. Some of the comments are cited in the synthesis. • Part 5: Information about You and Your Fleet. This final part contained questions about years of experience and fleet size and operation type. 4.2 PRINCIPAL SURVEY RESULTS 4.2.1 Part 1: General Questions The first several questions of this survey were written to assess fleet managers’ own use of safety belts and to have them estimate percentages of safety belt usage for their fleet and for all U.S. CMV drivers. The first question was a two- part question asking fleet managers how often they wore

safety belts both at work (work vehicle type not specified) and in their private vehicle. Seventy-eight percent (78%) of fleet managers said they always wore safety belts at work while 80% said that they always wore their safety belt in their private vehicle (see Table 1). As noted previously, this per- centage should not be interpreted as representing all U.S. fleet managers, but rather managers who are generally more safety conscious than the average. Fleet manager respondents averaged 63% in their estima- tion of what percentage of all U.S. CMV drivers wore safety belts, versus 80% in their estimation of the percentage of safety belt usage among their own fleet’s drivers. In other words, they generally considered their fleet drivers to have higher safety belt usage rates than CMV drivers in general. Indeed, only five of the respondents (4.2%) thought that their drivers had a lower usage rate than all CMV drivers. Twenty of the respondents (16.6%) thought that the usage rates for their drivers and all drivers were the same. The other 95 re- spondents (79.2%) thought that their drivers had higher usage rates than CMV drivers in general. Additionally, 81.0% of the respondents knew that federal regulations required CMV drivers to wear safety belts while on the job. Respondents were also given a list of 12 possible reasons for not wearing safety belts and asked to select up to three choices for reasons that drivers in their fleet do not wear safety belts. Respondents could also select the choice that this ques- tion was not applicable to their fleets. Table 2 provides these results. Slightly more than one-quarter of the respondents rated “worried about being trapped in vehicle” as a reason their fleet drivers did not wear safety belts. Several other reasons were commonly cited also. The percentages totaled more than 100% because respondents could select up to three reasons. The final question in Part 1 had respondents consider the drivers in their fleet who did not wear safety belts regularly. They were asked whether these drivers, compared with other drivers, tended to engage more often in unsafe driving prac- tices and violations of company regulations and rules. The fleet managers could respond “yes,” “no,” or “not sure.” Among those who answered the question, the percentages were as follows: • Yes: 20.2% • No: 38.4% • Not sure: 41.4% The high percentage of “not sure” answers to the above question perhaps proves the difficulty of answering the ques- 13 tion based on the limited information managers may have on which of their drivers wear or do not wear safety belts, and how much this behavior correlates with other safety behaviors. 4.2.2 Part 2: Fleet Methods to Promote Use Fleet manager respondents were given a list of 19 possible fleet methods to promote safety belt use. They were asked to circle “yes” or “no” for each method to indicate whether or not the method was used in their fleet. If they circled “yes,” they were asked to rate that method for its effectiveness using a 5-point scale. The scale went from “0” (highly ineffective) to “4” (highly effective). Table 3 shows the fleet methods, percentage who use, mean effectiveness rating (to the near- est tenth), and effectiveness rank. The methods are listed in order of their rated effectiveness. When there were ties in the mean effectiveness ratings, rankings were determined by looking at additional decimal places. For simplicity, these are not shown. The average respondent answered “yes” to 8 of the 19 meth- ods, indicating that these fleet managers and their fleets typi- cally employed multiple methods to promote safety belt use. The most commonly used methods included the following: • Discuss during safety meetings (87%) • Policy included in driver handbook (79%) • Written company policy requiring use (78%) • Driver use of safety belt included in accident investiga- tion process (75%) • Observe driver belt use in vehicles (e.g., when drivers are at terminal [73%]) Seven of the methods listed were used by 50% or more of these fleet managers, another indication that the typical fleet manager survey respondent used multiple approaches to encouraging safety belt use among their fleet drivers. PERSONAL SAFETY BELT USAGE At Work Private Vehicle Never 1% 0% Rarely 4% 3% About half the time 4% 3% Usually 13% 14% Always 78% 80% TABLE 1 Fleet manager personal safety belt usage POSSIBLE REASONS % of Managers Citing Reason Too much trouble and effort 21% Just forget 25% Habit 23% Belt does not fit well 18% Uncomfortable for other reasons 25% Restricts movement in vehicle 23% Infringement on personal freedom 11% Worried about being trapped in vehicle 26% They don’t believe belts increase safety 14% Just don’t like them 23% Part-time users; e.g., only in bad weather 15% Frequently getting in and out of cab 24% N/A. All of our drivers always wear safety belts 10% Note: Totals more than 100% because respondents could select multiple (up to 3) reasons. TABLE 2 Possible reasons for not using safety belts

In terms of effectiveness ratings, most of the methods listed were given moderately high ratings by respondents. The three top-rated methods were rewards/recognition for observed use, observing driver belt use in vehicles, and punishments/ reprimands for non-use. The nineteenth method was “other method or practice” which allowed for anecdotal responses but not quantitative effectiveness ratings. Other methods suggested included the following: • Paying safety bonuses • Termination of employment for non-use • “After an accident, discuss benefit of use with all drivers” • Review roadside inspection when driver is cited • Involve the families of drivers 4.2.3 Part 3: Government/Industry Programs to Promote Safety Belt Use Part 3 presented respondents with eight types of government and industry programs to promote safety belt use. Respondents were asked to rate each program for their effectiveness (using 14 a 5-point scale). The method that received the highest effec- tiveness rating from respondents was showing crash testing with test dummies with and without safety belts. Table 4 lists possible programs to promote use, in descending order of fleet manager ratings and rankings. Again, the last selection in this section was “other suggested methods” to allow for anecdotal responses. Suggestions included the following: • Using highway billboards to help promote use • “Heavier enforcement of ticketing for non-use” • Start a national “saved by the belt” program • Mandating safety orange or bright colored belts in vehicles • Implement “no tolerance” policy • “Publishing more statistics . . . drivers like proof” 4.2.4 Part 4: Comments A space was provided for respondent-written comments. Almost one-quarter of the fleet managers made such comments. The comments focused on a variety of issues and expressed a number of different view points. Some of the comments fell FLEET METHODS TO PROMOTE SAFETY BELT USE % Who Use Mean Effectiveness Rating Rank (of 18) Rewards/recognition for observed use 17% 2.9 1 Observe driver belt use in vehicles (e.g., when drivers are at office/terminal) 73% 2.9 2 Punishment/reprimands for non-use 45% 2.9 3 Discuss during safety meetings 87% 2.8 4 Consistent emphasis of belt use for all employees, including supervision 62% 2.7 5 Written company policy requiring use 78% 2.7 6 Testimonials by experienced drivers who avoided injury by using belts 30% 2.7 7 Post signs in vehicles 22% 2.7 8 Driver use of safety belt included as part of accident investigation process 75% 2.6 9 Media training aides (e.g., videos, slides) 44% 2.5 10 Policy included in driver handbook 79% 2.5 11 Post signs in office/terminal and/or driver room 62% 2.4 12 Post statistics on fleet use 8% 2.4 13 Ask candidates during selection interviews or questionnaires 36% 2.4 14 Printed handouts 44% 2.4 15 Change all safety belts to safety orange or other bright color 3% 2.3 16 Coffee mugs, key rings, etc., with safety belt messages 10% 2.3 17 Encourage employees to report drivers for not wearing safety belts 12% 1.9 18 Other method or practice 15% NA NA TABLE 3 Fleet methods to promote safety belt use PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE SAFETY BELT USE Mean Effectiveness Rating Rank (of 7) Showing crashes with test dummies, with and without safety belts 2.9 1 Testimonials by celebrities on TV, radio, or publications 2.8 2 Providing instructional materials to fleets 2.7 3 TV public service announcements 2.5 4 Radio public service announcements 2.4 5 Magazine/newspaper ads 2.3 6 Government websites promoting safety belt use 1.8 7 TABLE 4 Government/industry programs to promote safety belt use

into the category of the previous survey sections, that is, fleet methods to promote use or government/industry programs to promote use, and were added where appropriate. Some of the other comments included the following: • “Always set the example . . .” • “Link it to family safety and ask them to set an example” • Continuous driver education on the issue • “Drivers of large vehicles don’t think they need belts due to the large size of the vehicle” • “Keep beating the drum, I wish law enforcement wouldn’t ignore it and fines were harsher” • “Deliver a positive, care taking approach” • “Teach usage at an early age, increase fines for non-use, and increase points” • Use photo ticketing 15 4.2.5 Part 5: Respondents Respondents were also asked to provide some general demographic information about themselves and their fleets. The 120 fleet manager respondents had been managers for an average of 11.7 years (range: 1 to 42) and had an average of 22.0 total years of experience in the field of CMV operations (range: 1 to 50). Fleet size varied widely, ranging from four to thousands of power units. The median fleet size was 85 units. Respondents were asked to characterize their fleet’s pri- mary operation by selecting one of ten major truck and bus operation types or writing in an alternative. Results are shown in Table 5. The for-hire long-haul truckload operations type was the most frequent industry segment. The percentages totaled somewhat more than 100% (111%) because some respondents cited two or more operation types. OPERATION TYPE % FLEET MANAGERS For hire: long haul/truckload 39% For hire: bulk carrier 8% For hire: long haul-less-than-truckload (LTL) 8% For hire: local/short haul (< 100 miles) 10% Private carrier: long haul or regional/truckload 15% Private carrier: bulk carrier 2% Private carrier: long haul or regional LTL 13% Private carrier: local/short haul (< 100 miles) 3% Passenger carrier: long haul/motor coach 4% Passenger carrier: local/transit 1% Other (mostly variations of the above) 8% Note: Totals more than 100% because some fleets had more than one operation type. TABLE 5 Fleet managers’ operation types

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TRB’s Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP) Synthesis 8: Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage identifies and documents motivating factors that influence commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in deciding whether to wear safety belts and research and practices that address CMV safety belt usage. It also offers a review of ergonomic and human engineering factors in the design and use of safety belts in CMVs as well as approaches to facilitate safety belt use by truck manufacturers.

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