National Academies Press: OpenBook

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Safety Belt Usage (2005)

Chapter: Chapter 5 - Driver Interviews

« Previous: Chapter 4 - Fleet Manager Surveys
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Suggested Citation:"Chapter 5 - Driver Interviews." 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 5 - Driver Interviews." 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 5 - Driver Interviews." 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 5 - Driver Interviews." 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 5 - Driver Interviews." 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 5 - Driver Interviews." 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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16 CHAPTER 5 DRIVER INTERVIEWS 5.1 DRIVER INTERVIEW METHODOLOGY In order to collect safety belt usage and perception data from truck drivers, the research team designed and used a structured survey interview approach. The survey guide was pre-tested with several drivers to ensure that it could be com- pleted in 3 to 5 min. The structured interviews were con- ducted at two large truck stops located in the Atlanta and Minneapolis metropolitan areas. The on-site random interviews were conducted with driv- ers entering or exiting the truck stop facilities. As added incentive, driver respondents were offered a pre-paid calling card for participating in the survey interview. The survey guide is presented in Appendix C. Similar to the written survey of fleet managers, many of the driver questions presented in the structured interview tended to be speculative or subjective in nature (e.g., What percentage of the time do you wear a safety belt?). However, several ques- tions were more objective in design (e.g., Is there a penalty at your company for not wearing your safety belt?). Finally, data relating to driver respondent physical qualities such as age, height, and weight were estimated by the interviewer. Each structured interview with the truck driver was initi- ated with an introductory discussion that highlighted the research objectives, research team members, and the confi- dential and voluntary nature of the interview. The objective of the introductory discussion was to ensure that each driver understood that the interview was optional, the data collected could not be traced to them, and that there was therefore no reason to answer in a manner that was untruthful. 5.1.1 Data Collection and Analysis The structured interviews were given over 3 days at two sites. On the first day, two ATRI interviewers collected data at a truck stop with 90 parking spaces off Interstate-94 in Hud- son, Wisconsin (located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region). On the second and third days, three ATRI interviewers col- lected data at a much larger 230 parking space truck stop located just off Interstate-285, the Atlanta Perimeter, in Con- ley, Georgia. Interviewers were on site for 8 hours each day. The method used to sample truck drivers for this project can best be described as convenience sampling. The investi- gators, as experts in the trucking industry using common sense, were able to sample a typical or representative segment of the truck driving population. This was partially achieved through the site selection process. In other words, large pop- ulations of truck drivers are typically found at well estab- lished truck stops. Furthermore, the geographic locations of the sites offered a variety of industry sectors and sizes. Before each interview began, the interviewer confirmed that the sub- ject was a truck driver if he or she had not seen the subject actually driving a truck. Lastly, the first question of the struc- tured interview, “What percentage of the time do you wear a safety belt while driving your truck?” confirmed that the sub- ject was, in fact, a CMV driver. The sample did not cover, however, all representative driver subpopulations. For example, since data collection occurred between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., regular city interline drivers might be underrepresented. The sample might overrepresent long-haul truck drivers because local delivery drivers were less likely to stop at the major, full-service truck stops such as those located in Hudson, Wisconsin, and Conley, Georgia. Confidentiality was ensured by not recording subject names or the companies for which they worked. For data collection, interviewers entered responses on-site by hand during each interview. The interview data were later entered into a spreadsheet by an individual who was not an interviewer. 5.1.2 Interview Design and Data The CMV driver interview guide contains 5 parts: • Part 1: General Questions. These questions asked what percentage of the time a driver wore a safety belt in two separate situations, why the subject made that choice, and what reasons were offered for not wearing a safety belt. • Part 2: Functionality. These questions focused on com- fort, usability, complaints, and possible improvements for safety belts. • Part 3: Carrier/Driver Interactions. These questions focused on company policy, penalties, rewards for desired behavior and potential incentives. • Part 4: Trucking Related Demographics. These ques- tions determined driver experience, fleet type, and cargo.

• Part 5: Driver Demographics. The interviewer esti- mated age, height, weight, and gender of the drivers. 5.2 PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW RESULTS The following represent the findings of the research team’s collection of data through 238 interviews of CMV drivers collected at truck stops in Georgia and Wisconsin. 5.2.1 Part 1: General Questions The first part of the interview guide was designed to make an initial determination of driver safety belt use and the factors that contributed to use or non-use of a safety belt. The first question asked drivers what percentage of the time they wore their safety belts while driving a truck. Because answers could range anywhere from 0% to 100%, they were placed into six categories: 5% or less, 6 to 24%, 25 to 49%, 50 to 74%, 75 to 94% and 95% or greater. Results indicated that 61% of the drivers surveyed stated that they wore their safety belts 95% of the time or more (see Figure 1). Many of those who reported using their safety belts in this category did not use them 100% of the time in order to negotiate sharp turns in urban areas at low speeds, pull into the company lot, or drive their truck in reverse. Placed together with the 11% who reported wearing their belts between 75% and 94% of the time, approximately 17 72% of drivers stated that they wore their safety belt all or most of the time. A reverse bell curve is found in these results (see Figure 2), with very few drivers falling in the range of 6% to 74%. There is a spike in the strong non-user category—those who wear safety belts 5% of the time or less—accounting for one-fifth of the interviewed population. Drivers had similar behavior regarding use of a safety belt while driving their personal cars. Though individual drivers did not correlate exactly, overall, there was a strong compar- ative pattern for the interviewed population (see Figure 2). A third question asked drivers to consider why they did or did not choose to wear a safety belt. Among all drivers who responded to this question, the greatest factor in making the choice to wear a safety belt was ‘safety,’ representing 39% (see Table 6). Other reasons for using a safety belt included the coercive factor found in law enforcement (19%), having seen or been in a “shocking” accident (11%), and having received a fine (9%). Approximately 12% suggested that they made the choice to wear a safety belt simply out of habit. Respondents who listed reasons they chose to not wear a safety belt offered the discomfort of the device (38%) and personal choice and general dislike of safety belts (34%) as their top motivations. Nearly 14% felt that wearing a safety belt was actually more dangerous than not wearing one for reasons such as being trapped in a fire or during a rollover. Another 8% claimed that their mobility was limited by safety belts, especially while negotiating turns in urban areas. In question four, respondents were given a choice of five likely reasons not to wear a safety belt and were allowed to offer their own answers as well. They were able to choose as many answers as they thought were valid (see Table 7). Of the 175 respondents who felt valid reasons existed, 64% stated that the discomfort of safety belts was a valid reason. Nearly one- half of the respondents thought that it was legitimate not to wear a safety belt because it represented an infringement of rights and because drivers could become trapped in the vehi- cle after a crash. More than one-quarter believed that forget- ting to put on the safety belt was a valid reason, and 14% indicated that the trouble and effort it took to use a safety belt was a valid reason not to wear one. In the interview guide, there was an option to choose other reasons that the respondent 20% 2% 2% 4% 11%61% ≤5 6-24 25-49 50-74 75-94 ≥95 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 <5 6-24% 25- 49% 50- 74% 75- 94% >95% % of the Time Safety Belt is Worn % o f I nt er vi ew Po pu la tio n Driving a Truck Driving a Car Figure 1. Safety belt use by CMV drivers while driving trucks. Figure 2. Safety belt use by CMV drivers while driving a truck and while driving a car.

believed might be valid for not wearing a safety belt; few chose to take advantage of this option, and none chose the same answer. These responses included if a driver was fatigued, if the driver did not feel he or she needed a belt, if the belt was too small for the driver, or if the driver feared decapitation. 5.2.2 Part 2: Functionality Part 2 began with a general question on usability. It stated: If truck safety belts were more functional, comfortable, and easy to use, would you be more inclined to wear them? Of the 238 respondents, only 76, or 32%, said yes to this question. This could be attributed to the strong non-users, and those who always wore a safety belt: they generally did not feel that there was anything that would change their minds, or, in the case of the latter group, they already wore their safety belts all of the time. For those 76 respondents who replied yes to the question of usability, an additional option was given for four under- lying issues that make their safety belts difficult to use or uncomfortable. These issues were (1) limited range of arm and shoulder motion, (2) the lap belt or shoulder harness was not long enough/too tight, (3) shoulder harness position was awkward, and (4) the belts rode too high or too low. Respondents were able to choose as many as they wished. Of the 76 drivers who said yes to this question, 36% indicated that the awkwardness of the shoulder harness position made 18 the safety belt either uncomfortable or difficult to use (see the ergonomics assessment of this problem in Chapter 7 of this synthesis), and 33% stated that the length of the shoulder har- ness, or its tightness, was problematic. More than 22% of drivers indicated that the limited range of motion caused dis- comfort and difficulties, and finally, one-fifth mentioned the belt’s position—either too high or too low—as a cause for their problems. The second question of this section asked what the biggest complaint about safety belts was for the driver. Approxi- mately 62% of drivers interviewed provided a response to this open-ended question; there were a variety of ‘most signifi- cant’ complaints listed, and results were placed into 19 sepa- rate categories (see Table 8). Of those providing an answer to this question, 28% stated that they had no complaints regard- ing safety belts. It should be noted that most of those who did not respond—38% of the total group interviewed—generally did not have complaints about safety belts, and thus did not provide an answer. Consequently, of the 148 who did indicate an answer to this question, 106 listed actual complaints as seen in Table 8. The majority of complaints referred to comfort issues regarding safety belts, while there was a small faction whose primary complaint was law enforcement’s role in safety belt use and infringement on personal rights (approxi- mately 9%). The most widespread complaints of the 106 were that the safety belts rubbed or vibrated against the neck or shoulders (27%), safety belts locked frequently when the WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO WEAR A SAFETY BELT? NUMBER PERCENTAGE Safety 74 39% Because it is the law 36 19% Out of habit 22 12% Seen or been in an accident 21 11% Have received a fine or ticket 16 9% Company policy 6 3% Because of children 6 3% When driving through weigh scales 5 3% Because of other drivers 2 1% Total 188 WHY DO YOU CHOOSE NOT TO WEAR A SAFETY BELT? NUMBER PERCENTAGE Uncomfortable 19 38% Personal choice or general dislike 17 34% Because safety belts are dangerous 7 14% Need mobility while maneuvering 4 8% Truck is not equipped with a safety belt 2 4% Do not know 1 2% Total 50 VALID REASONS FOR NOT WEARING A SAFETY BELT NUMBER PERCENTAGE It is uncomfortable 112 64% It is an infringement of rights 86 49% Driver could become trapped if there is an accident 82 47% Driver forgets to put it on 50 29% It is too much trouble and effort 24 14% TABLE 6 Reasons drivers wear or do not wear safety belts TABLE 7 Valid reasons for not wearing a safety belt

driver moved around the cab (15%), and safety belts were generally uncomfortable (14%). The third question of this section asked the drivers what, in their experience, made a safety belt easy to use (see Table 9). Respondents were given a choice of four answers and also had the option to provide an answer that might not have been included. The drivers could select as many as they liked. Of all drivers interviewed, nearly one-half (46%) stated that a safety belt that was easy to take off and put on made that system easy to use. Drivers also indicated that safety belts were easy to use (1) if they did not interfere with driving (39%), (2) when they were easy to position (36%), and (3) when they were not too tight (31%). Drivers also mentioned that comfortable and auto- matic safety belts allowed for greater ease of use. The final question of this section asked respondents what changes could make a safety belt less difficult to use. This was an open-ended question, and answers were placed into the 14 categories listed in Table 10. Of the 170 responses recorded, 68 drivers (40%) indicated that there was nothing that could make a safety belt less difficult to use; however, 102 drivers did indicate that a change would make safety belts easier to use, including 22 (13%) who believed that if safety belts were adjustable they would be less difficult. 19 Softer or cushioned safety belt material and a 4-point harness system, such as those used by race car drivers, were each indicated as a potential solution by 17 drivers (10% of the total responses for each category). 5.2.3 Part 3: Carrier/Driver Interactions The third section of this interview focused on interactions between drivers and the carriers who employed them (if they worked for a carrier, i.e., if they were not independent owner/ operators). The first question asked drivers if there were com- pany policies requiring safety belt use: 51% of drivers indi- cated that there was a policy, while 37% indicated there was none, and 11% were uncertain if there was a safety belt policy or not. Those who indicated that there was a safety belt use policy at their company were subsequently asked whether violations of the policy lead to negative consequences. Of the 123 drivers that answered yes, 144 responses were collected. Those who indicated tiered penalties generally stated that there was a rep- rimand, a suspension, and finally termination, thus accounting for more responses than respondents (see Table 11). TOTAL RESPONSES NO. % Driver indicates no complaints 42 INDICATES A COMPLAINT NO. % Safety belt rubs or vibrates against neck/shoulder 29 27% 28% Safety belt locks 16 15% Safety belt is uncomfortable 15 14% Safety belt is too tight 10 9% Safety belt has limited range of motion 8 8% Mandatory safety belt use is an infringement of rights 6 6% Safety belts are not safe 5 5% Material is too hard 3 3% Safety belts are mandatory 3 3% Lap belt is uncomfortable 2 2% Dislike safety belts in general 2 2% Forget to wear 2 2% Belt loosens up 1 1% Shoulder strap gets twisted 1 1% Driver is required to take it off and on frequently 1 1% Needs an emergency release 1 1% Blocks mirror 1 1% Buckle gets stuck 1 1% REASON NO. % of Total It does not fit too tight 74 31% It does not interfere with my driving 94 39% It is easy to put on/take off 110 46% It is easy to position 85 36% It is an automatic belt 2 1% It is comfortable 2 1% TOTAL RESPONSES NO. % Drivers indicated nothing could make safety belts easier to use 68 40% INDICATES A CHANGE NO. % If the belt were adjustable 22 13% Softer material/more cushion 17 10% Racing harness/4-point system 17 10% Automatic 12 7% If it were a lap belt only 9 5% Buckle easier to use 5 3% No locking 3 2% Looser 2 1% Emergency release 2 1% Vehicle does not start w/out belt on 1 1% Reminder voice 1 1% Fit bigger drivers 1 1% Other 10 6% PENALTIES No. % No penalty 54 44% Written up/ reprimand 31 25% Uncertain 28 23% Termination 10 8% Suspension 5 4% Yes, but no specifics 6 5% Left up to the law/tickets 6 5% Company fine 1 1% Loss of radio 1 1% Other 2 2% TABLE 8 Chief complaints about safety belts TABLE 9 Attributes that make a safety belt easy to use TABLE 10 Changes that could potentially make a safety belt easier to use TABLE 11 Company/other penalties for not wearing a safety belt

Of the 144 responses to this question, 54 drivers (44%) indicated that there were no penalties for violating company safety belt use policy, 31 drivers (slightly more than 25%) stated that a penalty was given in the form of a verbal or writ- ten reprimand, and approximately 28 drivers (23%) were uncertain what the penalty was for violating their safety belt use policy, indicating that penalties were probably not given out at those companies. Only 10 drivers (8%) listed termina- tion as part of their company’s safety belt use policy. The second question of this section asked drivers if their company offered driver rewards or positive recognition for wearing their safety belts, or if they offered any educational courses on safety belt use. This was an open-ended question with answers being placed into eight general categories (see Table 12). Of 238 drivers surveyed, only 54 drivers (23%) indicated that rewards or education were offered by their companies. Of those who indicated that they had received education or were eligible for rewards, 30 drivers (56%) stated that safety belt use had been covered in training and just under 19% stated that safety belt use was covered in regular safety meet- ings. Nearly 13% responded that safety bonuses or rewards were given by their companies. The final question of this section asked drivers what type of incentives would motivate them to wear their safety belts. The answers to this open-ended question were organized into 11 categories (see Table 13). Of the 163 who responded to this question, 45% stated that no incentives could change their safety belt usage. These drivers were probably either 20 TYPE OF REWARD OR EDUCATION No. % of all responses % of 54 drivers w/ edu./rewards None 103 43% -- Safety belt covered in training 30 13% 56% Safety belt covered in regular safety meetings 10 4% 18% Uncertain/no answer 81 34% -- Safety bonus/rewards 7 3% 13% Yes, no specifics 4 2% 7% Educational video 2 1% 4% Shock video 1 0% 2% INCENTIVES No. % There are no incentives 73 45% Money/ monetary bonuses 23 14% Uncertain 19 12% More education on consequences/shock 18 11% Gift cards/ phone cards/small rewards 6 4% General safety benefits are incentive enough 5 3% Personal reasons, such as having children 3 2% More enforcement/higher fines 3 2% Awards 1 1% Avoiding enforcement 1 1% Other/off topic 11 7% 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0-5 yrs 6-1 0y rs 11 -15 yrs 16 -20 yrs 21 -25 yrs 26 -30 yrs 31 -35 yrs 36 -40 yrs 40 +y rs Years Driving Commercially N um be r o f D riv er s TABLE 12 Rewards or education offered by employers TABLE 13 Potential incentives to increase safety belt use Figure 3. CMV drivers’ years of driving experience. strong non-users or wore safety belts all the time. This could also be said for the drivers who chose not to answer the ques- tion. Another 12% indicated an uncertainty about whether incentives would work, because enforcing compliance was nearly impossible while drivers were on the road. The remain- der suggested incentives such as money and monetary bonuses (14%), gift cards or other small rewards (4%), and awards (1%). Also listed as incentives were educational opportunities, personal reasons, safety benefits, and increased enforcement of laws and policies. 5.2.4 Part 4: Trucking-Related Demographics In this final section of interview questions, drivers were briefly asked about demographics relating to their driving his- tory and their companies. Drivers were first asked how many years they had been driving (see Figure 3). Generally, there was a downward trend from drivers who had 0 to 5 years of experience to those who had decades of experience. Some interviewers were told that an influx of new drivers in what the drivers saw as a struggling economy outside of the truck- ing industry was responsible for this trend. Respondents were then asked whether they were long-haul or short-haul drivers. Not surprisingly, more than 86% were long-haul drivers. This finding supports an argument that long-haul truck drivers have a higher than average safety belt use rate. Alternatively, LTL and courier drivers indicated during focus groups that short hauls and regular deliveries

required them to take their safety belts off more often. The likely conclusion is that length of haul and sector of industry may have a high correlation to safety belt usage. Additional responses in this section showed that 68% of respondents worked in a for-hire capacity or for a for-hire trucking company. Of these, 79% indicated that they were truckload carriers, while 17% were LTL carriers. LTL carri- ers were more likely to have frequent stops and be short-haul carriers. 5.2.5 Part 5: Driver Demographics Finally, the interviewers estimated four demographic clas- sifications for each driver interviewed immediately following each interview. Of the 238 drivers interviewed, only 8 were women. Figures 4, 5, and 6 indicate the estimated age, weight, 21 and height, respectively, of the drivers interviewed. The data for the 20% who were non-users (wore safety belts less than 5% of the time) were isolated, and their demographics were similar to those demographics indicated in these figures. 0 20 40 60 80 100 21-35 35-50 50+ Age N um be r o f D riv er s 0 20 40 60 80 100 10 0-1 50 15 0-2 00 20 0-2 50 25 0-3 00 30 0+ Weight Category N um be r o f D riv er s 0 50 100 150 un de r 5 5-1 – 5-6 5-6 – 6 6 – 6- 6 6 6 + Height Cateory N um be r o f D riv er s Figure 4. Estimated age of drivers interviewed. Figure 5. Estimated weight of drivers interviewed. Figure 6. Estimated height of drivers interviewed.

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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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