Safety climate and the distracted driving experiences of truck drivers.
BACKGROUND
For truck drivers, distracted driving is a workplace behavior that increases occupational injury risk. We propose safety climate as an appropriate lens through which researchers can examine occupational distracted driving.


METHODS
Using a mixed methods study design, we surveyed truck drivers using the Safety Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) complemented by semi-structured interviews of experts on distracted driving and truck safety. Safety climate was assessed by using the entire SCQ as an overall climate score, followed by factor analysis that identified the following safety climate factors: Communications and Procedures; Management Commitment; and Work Pressure.


RESULTS
In multivariate regression, the overall safety climate scale was associated with having ever experienced a crash and/or distraction-involved swerving. Interview participants described how these SCQ constructs could affect occupational distracted driving.


CONCLUSIONS
To reduce distraction-related crashes in their organizations, management can adhere to safe policies and procedures, invest in engineering controls, and develop safer communication procedures.
Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.|Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.|University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, Chicago, Illinois.
David I
DI
Swedler
Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.|Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Keshia M
KM
Pollack
Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Jacqueline
J
Agnew
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
cell phone use; commercial trucks; hard braking; mixed methods; motor vehicle crash; near-crash; occupational safety; texting