Investigating the Effects of Driver Factors on Crash Involvement using SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study Dataset

Abstract

Driver factors are increasingly recognized as important factors contributing to traffic-related morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to investigate how driver factors, including driver-related demographics, driving-related experience, and trip-related behaviors, influenced the risk of crashes and near-crashes (CNC). Using the Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) Naturalistic Driving Study (NDS) dataset, we employed a mixed-effects logistic regression model to examine the effects. Results showed that male drivers, young adults, and drivers with abnormal psychological symptoms had significantly higher probabilities of undergoingCNC.Driverswithcrashorviolationexperience, andfeweryearsofdrivingwerehighlysusceptible to CNC. Furthermore, driving impairment, alcohol consumption, distracted driving, less than one hand on the wheel, and traffic law violations significantly increased the probability of having CNC. Our findings can help raise the safety awareness of major stakeholders and inform the development of countermeasures to reduce crashes.