Traffic safety effects of economic driving in trucking companies

Abstract

The present study examines the relationship between economic driving and road safety in trucking companies that have received support to work with economic driving, and a Reference sample of drivers from assumed average companies. The study is based on survey data (N = 366), and qualitative interviews (N = 26) with managers and employees. We first test the relationship between economic driving and traffic safety at the driver level (aim 1) and find a clear relationship: drivers with high scores in the fleet management systems, which record key aspects of economic and safe driving style, have a lower accident risk than drivers with lower scores. We then test the relationship between economic driving and traffic safety at the organizational level (aim 2), using the Eco Ladder for energy management approach to describe companies with different levels of measures to facilitate economic driving. Results indicate a lower accident risk for companies at the top level in the Eco Ladder for long-distance and regional transport (but not in distribution transport). This is due to the fact that the companies at the top of the Eco ladder have the most measures to facilitate economic driving, and thus the largest proportion of drivers with high scores in the fleet management system. We find relationships between focus on economy and safety at both driver, technology and company level. We also discuss potential conflicts between economic driving and traffic safety.