Work-Related Driving of Heavy Goods Vehicles: Factors That Influence Road Safety and the Development of a Framework for Safety Training

Abstract

Road traffic accidents are a major health concern all over the world. Each year, 1.3 million people die in fatal road traffic accidents. Fatal and serious heavy goods vehicle (HGV) crashes are over-represented in many countries. This paper is a contribution to the road safety literature and has two aims. First, the study seeks to identify important factors in managing road safety for work-related driving of HGVs. Second, the study proposes an overall framework for how safety training could be executed and its overall content. Methods used were a literature review and a case study. The results show that important factors for management of road safety could be arranged at different levels: governmental level, third-party level, organizational level and driver level. Most important is that a systematic approach to road traffic safety for HGVs is essential. Every party is jointly responsible for road traffic safety, and parties must communicate and work together to increase road traffic safety for work-related driving of HGVs. By developing a safety training program for all parties in the system, the study proposes a method for increased communication, collaboration and cooperation between parties.