Factors associated with road accidents among Brazilian motorcycle couriers

Questioning penalties and road safety Policies: Are they enough to deter risky motorcyclist Behavior?

Reducing risky behaviors and traffic violations is crucial for preventing road trauma among private and commercial motorcyclists. While legal interventions such as road rules and police enforcement have been somewhat effective, there is a gap in understanding how motorcyclists perceive these deterrents and the psycho-social factors influencing their effectiveness. This research aims to explore the interplay between motorcyclists' psycho-social predispositions and their responses to legal interventions. It also compares two distinct groups of riders - private and commercial motorcyclists - within the urban environment of Da Nang, Vietnam, providing a nuanced consideration of the influence of work-related impacts on risky behavior, which can enable targeted interventions. We propose a theoretical model integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and Deterrence Theory to analyze how psycho-social and punitive factors influence riders' traffic violations. A total of 423 delivery riders and 411 private riders in Da Nang participated in the study. The results show that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and perceptions of deterrence significantly impact riders' intentions to engage in risky behaviors, with delivery riders being particularly responsive to law enforcement and penalties. To enhance policy effectiveness, interventions should employ tailored enforcement strategies that account for the unique motivations and perceptions of each rider group. For example, increasing the visibility and consistency of law enforcement could be particularly impactful for delivery riders, who are more sensitive to immediate deterrents. Policy adjustments should also focus on reshaping riders' attitudes toward safety and adjusting their perceived control over riding situations. By tailoring interventions to effectively influence each group's behavior, we can ultimately reduce traffic incidents.

A systematic review of risk factors associated with road traffic crashes and injuries among commercial motorcycle drivers

To effectively reduce road traffic crashes (RTCs) and injuries interventions should be based on firm evidence regarding risk factors of RTCs and injuries in that specific population. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review to determine risk factors of RTCs and injuries among commercial motorcycle drivers. Searches were performed from inception to May 2022 in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycINFO and Cinahl, along with registers and reference lists. Inclusion criteria were commercial motorcycle drivers, quantitative observational studies, and RTCs and injuries. The search resulted in 1546 articles, of which 20 met the relevance and quality criteria. Of the 20 articles, 17 were cross-sectional, 2 were case-control studies, and one was a cohort study. Close to half of all articles (9) came from sub-Saharan Africa. Risk factors with consistent association with RTCs and injuries were young age, low education level, alcohol consumption, speeding, mobile phone use, non-helmet use, risky driving behaviours and long working hours. There was inconclusive evidence for driver's training, work schedules, motorcycle ownership, experience, dependents number, and marital status. More robust designs such as case-control or longitudinal studies are required to gain a comprehensive understanding of the antecedents of RTCs among commercial motorcycle drivers.

Perceived levels of corporate support, colleague support and anxiety in motor courier employees

OBJECTIVE

The use of motorcycles in commercial transportation is increasing due to its comfortable use in congested traffic conditions and the ease of parking on narrow streets. Motorcycle couriers are among the important members of the delivery industry. The race against time and delivering on time bring along many problems. This study aims to examine the relationships between perceived organizational support, colleague value and stress in motor courier employees.

METHOD

Within the scope of the study, 151 motorcycle couriers working in the delivery sector were selected. The study was carried out in the period of June-November 2022. In addition to 15 questions including demographic characteristics with the one-to-one interview method, Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Scale, The Perceived Organizational Support Scale and The Coworker Support Scale were applied with the one-to-one interview method.

RESULTS

The average age of the 151 couriers included in the study was 29.10 ± 7.01; the working year was 3.26 ± 3.39; the average number of daily trips was 36.47 ± 17.37; the average delivery time was 16.54 ± 10.10 in minutes (median 15); and the average weight of the cargo was 4.94 ± 5.51 (kg) (median: 3.50). The prevalence of occupational accidents in the last year has been 43.3% (n = 61). Examining the causes of the prevalence of accident among the study population, it was found that motorcycle overturning was 20 (32.8%); vehicle hitting the motorcycle was 26 (42.6%); motorcycle hitting the vehicle was 15 (24.6%). When the factors affecting the perceived organizational support were examined, it was found that those with a colleague social support score above 18 were more likely to have an organizational perception score above 80 (95% CI 1.001-4.843) with a rate of [OR] = 2.20 times higher, and those with a status anxiety score above 40 were more likely to have an organizational perception score over 80 with a rate of [OR] = 2.49 times higher (95% CI: 1.156-5.364). In addition, it was seen that the probability of having an organizational perception score above 80 was [OR] = 0.42 times higher (95%CI: 0.200-0.889) in participants who had a work accident.

CONCLUSIONS

The intense pace of work and the pressure of fast delivery increase couriers' state and trait concerns. Developing policies to improve the psychosocial working environment for a more decent and healthier working environment that improves the mental health and well-being of couriers is recommended. Commercial food ordering platforms must treat driver safety as important when determining delivery times.

Comparison of incidence and outcome between occupational and non-occupational motorcycle injuries in Korea: A 7-years observational study

Motorcycles are widely used in various workplaces. Motorcycle use for occupational purposes continues to increase owing to growing e-commerce. Here, we aimed to highlight the importance of occupational motorcycle injuries by analyzing their epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes. We analyzed retrospective data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance program from 2012 to 2018. Motor vehicle injuries involving riders aged ≥16 years were included. Patients were divided into occupational motorcycle and non-occupational motorcycle injury groups based on whether or not the injury occurred during work time. General characteristics, injury details, and clinical outcomes such as injury severity and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Of the 37,194 study patients, 24.2% (8,991) experienced occupational motorcycle injuries. The number of injuries in both groups increased yearly, as did the proportion of occupational injuries among total injuries. In both the groups, patients aged 20-29 years had the highest proportion of injuries. Regarding collision pattern and injury counterpart, side-to-side collisions and injuries involving small four-wheel vehicles were the most frequent. Alcohol intake was significantly lower, while helmet usage was higher in the occupational motorcycle injury group. Moreover, patients with occupational motorcycle injuries had lower injury severity, admission rate, and in-hospital mortality. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, increasing age, time of the injury, alcohol intake, not using a helmet, and collision with a human or animal were associated with higher odds of severe injury. Patients with occupational injuries had higher helmet usage, lower injury severity, lower mortality, and lower admission rate than did patients with non-occupational injuries. Injury severity was associated with the time of injury, collision with other living objects, alcohol consumption, and helmet usage.

Epidemiological Characteristics, Risk Factors, and Preventive Measures of Occupational Injuries Among Commercial Couriers in China Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In this study, we focus on the significant upward trend of occupational accidental traffic injuries in commercial couriers during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This review comments on the characteristics of occupational accidental injuries of commercial couriers in China and then discusses the reasons of the high incidence rate and associated risk factors. Various potential protective measures were also explored to prevent and control the occupational injuries in this vulnerable worker group.

Risk of Accidents or Chronic Disorders From Improper Use of Mobile Phones: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Mobile phone use has brought convenience, but the long or improper use of mobile phones can cause harm to the human body.

Objective

We aimed to assess the impact of improper mobile phone use on the risks of accidents and chronic disorders.

Methods

We systematically searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for studies published prior to April 5, 2019; relevant reviews were also searched to identify additional studies. A random-effects model was used to calculate the overall pooled estimates.

Results

Mobile phone users had a higher risk of accidents (relative risk [RR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.55). Long-term use of mobile phones increased accident risk relative to nonuse or short-term use (RR 2.10, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.70). Compared with nonuse, mobile phone use resulted in a higher risk for neoplasms (RR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.14), eye diseases (RR 2.03, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.23), mental health disorders (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.32), and headaches (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.32); the pooled risk of other chronic disorders was 1.20 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.59). Subgroup analyses also confirmed the increased risk of accidents and chronic disorders.

Conclusions

Improper use of mobile phones can harm the human body. While enjoying the convenience brought by mobile phones, people have to use mobile phones properly and reasonably.

Prospective association between burnout and road traffic accidents in teachers

We investigated whether burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced professional efficacy) is a risk factor for traffic accidents. A prospective cohort study was conducted with 509 school teachers. The teachers were interviewed in 2012-2013, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory was applied. After 2 years, the teachers were interviewed again to determine the occurrence of traffic accidents. Poisson regression models with robust variance were used to adjust the analyses. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated to assess changes in c-units in the scores of each Burnout dimension, with c equal to 1, 5 and 10 units. The incidence rate of road traffic accidents at follow-up was 10.8%. After adjustments for sex, age, high workload/exposure to the traffic environment, daily consumption of alcoholic beverages and the other dimensions of burnout, depersonalization was a risk factor for traffic accidents. For each 1- and 10-point increase in the depersonalization score, the risk increased by 8 and 119%, respectively. Emotional exhaustion was not associated with these accidents. Increases in the professional efficacy score increased the risk of traffic accidents. The association of depersonalization with future road traffic accidents reinforces the need for measures to improve teachers' work conditions to reduce burnout.

The Complex Interrelationship of Work-Related Factors Underlying Risky Driving Behavior of Food Delivery Riders in Athens, Greece

Background

In this study, the association of work and demographic characteristics with different traffic offenses committed by food delivery riders in Greece was examined. Previous research has identified various factors related to risky driving however, there is a need for exploring the complex interrelationship of work-related factors underlying risky driving behavior.

Materials and Methods

A 2-items uestionnaire was used exploring delivery riders demographic characteristics, terms of employment, issues of concern during work and type of traffic offenses committed. In total, uestionnaires were analyzed using logistic regression in order to identify characteristics independently associated with serious traffic offenses, namely, red-light running and helmet non-use.

Results

The analysis showed that: (i) typical health and safety measures had no effect on serious traffic offenses, (ii) young age was related to both offenses however (iii) different sets of work conditions were associated with reports of red-light running (i.e. low work experience, use of personal vehicle for work, and payment by hour) and helmet non-use respectively (i.e. intense work pace, high tip income per day and low concern about vehicle condition).

Conclusion

The above findings provide evidence that serious traffic offenses are manifestations of underlying conflict experienced by the riders between safety and various performance criteria. Each one of the two offenses is related to different rider profiles aiming to satisfy different goals, namely, those mainly trying to maximize profit non-helmet users and those, mostly inexperienced ones, trying to cope with work pressure red light runners. Potential regulatory measures to alleviate risky practices are discussed.

Work overload and risk behaviors in motorcyclists

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the association between work overload and risk behaviors adopted by motorcyclists.

METHOD

a cross-sectional study of injured motorcycle drivers hospitalized at the Hospital da Restauração Governador Paulo Guerra in the city of Recife, PE, from May to September 2016. A questionnaire was applied containing sociodemographic variables related to work overload and risk behaviors adoption. Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval were used to analyze the association between the variables.

RESULTS

there was a predominance of males (97.6%), mean age 31.44 years (SD = 9.50). There was an association of sleep/fatigue at the accident time with difficulties carrying out work tasks (OR = 3.7), feeling tired during work (OR = 4.6) and feeling under pressure to carry out work tasks (OR = 3.5).

CONCLUSION

work overload was associated with risk behaviors adoption. It is believed that this fact can have an impact on the occurrence and severity of accidents.

Should Traffic Offenders Undergo Compulsory "Mental Test": A Study of Mental Health and Crash Involvement Among Commercial Motorcyclists in Ibadan, Nigeria?

Government policies on commercial motorcycle crash prevention are often not driven by data in terms of mental health risks. In this cross-sectional study, data was obtained from 508 commercial motorcyclists (CMs) in Ibadan, Nigeria on psychological distress, personality, suicidality, impulsivity, substance use and Intelligence Quotient, to determine the mental health correlates of road crash involvement. One-month and 12-month accident rates were 7.9 and 28.9% respectively. One-month crash involvement was independently associated with helmet non-use (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1-4.7, p = 0.03) and poor knowledge of road signs (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.3, p = 0.02). The odds of 12-month crash involvement was increased among lifetime users of alcohol (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3-3.0, p = 0.001) and those with fewer than two children (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.3, p = 0.006), but was reduced among riders with primary school education (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.7, p = 0.007). Crash involvement rate in this population is high. Results from the study do not support routine psychiatric evaluation for traffic offenders, but are more in favour of safety education and traffic law enforcement.

Distracted Biking: An Observational Study

Commuting via bicycle is a very popular mode of transportation in the Northeastern United States. Boston, MA, has seen a rapid increase in bicycle ridership over the past decade, which has raised concerns and awareness about bicycle safety. An emerging topic in this field is distracted bicycle riding. This study was conducted to provide descriptive data on the prevalence and type of distracted bicycling in Boston at different times of day. This was a cross-sectional study in which observers tallied bicyclists at 4 high traffic intersections in Boston during various peak commuting hours for 2 types of distractions: auditory (earbuds/phones in or on ears), and visual/tactile (electronic device or other object in hand). Nineteen hundred seventy-four bicyclists were observed and 615 (31.2%), 95% CI [29, 33%], were distracted. Of those observed, auditory distractions were the most common (N = 349; 17.7%), 95% CI [16, 19], p = .0003, followed by visual/tactile distractions (N = 266; 13.5%), 95% CI [12, 15]. The highest proportion (40.7%), 95% CI [35, 46], of distracted bicyclists was observed during the midday commute (between 13:30 and 15:00). Distracted bicycling is a prevalent safety concern in the city of Boston, as almost a third of all bicyclists exhibited distracted behavior. Education and public awareness campaigns should be designed to decrease distracted bicycling behaviors and promote bicycle safety in Boston. An awareness of the prevalence of distracted biking can be utilized to promote bicycle safety campaigns dedicated to decreasing distracted bicycling and to provide a baseline against which improvements can be measured.

Professional experience and traffic accidents/near-miss accidents among truck drivers

AIM

To investigate the relationship between the time working as a truck driver and the report of involvement in traffic accidents or near-miss accidents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed with truck drivers transporting products from the Brazilian grain harvest to the Port of Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil. The drivers were interviewed regarding sociodemographic characteristics, working conditions, behavior in traffic and involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents in the previous 12 months. Subsequently, the participants answered a self-applied questionnaire on substance use. The time of professional experience as drivers was categorized in tertiles. Statistical analyses were performed through the construction of models adjusted by multinomial regression to assess the relationship between the length of experience as a truck driver and the involvement in accidents or near-miss accidents.

RESULTS

This study included 665 male drivers with an average age of 42.2 (±11.1) years. Among them, 7.2% and 41.7% of the drivers reported involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, respectively. In fully adjusted analysis, the 3rd tertile of professional experience (>22years) was shown to be inversely associated with involvement in accidents (odds ratio [OR] 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.52) and near-miss accidents (OR 0.17; 95% CI 0.05-0.53). The 2nd tertile of professional experience (11-22 years) was inversely associated with involvement in accidents (OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.40-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

An evident relationship was observed between longer professional experience and a reduction in reporting involvement in accidents and near-miss accidents, regardless of age, substance use, working conditions and behavior in traffic.