Research finds that consistent truck drivers are more likely to avoid crashes

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) recently released a report regarding truck drivers and crash rates. The research corroborates the results of previous analyses which found truck drivers who are consistent in their driving behaviours are less likely to get involved in a crash. Additionally, they found the nature of the consistencies to not be limited to speed. Instead, several different factors contribute to consistency (or lack thereof) among drivers.

The team of researchers at UBC was made up of several graduate students. The students analyzed five years’ worth of data. The data came from one U.S trucking fleet and two Canadian trucking fleets. Then, they found they could measure off-normal driving behaviour. Moreover, these behaviours could predict the likelihood of collisions amongst particular drivers.

Fleetmetrica 

The research group partnered with Fleetmetrica to complete this work. Fleetmetrica, a Canadian-based organization, offers online tools to manage fleet safety and similar activities.

Fleetmetrica CEO Ward Warkentin later compared the data the researchers found with previous data conducted by the company. He says the company had already created a model to show how often (and how much) speeding contributes to an increase in the risk of accidents.

Warkentin says the results of the researchers showcase just how considerably inconsistent driving behaviours affect collision rates. Similarly, he says it is interesting to see how it is not just speeding which impacts crash figures. The research also clearly states behaviours like harsh braking and fuel efficiency can impact crash figures.

The UBC researchers believe that predictive models developed for one business can apply to other organizations. Therefore, sharing the models amongst other trucking companies in the country would be beneficial.

Additionally, the researchers support conducting further studies to identify thresholds for each metric (speeding, braking, lane switching and more). This may help to further break down the effects of atypical driving behaviour on accident rates.