RELATIONSHIP OF PREVENTABLE TO NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS IN THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY

A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS IS PRESENTED OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. ONE HUNDRED OVER-THE-ROAD TRACTOR-TRAILER DRIVERS EMPLOYED BY A TRUCKING COMPANY WERE USED. THIS SAMPLE OF 100 DRIVERS WAS TAKEN FROM A TOTAL DRIVING POPULATION OF 215 DRIVERS. ACCIDENT DISTRIBUTIONS WERE STUDIED BY COMPARING POISSON DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON THE SAME MEANS AS THE ACTUAL DISTRIBUTION. THE STATISTICAL TOOL OF CHI SQUARED WAS USED IN THESE ANALYSES. CORRELATIONS WERE COMPUTED BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE PERIODS OF EMPLOYMENT FOR BOTH PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. RELATIONSHIPS OF CERTAIN PERSONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF THESE DRIVERS WITH THE NUMBER OF PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS WERE COMPUTED. A GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS WAS MADE. THE CO-EFFICIENT OF CORRELATION BETWEEN ACCIDENTS FOR THE TWELVE MONTHS OF EMPLOYMENT WAS COMPUTED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS TEND TO OCCUR A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME MORE IN LINE WITH CHANCE EXPECTANCY THAN PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. PERSONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS APPEAR TO BE MORE RELATED TO PREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS THAN TO NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS. BOTH THE PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS TEND TO HAVE NOTORIOUSLY LOW RELIABILITY OR CONSISTENCY OF OCCURRENCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE PERIODS OF TIME. ZERO RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PREVENTABLE AND NONPREVENTABLE ACCIDENTS FOR A GROUP OF DRIVERS FOR A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/73/73-003.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 73, pp 32-41, 1 FIG, 10 TAB, 6 REF Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Moffie, Dannie J
  • Alexander, Carlton
• Publication Date: 1953

Media Info

• Monograph Title: Driver characteristics and accidents
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 73
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Chi square test; Drivers; Human characteristics; Poisson ratio; Prevention; Safety; Statistical analysis; Truck drivers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver psychology; Poissons ratio
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00220407
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 21 1994 12:00AM