Driving under the influence of alcohol: frequency, reasons, perceived risk and punishment

Background The aim of this study was to gain information useful to improve traffic safety, concerning the following aspects for DUI (Driving Under the Influence): frequency, reasons, perceived risk, drivers' knowledge of the related penalties, perceived likelihood of being punished, drivers’ perception of the harshness of punitive measures and drivers’ perception of the probability of behavioral change after punishment for DUI. Methods A sample of 1100 Spanish drivers, 678 men and 422 women aged from 14 to 65 years old, took part in a telephone survey using a questionnaire to gather sociodemographic and psychosocial information about drivers, as well as information on enforcement, clustered…

When age means safety: Data to assess trends and differences on rule knowledge, risk perception, aberrant and positive road behaviors, and traffic crashes of cyclists.

This data article examines the association between age, knowledge of traffic rules, risk perception, risky and positive behaviors on the road and traffic safety outcomes of cyclists. The data was collected using a structured self-administrable and online-based questionnaire, applied to a full sample of 1064 cyclists. The data contains 4 parts: descriptive statistics; graphical trends for each study variable according to age; Post-Hoc (Tukey-HSD) comparisons between cyclists classified in the different age groups; and, finally, the dataset for further explorations in this regard. For further information, it is convenient to read the full article entitled "Explaining Self-Reported Traffic Cra…

Work stress and health problems of professional drivers: A hazardous formula for their safety outcomes

BackgroundSeveral empirical studies have shown that professional drivers are a vulnerable occupational group, usually exposed to environmental stressors and adverse work conditions. Furthermore, recent studies have associated work-related stress with negative job performances and adverse health outcomes within this occupational group, including cardiovascular diseases and unsafe vehicle operation.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the working conditions and the health status of this occupational group, and to evaluate the association between the Demand–Control model of job stress and their self-reported health and safety outcomes.MethodsA pooled sample of 3,665 Colombian profess…

Psychotropic drugs and driving: prevalence and types

Background Some psychotropic medications (e.g., benzodiazepines, sedative antidepressants, etc.) may impair cognitive and psychomotor functions and, therefore, endanger traffic safety (Ravera, Br J Clin Pharmacol, 72(3):505–513, 2011). They affect detection, registration, and information processing, problem solving, and decision-making processes, and they also affect emotional and social aspects. The objective of this research was to clarify three closely related issues that are significant for traffic safety: the prevalence of psychotropic drugs on driving, the most frequently used psychotropic drugs to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, or any tranquilizers (whether it is a medical pres…

Job strain in public transport drivers: Data to assess the relationship between demand-control model indicators, traffic accidents and sanctions

This Data in Brief (DiB) article examines the association between the Job Demand-Control (JDC) model of stress and traffic safety outcomes (accidents and sanctions) in public transport drivers (n = 780). The data was collected using a structured self-administrable questionnaire composed of measurements of work stress (Job Content Questionnaire), and demographics (professional driving experience, hours and days working/driving per week). The data contains 4 parts: descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations between the study variables, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Post-Hoc comparisons between drivers classified different quadrants of the JDC model. For further information, it is conve…

'Not as safe as I believed': Differences in perceived and self-reported cycling behavior between riders and non-riders

Cycling behavior remains a key issue for explaining several traffic causalities occurring every day. However, recent studies have shown how the assessment of the own safety-related behaviors on the road may substantially differ from how third parties assess them. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the differences between cyclists’ self-reported behavior and the proxy-reported behavior that other (non-cyclist) road users perceive from bike riders. For this purpose, this study used data from two samples: (i) 1064 cyclists (M = 32.83 years) answering the Cycling Behavior Questionnaire—CBQ, and (ii) 1070 non-cyclists (M = 30.83 years) answering an adapted version of the CBQ for externa…

Cross-culturally approaching the cycling behaviour questionnaire (CBQ) : Evidence from 19 countries

Given different advances in applied literature, risky and positive behaviours keep gaining ground as key contributors for riding safety outcomes. In this regard, the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ) represents one of the tools available to assess the core dimensions of cycling behaviour and their relationship with road safety outcomes from a behavioural perspective. Nevertheless, it has never been psychometrically approached through a cross-cultural perspective. Therefore, this study aimed to perform the cross-cultural validation of the CBQ, examining its psychometric properties, reliability indexes, validity insights and descriptive scores in 19 countries distributed across five regio…

Are Latin American cycling commuters 'at risk'? A comparative study on cycling patterns, behaviors, and crashes with non-commuter cyclists

Abstract Introduction As part of the transformation of urban transportation dynamics, commuter cycling has acquired a high relevance as an alternative mode of transport in different countries, and Latin America seems to be one of the main focus of this worldwide “revolution”. However, the high rates of crashes and injuries suffered by commuters have become a relevant issue in the field of road safety, especially in emerging regions with low cycling tradition, where social and infrastructural gaps may endanger the cyclists’ safety. Objectives This study had two objectives. First, to compare key safe cycling-related variables between cycling commuters and non-commuters; and second, to differe…

More aware, more protected: a cross-sectional study on road safety skills predicting the use of passive safety elements among Spanish teenagers

ObjectiveThis study had two objectives: first, to test the effects of sociodemographic variables, and the effects of three key road safety skills (knowledge–risk perception–attitudes) on the use of passive safety elements (PSEs) among teenagers; and second, to assess the differential impact of the study variables on PSEs use from a gender-based perspective.Setting and participantsThis cross-sectional study was framed in the paradigm of primary care, and it involved students from several educational centres in Spain. A sample of 827 Spanish teenagers (52.4% females and 47.6% males) with a mean age of M=14.41–7 (12–19) years was used.ResultsThrough SEM modelling, we found that the use of PSEs…

Los infractores de tráfico persistentes: el consumo de alcohol y la personalidad como predictores de la retirada del permiso de conducir

ABSTRACT Traffic safety is an important social problem. Many accidents are due to non-compliance with traffic regulations. Serious or repeated offenses are sanctioned with penalty points or court conviction, and sanctions can lead to disqualification from driving. This paper explores the relevance of alcohol consumption and personality factors as predictors of driving disqualification. The aim of the study is to determine whether the behaviors of persistent offenders and their propensity for law-breaking are related to their characteristics and patterns of drinking. A sample of 358 drivers participated in the study: 126 non-offender habitual drivers and 232 persistent traffic offenders disq…

Work Environment, Stress, and Driving Anger: A Structural Equation Model for Predicting Traffic Sanctions of Public Transport Drivers.

Public transport is an effective and sustainable alternative to private vehicle usage, also helping to reduce the environmental impact of driving. However, the work environment of public transport operators is full of adverse conditions, which, together with their high mileage, may increase the occurrence of negative safety outcomes such as traffic accidents, often preceded by risky road behaviors enhanced by stress, anger, and difficult operating conditions. The aims of this study were, first, to determine the association between work-related psychosocial factors and individual characteristics of public transport drivers and the rate of traffic sanctions they are subject to; and second, to…

Availability, demand, perceived constraints and disuse of ADAS technologies in Spain: findings from a national study

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), created for enhancing the driving experience and actively preventing road crashes, have been progressively incorporated in vehicle designing essentially during the last decade. However, the literature has shown how some of these assisting technologies are not used by drivers in tandem with their potential. The aims of this study were, first, to examine the availability and demand of ADAS technologies among Spanish drivers and, secondly, to explore the perceived constraints and discouraging reasons for avoiding the use of ADAS available in their vehicles. For this national cross-sectional study, data from 1,207 Spanish drivers were analyzed. The res…

Validation of the Cycling Behavior Questionnaire: A tool for measuring cyclists' road behaviors

Abstract Introduction Even though cycling is an activity whose benefits in terms of urban mobility and health are globally recognized, its disproportional growth during the past few decades has led to some unexpected dynamics. In fact, the increasing number of traffic injuries and deaths involving cyclists has a high cost for public health systems. Considering the available empirical evidence, aberrant and positive behaviors on the road constitute relevant predictors for the injuries suffered by road users. Nevertheless, the scarcity of tools that measure and evaluate the behavior of road users, especially in the case of cyclists, constitutes a serious lack in terms of explaining, interveni…

Does gender really matter? A structural equation model to explain risky and positive cycling behaviors

Abstract Introduction While the use of bicycles as mean of transport is growing worldwide, the increasing rates of traffic crashes involving cyclists have turned into a relevant scientific, public health, and road safety concern. According to several studies, and despite the fact that some countries are taking part in preventive actions, the data indicate that the problem of cycling injuries implies high costs for the community welfare, for the economy, and for healthcare systems, thus proving a clear need for solutions. In this regard, and considering the available empirical evidence, risky and positive riding behaviors have gained significant weight in terms of explaining, intervening in,…

Are Your Eyes “on the Road”? Findings from the 2019 National Study on Vision and Driving Safety in Spain

Background: Vision is an undisputable contributor to the explanation of many human-factor related traffic crashes happening every day. The Inland Transport Committee (ITC), the United Nations regulatory platform, included on 1st April 2020 special action on the vision of road users inside the ITC Recommendations for Enhancing Road Safety Systems. The results of this wide-scale study on drivers&rsquo

Assessing risk perception over recidivist traffic offenders from a multi-group approach: how gendered could it be?

ABSTRACT Objective: The core aim of this study was to examine the predictive role of demographic, psychosocial and driving features of Spanish drivers on their risk perception over recidivist traffic offenders, focusing on gender as a key differentiating factor. Method: For this cross-sectional study, it was analyzed the data gathered from a nationwide sample of 1,711 licensed drivers from the 17 regions of Spain (49% females, 51% males) with a mean age of 40.07 years, responding to a telephone-based interview on road safety issues. Demographic, driving-related and psychosocial factors were comparatively analyzed through robust tests and a bias-corrected MGSEM (Multi-Group Structural Equati…

Explaining self-reported traffic crashes of cyclists: An empirical study based on age and road risky behaviors

Abstract The growing rates of traffic crashes involving cyclists are currently recognized as a major public health and road safety concern. Furthermore, risky behaviors on the road and their precedent factors have been conceptualized as potential determinants for explaining, intervening and preventing traffic injuries of cyclists. Objectives This study aimed at examining whether individual factors and self-reported risky behaviors could explain the crash rates of cyclists in a period of 5 years. Methods A sample of 1064 cyclists was used, with a mean age of 32.83 years. Participants answered a survey assessing demographic data and information on risky behaviors, risk perception, knowledge o…

Measuring job stress in transportation workers: psychometric properties, convergent validity and reliability of the ERI and JCQ among professional drivers

Abstract Background The accumulated evidence has shown how professional drivers are, in psychosocial terms, among the most vulnerable workforces, and how their crashes (some of them preceded by stressful working conditions) constitute both an occupational and public health concern. However, there is a clear lack of validated tools for measuring stress and other key hazardous issues affecting transport workers, and most of the existing ones, frequently generic, do not fully consider the specific features that properly describe the work environment of professional driving. This study assessed the psychometric properties, convergent validity and consistency of two measures used for researching…

Persistent traffic offenders: alcohol consumption and personality as predictors of driving disqualification

ABSTRACT Traffic safety is an important social problem. Many accidents are due to non-compliance with traffic regulations. Serious or repeated offenses are sanctioned with penalty points or court conviction, and sanctions can lead to disqualification from driving. This paper explores the relevance of alcohol consumption and personality factors as predictors of driving disqualification. The aim of the study is to determine whether the behaviors of persistent offenders and their propensity for law-breaking are related to their characteristics and patterns of drinking. A sample of 358 drivers participated in the study: 126 non-offender habitual drivers and 232 persistent traffic offenders disq…

Conceptualization of aggressive driving behaviors through a Perception of aggressive driving scale (PAD)

Abstract Research on traffic safety has highlighted the importance of studying and intervening in aggressive driving in order to reduce crashes and accidents. The main objective of this work is to describe the perception of what people consider an aggressive behavior, and their perception of which are the most aggressive acts performed when driving. The sample was composed of 1079 Spanish drivers aged over 14. They participated in a national telephone survey, completing a questionnaire which gathered socio-demographic data and information on the drivers’ profiles, containing a “Perception of aggressive driving Scale (PAD)”. The unifactorial ANOVA test for repeated measures of the General Li…

Trait driving anger and driving styles among Colombian professional drivers

Abstract This study analyzes the association between trait driving anger and driving styles in a sample of Colombian professional drivers. Additionally, the internal and external validity of the Deffenbacher's Driving Anger Scale (DAS-14) was examined in the study population. The DAS-14 and the Spanish Version of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (S-MDSI) were administered to 492 urban bus and taxi operators. Average trait driving anger scores in the study population were similar to those reported in previous validation studies from Spain, Argentina, China, and Malaysia. After deleting three cross-loaded items, confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-dimensional latent stru…

Socioeconomic Status, Health and Life-Style Settings as Psychosocial Risk Factors for Road Crashes in Young People: Assessing the Colombian Case

The social determinants of health influence both psychosocial risks and protective factors, especially in high-demanding contexts, such as the mobility of drivers and non-drivers. Recent evidence suggests that exploring socioeconomic status (SES), health and lifestyle-related factors might contribute to a better understanding of road traffic crashes (RTCs). Thus, the aim of this study was to construct indices for the assessment of crash rates and mobility patterns among young Colombians who live in the central region of the country. The specific objectives were developing SES, health and lifestyle indices, and assessing the self-reported RTCs and mobility features depending on these indices…

Motivational and Emotional Aspects Involved in Driving

It is evident that individuals display different behaviors when driving and especially when involved in accidents. These differences seem to be related in various ways to physical, mental and socio-environmental characteristics of the driver. It is also known that a wide range of situational variables that are all too common in our daily lives, such as fatigue, use of drugs, alcohol or certain medication; sleepiness and transitory behavioral alterations such as stress or anxiety, have a negative influence on driving.

Perceived safety and attributed value as predictors of the intention to use autonomous vehicles: A national study with Spanish drivers

Abstract Sooner than later, the growing development of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) will represent not only an imminent transformation of transportation dynamics, but also further advantages for their users, including many improvements in road crash prevention, efficiency and sustainability. However, different concerns and constraints may affect the intention of adopting this technology among its potential customers, especially for what concerns those constraints related to safety, viability and stability. The objective of this study was to examine the influence of perceived safety and value attributed to the AV in the drivers’ intention to use it, considering the drivers’ demographic factors,…

Perceived benefits and constraints in vehicle automation: Data to assess the relationship between driver's features and their attitudes towards autonomous vehicles

This data article examines the association driver's features, perceptions and attitudes towards autonomous vehicles (AVs). The data was collected using a structured self-administrable and online-based questionnaire, applied to a full sample of 1205 Spanish drivers. The data contains 4 parts: the full set of bivariate correlations between study variables; descriptive statistics and graphical trends for each main study variable according to gender, age group and city/town size; and, finally, the dataset for further explorations in this regard. For more information, it is convenient to read the full article entitled “Perceived safety and attributed value as predictors of the intention to use a…

Distraction of cyclists: how does it influence their risky behaviors and traffic crashes?

BackgroundUndisputedly, traffic crashes constitute a public health concern whose impact and importance have been increasing during the past few decades. Specifically, road safety data have systematically shown how cyclists are highly vulnerable to suffering traffic crashes and severe injuries derived from them. Furthermore, although the empirical evidence is still very limited in this regard, in addition to other human factors involved in cycling crashes, distractions while cycling appear to be a major contributor to the road risk of cyclists.ObjectivesThe main objectives of this study were, first, to explore the prevalence and trends of cycling distractions within an international sample o…

Persistent traffic offenders. Alcohol consumption and personality as predictors of driving disqualification

espanolLa seguridad vial es un importante problema social. Muchos accidentes se deben al incumplimiento de las normas de trafico. Las infracciones graves o reiteradas se sancionan por la via administrativa o judicial y en ambos casos las sanciones pueden suponer la perdida del permiso de conducir. Este articulo explora la relevancia del alcohol y la personalidad como factores predictivos. El objetivo del estudio es determinar si el comportamiento delictivo de los infractores persistentes esta relacionado con sus caracteristicas de personalidad y patrones de consumo de alcohol. Se utilizo una muestra de 358 conductores: 232 infractores persistentes, a los que les habia sido retirado el carne…

Commuting accidents of Spanish professional drivers: when occupational risk exceeds the workplace

Background. Work traffic accidents are an issue both in Spain and all over the world, and specific evidence on commuting accidents is scarce. Even though both industrial safety and welfare have been improved during the last decades, the commuting accidents rate is growing worldwide. Purpose. The aim of this study was to examine and describe the characteristics of commuting traffic crashes of Spanish professional drivers. Materials and methods. For this cross-sectional study, commuting accidents suffered by drivers during the last 12 years were analyzed. Crossed and heatmap-based analyses were performed in order to establish patterns and driver-based differences among commuting crashes. Resu…

Validation of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) in professional drivers: How does it work in transportation workers?

Abstract The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory or MDSI constitutes, perhaps, the most relevant tool for measuring driving styles. Since its releasing in 2004, it has been applied worldwide to different samples of drivers, showing an important value and utility for road safety. However, empirical studies using the MDSI on professional drivers are scarce and, to the date, there is no validated version of the instrument in this workforce yet. Objectives: This study had two aims. First, to describe in detail the validation of the Taubman-Ben-Ari’s MDSI among professional drivers and, second, to test its convergent validity with other key relevant factors present in the work environment o…

Álcool e Segurança - Epidemiologia e efeitos

Essential…but also vulnerable? Work intensification, effort/reward imbalance, fatigue and psychological health of Spanish cargo drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective This study investigates the combined effect of the Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) model of stress and work intensification within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health (general and work-related fatigue, and psychological strain) of cargo drivers, one of the most demanded workforces during the first year of this pandemic. Methods For this cross-sectional research, the data provided by n = 1,013 professional drivers from the different 17 autonomous communities (regions) of Spain were analyzed. Participants answered a questionnaire composed of the short version of the Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, a Work Intensification Scale (WIS) designed f…

Multidimensional prediction of work traffic crashes among Spanish professional drivers in cargo and passenger transportation

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different environmental, mechanical and individual factors associated with fatalities and serious injuries caused by work traffic accidents among cargo and passenger transport drivers (CPTD) in Spain. For this cross-sectional study, national data on work traffic accidents collected in Spain during the last 3 years were analyzed through a regression modeling approach, in order to predict the severity of traffic crashes involving CPTD. Using binary logistic regression analyses, it was found that the type of road and accident, the meteorological, light and vehicle conditions, individual characteristics and risky driving behaviors significantly…

Well-being, behavioral patterns and cycling crashes of different age groups in Latin America: Are aging adults the safest cyclists?

ObjectivesThis study aimed at analyzing the cycling safety-related factors and the mental health indicators of elderly cyclists in comparison with other age groups.MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, we analyzed the data of 911 bicyclists from two Latin American countries that have been experiencing a substantial growth of urban cycling during the last few years: Colombia and Argentina. Participants responded to an e-questionnaire on bicycling behaviors, mental health and cycling safety.ResultsAging adults reported lower rates of risky behaviors and traffic crashes (around .38 in five years), and, on the other hand, more cycling protective behaviors, a higher risk perception and a better…

Workplace burnout and health issues among Colombian correctional officers.

IntroductionCorrectional employees typically work under adverse conditions that may enhance the occurrence of different negative psychological states. Burnout constitutes a high-risk phenomenon that may affect people's physical/mental health and welfare, especially in vulnerable occupational groups.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to characterize the burnout profile of correctional officers, and to associate their burnout profile with health issues and lifestyle factors.MethodsThe full sample was composed of 219 Colombian correctional officers with a mean age of 30.18 years. A questionnaire composed of three sections was employed: demographic data, burnout, and health information.Results…

Psychosocial Work Factors, Job Stress and Strain at the Wheel: Validation of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) in Professional Drivers.

Introduction: Psychosocial work environment has been related to many negative health outcomes in different workforces. However, evidence in this regard is still limited in the case of transport workers, and most of the tools used in research, often excessively generic, do not fully consider the specific key stressors and adverse issues present in the psychosocial environment of professional driving. Objective: Thus, the purpose of this study was to obtain a complete description of the validation of measurement applied to psychosocial factors at work in professional drivers, using the Enterprise version (2018) of COPSOQ-III. Methods: The data was collected from 726 Spanish professional drive…

Infrastructural and Human Factors Affecting Safety Outcomes of Cyclists

The increasing number of registered road crashes involving cyclists during the last decade, and the high proportion of road crashes resulting in severe injuries and fatalities among cyclists constitutes a global issue for community health, urban development, and sustainability. Nowadays, the incidence of many risk factors for road crashes of cyclists remains largely unexplained. Given the importance of this issue, the present study has been conducted with the aim of determining relationships between infrastructural, human factors and safety outcomes of cyclists. Objectives: This study aimed, first, to examine the relationship between key infrastructural and human factors present in cycling,…

Healthy but risky: A descriptive study on cyclists’ encouraging and discouraging factors for using bicycles, habits and safety outcomes

Abstract Transportation is a necessary process that requires not only adequate means, but also individual choices. And apparently, the recent boom of alternative modes of transportation has substantially changed people’s perceptions of cycling, as well as the reasons why they decide to use a bike. Nevertheless, people identify some motives that encourage this use together with the perceived risks and the discouraging factors which affect the choice of using a bike, thus making it important to explore all these elements in the light of the empirical evidence. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the encouraging and discouraging reasons behind the use of bikes among cyclist…

Knowledge, perceived effectiveness and qualification of traffic rules, police supervision, sanctions and justice

Road safety is a complex process that not only depends on technical and environmental improvements, but in a major part from human factors. In this sense, recent empirical studies have remarked the need to study the interaction between subject and laws, at the glance of several elements preceding road behavior. This is the case of attitudes, opinions and perceptions in the field of road safety, factors that influence the interaction with issues such as traffic rules, police supervision, penalties and justice in traffic. The objective of this study was to describe the self-rated knowledge and perceptions regarding traffic norms and its interaction with road safety among drivers. For this stu…

Validation of the Walking Behavior Questionnaire (WBQ): A tool for measuring risky and safe walking under a behavioral perspective

Abstract Introduction Although daily walking implies several potential benefits for the health and well-being of people, and, besides the raise of more “walkable” cities, it is currently being promoted as an active transportation means that is rich in benefits for its users, road risks affecting pedestrians, together with their high vulnerability to suffer severe injuries as a consequence of traffic crashes, have turned into a relevant concern for both policymakers and public health practitioners. In this regard, risky and positive (proactively safe) behaviors have acquired a substantial relevance for the study and prevention of traffic causalities involving different road users, including …