Driving Instructors’ Perceptions of Truck Crash Factors

Abstract

Driving instructors are stakeholders who provide theoretical and applied training that aim to develop drivers’ driving abilities either regular or commercial vehicles. The high number of truck crashes attract serious attention within the transportation stakeholder, especially among driving instructors from the enforcement department. This is due to lack of studies related to the perspective of driving instructors’ especially crashes caused by heavy vehicles such as trucks. Thus, this study aims to determine the contributing factors of truck crashes from driving instructors’ perspectives. A quantitative method was adopted using survey questionnaires to obtain insight views from the respondents. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents who were 63 officers involved in the enforcement and training of the truck drivers at the driving institute. A simple descriptive analysis based on percentage frequency was used to analyse the feedback data. The majority of the respondents reported that factors contributing to truck crashes are the human behaviour factor due to driver’s attitude. This is followed by the vehicle factors related to technical problems such as brake malfunction and bald tyre, whereas road infrastructure factors are due to weather (heavy rain) and poor road conditions. This study will serve as a reference and awareness to the truck companies from the security management perspective to prevent truck crashes from occurring inside and outside the company. Security managers may use the finding as a guideline to provide awareness and issue instructions to their employees to ensure they abide by the company rules and regulations.