Work-related road safety – challenges and recommendations for professional drivers

When it comes to road safety, professional drivers find themselves under pressure in various circumstances and are also exposed to diverse risk factors. To minimize personal negative consequences – and negative consequences for road safety – KFV carried out a project on work-related road safety on behalf of and in collaboration with the AUVA. Data on driving behavior, working conditions, individual pressure, distraction, and challenges relating to driver assistance and in-vehicle information systems was gathered using naturalistic driving observations (17 professional drivers), 11 in-depth interviews, 11 mobility diaries, and 2 focus group discussions. These reveal that reduction in cognitive performance is a comprehensive problem linked both to driver assistance systems as well as other forms of distraction. Based on the project findings, measures were developed by experts to improve road safety by making driving less distracting and less exhausting.