Road safety and heavy goods vehicle driving in LMICs: Qualitative evidence from Nepal

Khadka, Anish; Gautam, Preeti; Joshi, Elisha; Pilkington, Paul; Parkin, John; Joshi, Sunil Kumar; Mytton, Julie

Abstract

Background: Heavy goods vehicle drivers are an influential driving population in Nepal, with over 90% of goods in the country are transported by road. Due to the time spent on the road, drivers have long periods of exposure to the risk of crash involvement. The study explores the perceptions and experiences of heavy goods vehicle drivers and representatives from their professional association regarding road danger. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with fifteen heavy goods vehicle drivers regularly driving on the East-West highway of Makwanpur District, Nepal. A focus group was conducted with eleven members from a major transportation entrepreneur's association in Nepal. The focus group and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes were developed- assumptions of blame; perceptions of safety culture in the trucking industry; influence of road infrastructure; and behaviours of road users. The road and traffic environment, enforcement, and the safety culture in the heavy vehicle industry not only influenced the attitudes of the road users towards traffic safety but also legitimized and encouraged behaviours that affect safety. General and industry-related road safety improvements suggested by participants included: making provision for heavy good vehicles parking areas, separating the highway with a median strip, improving crash investigation capacity, conducting road safety awareness and training programs, strictly enforcing the speed limit and laws about driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and formulating strategies to create a safe, supportive working environment in the heavy vehicle industry. Conclusion: Heavy goods vehicle drivers and members of the professional association can provide rich information regarding the barriers and facilitators of road risk in Nepal. Their perceptions and opinions can contribute to devising interventions at individual, societal, organizational, and governmental levels, and inform efforts to develop a positive safety culture within the heavy vehicle transport industry.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Sep 6, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Deposit Date: Apr 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 13, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Transport and Health
• Print ISSN: 2214-1405
• Electronic ISSN: 2214-1405
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 23
• Article Number: 101247
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101247
• Keywords: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Health Policy; Safety Research; Pollution; Transportation; Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9323958
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Road safety and heavy goods vehicle driving in LMICs: Qualitative evidence from Nepal; Journal Title: Journal of Transport & Health; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2021.101247; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.