Challenges in Conducting Empirical Epidemiological Research with Truck and Bus Drivers in Diverse Settings in North America

Abstract

Over 6.5 million commercial vehicle drivers were operating a large truck or bus in the United States in 2020. This career often has high stress and long working hours, with few opportunities for physical activity. Previous research has linked these factors to adverse health conditions. Adverse health conditions affect not only the professional drivers’ wellbeing but potentially also commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators’ safe driving ability and public safety for others sharing the roadway. The prevalence of health conditions with high impact on roadway safety in North American CMV drivers necessitates empirical epidemiological research to better understand and improve driver health. The paper presents four challenges in conducting epidemiological research with truck and bus drivers in North America and potential resolutions identified in past and current research. These challenges include (1) the correlation between driving performance, driving experience, and driver demographic factors; (2) the impact of medical treatment status on the relationship between health conditions and driver risk; (3) capturing accurate data in self-report data collection methods; and (4) reaching the CMV population for research. These challenges are common and influential in epidemiological research of this population, as drivers face severe health issues, health-related federal regulations, and the impact of vehicle operation on the safety of themselves and others using the roadways.

Epidemiology of 369 diseases and injuries attributable to 84 risk factors: 1990–2019 with 2040 projection

“…Occupations that involve extended working hours, stress, and deadlines increase the likelihood of driver errors and accidents. 15 To mitigate these risks, workplace safety measures such as implementing safe driving policies, managing fatigue, and reducing stress are crucial. Training in defensive driving, promoting vehicle maintenance, and enforcing anti-distracted driving policies are essential for reducing fatalities.…”

A blueprint for a new commercial driving epidemiology: An emerging paradigm grounded in integrative exposome and network epistemologies

“…The confluence of the foregoing epistemological assumptions and field realities has hampered the implementation of comprehensive, rigorous, especially longitudinal, large‐scale epidemiological research 46 . Subsequently, we still have limited knowledge of: (a) the extent and complexity of multilayered exposures and their influences on driver health and safety; (b) how interactions among structural (e.g., corporate operations) with meso‐/micro‐level (e.g., driver sleep and dietary patterns) exposures influence diverse health and safety outcomes; (c) the spatiotemporal variability of exposures and their influences on driver health and safety; (d) what and how biological pathways and mechanisms connect synergistic exposures and outcomes; (e) how an aging workforce can handle increasing professional pressures and effects on driver health and safety; and (f) how a complete account of drivers' work and relevant nonwork exposures and their interactions affect their health and safety over time.…”