Accident-prone self-employed
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by James Keeler • Subcontracted and owner-drivers are far more likely to have fatal accidents than their employed colleagues, according to an Australian report.
The study, by the Australian School of Industrial Relations and Organisational Behaviour, found it was not uncommon for self-employed drivers to work 18-hour days.
Two-thirds of the drivers interviewed listed fatigue, loading and unloading problems and stress as factors which increased the risk of an accident.
One of the main problems, says the report, is that many employed drivers who were traditionally paid weekly are now paid by the hour or the number of loads carried. One owner-driver commented: "The more you work the more you get paid, so you're pushed to work."
The report refers to a number of accidents where there was evidence that the drivers involved had taken illegal stimulants to stay awake. It goes on to show that the number of crashes and near misses is rising as drivers work longer hours. Many admitted using amphetamines to allow them to carry on working while exhausted.
Of all sectors of Australian industry, transport ranks second in terms of the level of fatalities and fourth in terms of workrelated injuries.
In the USA, it has been found that highway traffic incidents are the single biggest cause of work-related deaths, accounting for 20% of 6,588 fatal injuries at work.
Just over 30% of highway victims were driving or riding in a truck, half of which collided with another vehicle, while 25% jack-knifed or rolled over.