Affiliations: Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety –
Queensland (CARRS-Q), School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health,
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of
Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Andrew Wills, CARRS-Q, Queensland
University of Technology, Beams Road, Carseldine, QLD 4034, Australia. Tel.:
+61 7 3138 4905; Fax: +61 7 3138 4907; E-mail: carrsq@qut.edu.au
Abstract: Few studies have examined the impact of safety climate upon
occupational safety behavior or intentions, focusing instead on the event of
incidents and injuries. Similarly, while safety climate has been studied in
numerous industrial settings, limited attention has been given to the motor
vehicle fleet context. This study conceptualized safety climate and
work-related driver safety within a model informed by Bandura's Reciprocal
Determinism and the Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. The relative impact of
safety climate upon four self-reported measures of work-related driver safety
was investigated including: 1) current work-related driver behavior, 2) future
work-related driving intentions, and 3) past crash involvement while driving
for work. There was a moderate relationship between safety climate perceptions
and the safety of current driver behavior at work (r =
0.40). The relationship with the safety of future driving intentions was also
moderate (r = 0.29). Multiple regression analyses revealed
that safety climate was a significant predictor of current driver behavior
(β = 0.30) and future driving intentions
(β = 0.18) at work. However, attitude was the stronger
predictor of future driving intentions (β = 0.28).
Logistic regression analyses showed that neither fleet safety climate, nor the
other factors included, predicted work-related crash involvement or traffic
offences. Possible explanations for these results are outlined. Implications of
the findings for occupational safety management, particularly in the fleet
setting, are also discussed.
Keywords: Safety climate, safety culture, work-related driving, fleet safety, theory of planned behavior, organizational factors
