Prevalence and factors associated with road traffic crashes among truck drivers in Southeast Iran
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320974
archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified
Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)
Summary
This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of road traffic crashes (RTCs) and associated risk factors among truck drivers in Sistan and Baluchistan, southeast Iran. Motivated by the high burden of road traffic injuries in the region and the specific occupational hazards faced by heavy vehicle operators, the research aimed to identify behavioral, physiological, and psychological determinants of crash involvement. The study focused on a population where human error is a primary contributor to accidents, seeking to inform targeted safety interventions. The researchers recruited 592 truck drivers using a multi-stage sampling method between November 2022 and February 2023. Participants were selected from gasoline stations and border terminals in Zahedan, Mirjaveh, and Milk. Data were collected via researcher-administered questionnaires assessing individual characteristics, driving habits, work patterns, sleep quality, workload, driving styles, and personality traits. Statistical analysis employed simple and multiple logistic regressions to determine the association between various factors and crash involvement over the preceding three years. The results indicated that 28.4% of drivers had experienced at least one crash in the last three years, with 42.5% of these incidents occurring between midnight and 6:00 a.m. Lifetime prevalence rates showed that 40.5% of drivers had experienced a fatigue-related crash and 24.2% a sleep-related crash. Multiple logistic regression identified several significant risk factors. Behavioral risks included drug use (OR = 2.03), texting while driving (OR = 2.88), and seatbelt non-use (OR = 1.81). A strong dose-response relationship was observed with traffic fines, where drivers with more than six fines had 17.78 times higher odds of crashing. Physiological factors such as sleep driving (OR = 11.30), use of sleeping pills (OR = 2.52), and driving for eight or more consecutive hours without a break (OR = 3.02) significantly increased crash risk. Additionally, higher visual workload demands, a careless driving style, and elevated levels of neuroticism were associated with increased crash odds. The study concludes that truck driving in this region is characterized by a high prevalence of crashes driven by a complex interplay of fatigue, distraction, substance use, and personality traits. The findings highlight the critical role of circadian rhythms and prolonged driving hours in exacerbating risk, particularly during early morning hours. These results underscore the need for multifaceted preventive measures, including stricter enforcement of driving hours, interventions to reduce mobile device distraction, and targeted training to address risky driving styles and fatigue management among commercial drivers.
Key finding
Iranian truck drivers' 3-year crash prevalence is 28.4%, with sleep-driving (OR 11.3), texting (OR 2.88), drug use (OR 2.03), and prior fines (OR up to 17.8) the strongest independent predictors (N=592).
Methodology
modeling
Sample size: 592
Provenance
The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via canonical_url on 2026-05-03 (7 acquisition events logged).
| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-03 |
| archive | success | — | — | — | 3 | 2026-05-03 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| clean | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| chunk | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-01 |
| embed | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-02 |
| enrich | success | openalex | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-01 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-05-03 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 17 | 2026-06-11 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
Topics
Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.
- truck driver fatigue
- sex gender
- incidence prevalence
- bus coach
- shift work driving
- demographic disparities
Information type
What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).
- Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes, physiological data