Psychosocial Work Conditions and Traffic Safety among Mini and Long Bus Drivers

Objective: This study examined the association between psychosocial work factors and road traffic crashes (RTC) and tested the differences in psychosocial work factors by mini-bus and long-bus drivers. Methods: This cross-sectional survey employed convenient sampling method to collect data from 7315 long-distance mini and long-bus drivers who operate in Accra and Tema in Ghana cities, to other parts of the country. The bus drivers answered the job content questionnaire, psychosocial safety climate scale (PSC-12), work-family conflict scale and demographic questions on age, education, driving hours and RTC history. Results: The correlational analysis showed a significant association between psychosocial work factors and RTC for the previous two years. Hierarchical multiple linear regression found that supervisor support, skill discretion, decision autonomy, psychological demands, PSC and work-family conflict significantly contributed to explaining RTC among the drivers. Also, significant differences were found between mini-bus and long-bus drivers on driving hours, occurrence of near misses, RTC and all psychosocial work factors explored in this study except work-family conflict. Conclusion: Psychosocial work factors directly predict RTC among mini-bus and long-bus drivers. Policymakers, driver unions, owners and managers of bus transport businesses should prioritise integrating occupational health and safety into road transport activities. Furthermore, managers and bus owners should use bottom-up communication, provide access to support services and work-family balance initiatives, flexible work schedules and a supportive work environment to improve road safety.