Exploring risky driving behaviours among bus drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam using an extended Job Demands-Resources framework

Introduction

Despite a large body of research on bus safety, scant attention has been given to quantify the factors that lead to unsafe driving behaviours in lower-middle income countries. To address this gap, we empirically investigate the determinants of unsafe behaviours among bus drivers in Vietnam using an extended Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework.

Methods

Our study utilized the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method to analyse data gathered from 1020 bus drivers across the Hanoi bus network in March 2024.

Results

The results showed that that unsafe driving behaviours were attributable to job demands, personal demands, and job burnout, whereas perceived crash risk and job resources contributed to preventing these behaviours. Job demands were the most decisive risk factor, confirming the stressful, hectic, and strenuous nature of occupational bus driving. While mindfulness did not have a direct effect on unsafe behaviours, it was found to moderate the relationship between job demands and risky behaviours. Specifically, the positive relationship was weaker for more mindful drivers. Additionally, control variables played a key role in predicting risky behaviours, as older and better-educated drivers operating on non-urban routes tended to drive more safely.

Conclusions

Reducing job demands by accounting for working condition constraints when creating schedules is critical to improving bus safety. Increasing bus drivers' perception of collision risks, offering more job resources, and mindfulness training should receive greater attention from practitioners and managers. Further research on factors influencing other unsafe behaviours (e.g., lapses and errors) in other settings is needed.