The moderating effects of work safety climate on socio-cognitive factors and the risky driving behavior of truck drivers in Pakistan

Trucks involvement in fatal road crashes are considerably high and, literature evidenced that the risky driving behavior of truck drivers is the main cause. Therefore, the study investigates the impacts of socio-cognitive factors (attitude towards risky driving, locus of control and social norms related to driving) and work safety climate in forming the risky driving behavior of truck drivers in Pakistan. Data from 396 truck drivers are collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The results show that driver attitude and prevailing social norms both have a positive significant effect on risky driving behavior, while the work safety climate has a negative impact on risky driving behavior. The study distinctly defines the role of “work safety climate” in the context of the culture prevailing among truck drivers in Pakistan, and looks additionally at the moderating effects on socio-cognitive factors and risky driving behavior. Open communication and counseling by supervisors, their role modeling and placing of limits on risky driving behavior in fact have negative effects on the self-reported risky driving behavior of truck drivers. The study reveals that five of the nine factors have significant moderating effects on risky driving behaviors. The results also imply that improvements in the “work safety climate” of the trucking industry would help to control the socio-cognitive factors and risky driving behaviors, and may improve the road safety conditions in Pakistan.