School of Engineering, Deakin University, Australia.
Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
Traffic Inj Prev. 2021;22(2):177-181. doi: 10.1080/15389588.2021.1878354. Epub 2021 Feb 10.
Speeding in work zones is common and poses significant safety hazards to motorists and workers. Previous studies have demonstrated that speeding is reduced when workers are visible to the drivers, suggesting that concern for the safety of workers influences drivers' speed choice. Conversely, the extent of speeding when workers are not visible suggests that drivers underestimate the increased risk of crashes or other damage to their vehicles associated with the poorer road conditions common at roadworks (loose surfaces and debris, narrower lane width and drop-offs etc.). To better understand the factors influencing drivers' speeds in work zones, this paper examined the extent to which drivers' speed choices are influenced by their perceived likelihoods of injuring workers and damaging their own vehicles.
Driver-nominated speeds and perceived likelihoods of worker injury and vehicle damage were collected in an online survey of 405 drivers from Queensland, Australia, by showing photographs of 12 real-world work zones. The data were analyzed using regression techniques to examine the factors influencing driver-nominated speeds and likelihood of speeding.
The results supported the hypothesis that both drivers' perceived likelihood of injuring workers and damaging vehicles strongly influence their nominated speeds (p < 0.001). Young and middle-aged drivers nominated 2.5-6.3 km/h higher speeds than older drivers (p < 0.001). Car drivers who also held truck licenses nominated 4.5 km/h higher speeds (p < 0.001) and 81% higher odds of nominating speeds higher than posted limits (p < 0.001) than car-only licensed drivers. Drivers nominated lower speeds at road curves (12.1 km/h lower speed and 53% lower odds of speeding, p < 0.001), if adjacent areas of travel lanes were unpaved or had loose materials (11.5 km/h lower speed and 66% lower odds, p < 0.001), and when workers were visible in work zones (1.4 km/h lower speed, p = 0.004, and 27% lower odds, p = 0.041).
In addition to driver demographic and work zone characteristics, drivers' perceptions of safe speeds depend on their perceptions of the likelihood of worker injury and vehicle damage at work zones. These findings suggest that interventions to heighten drivers' perceptions of the likelihood of damage to their vehicles may be useful in moderating speeds at roadworks.
工作区超速行驶很常见，会对驾驶员和工人造成重大安全隐患。先前的研究表明，当工人对驾驶员可见时，超速行驶会减少，这表明驾驶员对工人安全的关注会影响他们的速度选择。相反，当工人不可见时超速行驶的程度表明驾驶员低估了与道路施工（松动的路面和碎片、更窄的车道宽度和落差等）相关的碰撞风险或其他车辆损坏增加的风险。为了更好地理解影响驾驶员在工作区速度的因素，本文研究了驾驶员速度选择受到他们对工人受伤和车辆损坏可能性的感知的影响程度。
通过展示 12 个真实工作区的照片，在澳大利亚昆士兰州对 405 名驾驶员进行了在线调查，收集了驾驶员提名的速度和对工人受伤和车辆损坏的可能性的感知。使用回归技术分析数据，以检查影响驾驶员提名速度和超速可能性的因素。
结果支持以下假设，即驾驶员对工人受伤和车辆损坏的可能性的感知强烈影响他们提名的速度（p<0.001）。年轻和中年驾驶员提名的速度比老年驾驶员高 2.5-6.3km/h（p<0.001）。持有卡车驾照的汽车驾驶员提名的速度高 4.5km/h（p<0.001），提名速度高于规定限速的可能性高 81%（p<0.001），比仅持有汽车驾照的驾驶员高。驾驶员在道路弯道处提名的速度较低（速度低 12.1km/h，超速的可能性低 53%，p<0.001），如果相邻行车道区域未铺砌或有松散材料（速度低 11.5km/h，超速的可能性低 66%，p<0.001），以及当工人在工作区可见时（速度低 1.4km/h，p=0.004，超速的可能性低 27%，p=0.041）。
除了驾驶员人口统计学和工作区特征外，驾驶员对安全速度的感知还取决于他们对工作区工人受伤和车辆损坏可能性的感知。这些发现表明，提高驾驶员对车辆损坏可能性的认识的干预措施可能有助于在道路施工中降低速度。
