Analysis of the Relationship between Operator Cumulative Driving Hours and Involvement in Preventable Collisions

Long driving hours have a potential of causing fatigue, which is known as a contributing factor for collisions. This paper examines the influence of bus operator driving hours on the occurrence of preventable collisions by employing data from incident reports and operator schedules to evaluate the correlation between driving hours and operator involvement in collisions. Several methods of analysis including a statistical t-test, a comparative analysis, and an overrepresentation analysis are employed. The results show a discernable pattern of an increased propensity of collision involvement with an increase in driving hours. Based on the analysis, on average, bus drivers who are involved in preventable collisions drive over six hours more than the general bus driver population. According to the findings of this study, it is clear that the present regulation that limits drivers’ on-duty time to a maximum of seventy hours per week should be revisited.