Accidentes del tránsito: opiniones de conductores de locomoción colectiva de Santiago Urbano

Abstract

In 1990&91 a survey was applied to 200 urban buses drivers in Santiago to ascertain demographic and working features as well as opinions upon traffic accidents and others drivers’ quality. Drivers might be pictured as a male with satisfactory educational level, medium age, driving for more than a decade and working a high number of hours. 20 (9.1%) of them had 21 traffic accidents in the last 6 monthes. 66.8% had completed their basic education and more than 25% their medium education. Mediam age was 39.5% years among those without accidents and 29 in those with them. Mean total number of working years was 22 (12.9% for those with accidents), mostly devoted to driving. Mean weekly hours of driving were more than 62. A better driving quality was assigned to truck drivers and, in second place, themselves. Motorcycles and bicycles drivers, got the worst qualifications as well as the highest attributed risk for accidents while the lowest risk was assigned to truck and non professional drivers. 95% (19/21) of accidents had been reported to the police while 47.9% (n=10) had involved people lesions. Drivers with accidents admitted only “low or very low” (95%; n=19) responsibility for the episodes. ft is concluded that these latter drivers’ characteristics should be confirmed and control measures to consider are a limitation of driving hours with no income reductions as well as education taylored to drivers’ main features.