A study of Chinese truck drivers’ attitudes toward feedback by technology

Prior research indicates that trucks are very likely to be involved in accidents in China due to the poor condition of trucks and unsafe driving behaviors. The objectives of this study were (1) to investigate the safe/unsafe driving behaviors of Chinese truck drivers, and (2) to examine whether Chinese truck drivers recognize a need for feedback and what their attitudes are in terms of receiving feedback from both technology and from individuals to improve driving safety. Eight sessions of focus group discussions were carried out with Chinese truck drivers, middle-level managers in the freight transportation business, and traffic policemen. The results showed that the most important safety issues to Chinese truck drivers are speeding and overloading. Chinese truck drivers would like to receive more feedback. Yet feedback is considered negative in nature. Although some Chinese truck drivers are afraid of not being able to operate the in-vehicle technology, in general, they are more confident with feedback by in-vehicle technology because it is considered objective and scientific. For this reason this kind of feedback is preferred by some over feedback from a human.