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Psychology Research Could Lead To Safer Highway Driving Conditions More and more trucking companies in the United States are hiring and training drivers based on behavioral and biographical traits. K-State psychology professor Ronald Downey, head of the research team for "Project 1: Driver Traits and Performance Characteristics," said he believes that his research will lead to safer driving conditions on the highways. The purpose was to create a protocol to be more selective in training drivers, and therefore reduce the cost associated with accidents, Downey said. Drug and alcohol problems, family life situations and general health issues were a few traits and characteristics that were addressed. "The main thing we were looking for was how the individual perceived what safe driving was and how serious they perceived accidents," he said. Downey was contacted by Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to do the subcontract work with non-profit truck driving training. Downey and his research team received a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to accomplish several goals.
"We compared the million milers with the drivers who had only driven about 150,000 miles. This was important because those who had only driven 150,000 miles had only been driving semi trucks between six months and one year," he said. This entire project is geared towards the whole driving community. Downey believes the more safe and aware truck drivers are when they operate their vehicles, the more safely people can travel on the highways and interstate highways. This is a big concern for states like Kansas that have an interstate going across the entire state. Therefore by screening and training truck drivers better, there will be fewer accidents involving semi trucks, and the roads will be safer for people in cars.
Story prepared by Katherine Ceglarek
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