Driver Health and Training Must be a Priority
The horrific crash involving a transport truck and the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team on April 6, 2018, has focused a lot of attention on a risky profession.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the truck driver involved in the crash, has now been charged with 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Truck drivers are involved in about one-fifth of accidents in Canada each year. And the risks of the profession — to drivers themselves and to the public — go far beyond collisions.
As a road safety researcher, I have been funded by Transport Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Alberta Ministry of Labour to investigate the health and wellness of truck drivers. My research shows that truck drivers are exposed to many risks affecting their health and their ability to drive safely, due to the nature of the job and the job market.