Injured Professional Drivers in Poland-An Analysis of the Causes and Effects in Relation to the Time of the Road Accident

Introduction. The objective of the paper was to present the results of an analysis of road accidents in professional drivers in Poland, from the point of view of their age, tenure, accident causes and effects in relation to the time of the accidents they were involved in. Method. Data were obtained from a database of the Central Statistical Office. Accidents recorded in statistical accident cards from 6 consecutive years were analysed. Results. The overall number of injured professional drivers generally decreased over the 6 years, except for the last year of the period when the tendency to fatal and severe accidents between 23:00 and 6:59 increased. The highest percentage of fatal and severe accidents was found between 23:00 and 6:59 and was caused by medical emergencies and unsafe behaviour. The tenure of 70.89% of the injured drivers was under 10 years. Drivers who had worked for over 20 years had fewest injuries between 23:00 and 6:59. Conclusion. The results of the analysis may be used in changing work schedules to reduce the accident risk of the occupational groups at greatest risk.