Work-Related Driving Behaviours Across Industries: Organisational Influences and Risk Patterns

Work-related road traffic crashes continue to impose significant risks on employees, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where rapid urbanisation, long commuting distances, and operational mobility demands intensify daily exposure to road hazards. Individuals who drive as part of their job or commute regularly are particularly vulnerable, with their safety shaped by organisational practices, fleet characteristics, and policy implementation. Although Work-Related Road Safety (WRRS) has gained increasing attention, sector-specific variations in safety management systems remain insufficiently examined. This study evaluates WRRS implementation across 48 organisations representing the public services, manufacturing, and transportation sectors in Malaysia. Data were collected through site visits and structured self-assessment questionnaires covering organisational characteristics, designated WRRS personnel, fleet composition, crash involvement, and practices across five WRRS dimensions: management systems, monitoring and assessment, driver management, vehicle management, and journey management. Descriptive analysis, one-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to identify sectoral differences. Findings indicate significant variations across several WRRS components, with the manufacturing sector consistently demonstrating lower compliance in management systems, monitoring and assessment, journey management, and overall WRRS scores. Public service organisations showed stronger monitoring mechanisms but reported higher commuting-related crash rates, reflecting their extensive fleet operations and service demands. The transportation sector exhibited greater performance variability, consistent with its high mobility exposure and diverse operational requirements. No significant differences were observed in driver or vehicle management, suggesting these areas are uniformly implemented across sectors. Overall, the results highlight how organisational structures, regulatory environments, and sector-specific operational patterns shape WRRS performance. Strengthening organisational governance, enhancing monitoring frameworks, and developing sector responsive WRRS strategies are crucial steps toward reducing work-related road crashes and improving occupational road safety outcomes in Malaysia.