The company car driver; Occupational stress as a predictor of motor vehicle accident involvement

The relationship between occupational stress and worksite accidents has increasingly become the focus of research attention. However, few studies have considered the ''spillover'' effect of work related stress on employee behavior outside the specific work domain. This article reports the findings of our study to investigate the possible effects of occupational stress on the incidence of road accidents among company car drivers. Using motor vehicle claims data, stress levels were compared between accident-free (ACCF) and accident-involved (ACCI) drivers of a large car fleet operated by an international retailing organization. Comparisons were also made between different divisions/subsidiary companies within the organization. Despite the relatively small sample (n = 236) and the retrospective limitations of the study, the findings would indicate that occupational stress is playing a role in predicting accident rates among company car drivers. It is suggested that organizational initiatives aimed at stressor reduction and the improvement of individual coping skills may make an important contribution in reducing motor vehicle accidents.