As reported by OTA last week, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) has commissioned a study to better understand the root causes of traffic collisions involving heavy trucks in Ontario.
As a first step, a series of focus group discussions will be conducted with drivers of large trucks, police collision re-constructionists and MTO enforcement officers. MORR Transportation Consulting and R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. are partnering to conduct this study. At OTA’s request, MTO will also be soliciting feedback in a separate focus group involving trucking safety professionals who play a key role in education and training on the issue of highway safety.
The focus groups cover topics such as physical and psychological factors of driving, including skills; training and experience required; driver behaviour of both truck drivers and other vehicle operators on the road; driving infrastructure (roads and border crossings); environmental factors; regulation and enforcement; advanced technologies; and economic conditions. The discussion will last between 90 and 120 minutes. The dates and cities currently proposed for the sessions are:
February 21st – virtual session / conference call (2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
February 22nd – face-to-face session at MTO Downsview location (10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Participation in these focus groups is completely voluntary. Final results and analysis will be presented in aggregate form only; and any comments/quotes that participants provide will remain anonymous.
Safety Professionals who are interested in participating can either call 1-855-290-1132 or email largetruckstudy@malatest.com. Space is limited so please contact the consultant team ASAP to let them know you are interested and to receive information on meeting locations.
