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Crime Prevention for Truckers Study
The FMCSA initiated a Crime Prevention for Truckers Study to understand the nature and prevalence of harassment and assaults against truckers. The study covered the period of September 2017 through March 2022, with the Final Report being dated November 2022.
The study’s goals were to determine the prevalence of threats and assaults against truck drivers. Harassment, in this study, is defined as the threat of harm or actual physical harm perpetrated against a trucker, their possessions, vehicle, or cargo. The following summarizes the findings from survey information collected and analyzed.
Harassment against truck drivers is prevalent. Being called undesirable names (59 percent of women, 52 percent of minority males, and 51 percent of non-minority males) and receiving threatening words (38 percent of women, 40 percent of minority males, and 44 percent of non-minority males) are the most common forms of harassment. Relative to men (8 percent of minority males and 14 percent non- minority males), women truck drivers (33 percent) are exposed to more sexual harassment.
Harassment is more likely to happen at truck stops (23 to 30 percent depending on gender and minority status), places where truck drivers pick up or deliver cargo (15 to 17 percent), and fueling stations (9 to 11 percent). In addition, the respondents mentioned that crimes are more likely to happen in urban areas (42 to 56 percent) compared to rural areas (26 to 35 percent). Harassment against women truck drivers is particularly more likely to happen at night (after 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.).
The individuals committing the harassment are more likely to be other truck drivers whom the victims did not already know (e.g., 31 percent of women, 27 percent of minority male, and 34 percent of non- minority male truckers who were victims mentioned that the perpetrator was another truck driver whom they did not know before). Relative to men, women truck drivers are more likely to experience harassment from another truck driver at their company (15 percent) or their trainers (11 percent).
About half of the harassments go unreported (i.e., 42 percent of women, 57 percent of minority males, and 51 percent of non-minority males choose not to report the harassment). The reason given was that they did not think that it would make a difference (29 to 38 percent), or they deal with it anyway (17 to 38 percent). Read the entire report at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/64915
Safety TIPS
.Be AWARE of your surroundings at all times and trust your INSTINCTS.
. Park and stay in well lit, populated areas
. Walk with your head upright
.If you are approached, don’t let your guard down
. You are your own best protection!
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