OTTAWA — Canadian Trucking Alliance members are being urged to participate in a research project being conducted by Transport Canada for the Human Factor and Motor Carrier Safety Task Force.

Under the umbrella of the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), the Crash Causation study will take a closer look at driver-oriented safety interventions in an effort to further research on the role human factors of both car and truck drivers play in accidents involving motor carriers.

The task force has been asked to analyze crash causation studies to identify the real problems and systematically review current driver-oriented interventions in the Canadian trucking industry. Also, officials will review the scientific literature to identify best practices and develop a global strategy to address the issue.

The purpose of this research, says CTA, is not to develop a stringent set of regulations that carriers must abide by, but rather to "produce a scientifically valid strategy to understand the issues surrounding human factors as they relate to accidents and the most effective way to address this issues going forward."

The research will involve a survey prepared by Transport Canada which will assess current interventions carriers are using to prevent accidents as they relate to driver behaviors.