Modified MRBQ for the gig economy: linking risky riding behaviors to self-reported safety incidents among food delivery riders.

The rapid growth of the food delivery sector has created job opportunities, particularly for young and low-income workers, but has also introduced new road safety challenges. To examine these risks, this study adapted and extended the Motorcycle Rider Behavior Questionnaire (MRBQ) to reflect the unique behaviors of food delivery riders. A 62-item MRBQ was developed through literature review and focus group discussions, and data were collected via an offline survey from 524 riders in Hanoi, Vietnam. The adapted MRBQ was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis to identify key dimensions of risky riding behavior, followed by a multivariate probit model to examine their associations with self-reported crashes, near-crashes, and fines. The analysis revealed six behavioral dimensions: traffic errors, safety violations, distractions, traffic violations, speeding violations, and control errors. Notably, the emergence of 'distractions' and 'traffic violations', linked to mobile phone use and frequent signal and lane breaches, highlights risk specific to app-based delivery work. The absence of the stunts factor, characterized by thrill-seeking behaviors, among food delivery riders further differentiates them from recreational or non-occupational riders, highlighting their more work-oriented and goal-driven riding style. The results further showed that older age, lower education, higher income, and lack of formal training were significantly associated with increased self-reported safety incidents, including crashes, near-crashes, and fines. Key behavioral predictors of these incidents were distractions, speeding, and traffic violations. The findings reinforce existing road safety recommendations by providing context-specific empirical evidence for food delivery riders, highlighting the continued importance of rider training and delivery platform designs that prioritize safety alongside efficiency in urban gig-economy settings.