What 'undermines' safety in mining truck driving? A PLS-SEM study.

Objectives. Mining logistics involve substantial operational risks, yet the occurrence of incidents largely depends on drivers' behavior. Evidence linking health, attention and driving behavior in mining transportation remains limited. This study examined the relationships between these factors and major and minor incidents. Methods. Cross-sectional data were collected from 153 professional truck drivers working at the Gol Gohar mining complex in Iran. Measures encompassed driver maturity, physical/mental health, in-vehicle and environmental distractions, defensive and aggressive driving, past 3-year violations and self-reported incidents. PLS-SEM was used to analyze relationships. Results. In-vehicle distraction was significantly associated with major incidents and indirectly related to minor incidents. Defensive driving was found to have no direct correlation with accidents but still had substantial indirect impacts. Aggressive driving was linked solely to minor accidents. Mental health influenced incident occurrence indirectly through distraction-related pathways. However, physical health showed no significant effects. Environmental factors were unrelated to incidents but were indirectly associated with minor incidents. Conclusion. The findings identify distraction-related behavioral pathways as key targets for improving mining transport safety. Proven strategies must integrate cab-based distraction control, defensive driving courses, stress-relieving programs and work schedules that reduce cognitive strain and keep drivers alert, all within existing safety management frameworks.