Safer roads through mental health: What e-hailing platforms can do

SHAH ALAM - E-hailing platforms should introduce mental health programmes tailored for drivers, focusing on tracking sleep patterns and managing stress levels.

By incorporating studies on drivers' psychological behaviours, experts believe such initiatives could help address and mitigate mental health issues, promoting safer and healthier experiences for both drivers and passengers.

Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) School of Civil Engineering Associate Professor Dr Nur Sabahiah Abdul Sukor said that the psychological well-being of e-hailing drivers played a critical role in their performance.

“A study on over 500 e-hailing drivers in the United States, revealed that drivers with higher psychological assessments will exhibit superior operational performance.

“The psychological indicators are level of self-efficacy, response efficacy, intention to comply with company guidelines, attitude towards personal costs such as time, effort and money as well as acceptance rate,” she said when contacted recently.

However, Sabahiah said it remained unclear whether these indicators effectively measure drivers' mental stability where the frequency of psychological assessments should align with each e-hailing company's specific guidelines.

She further emphasised that one significant factor that contributed to mental health issues among e-hailing drivers was inadequate rest.

She highlighted the need for e-hailing platforms to implement a mental health and well-being programme, which could include regular surveys to track drivers' sleep patterns and stress levels.

“Additionally, creating a supportive community through peer networks and providing access to mental health resources and counselling can help foster a healthier work environment for e-hailing drivers,” she added.

Sabahiah also said that standardising certain criteria was crucial to maintain safety and mental well-being.

She said these should include insurance requirements, vehicle standards, background checks and health assessments, along with mandatory training programmes that cover mental health awareness and set minimum age requirements for drivers.

She further pointed out that socioeconomic factors, such as income inequality and job insecurity, heavily influence e-hailing drivers' behaviour and attitudes.

“Income inequality can lead to financial stress, affecting mental health and job performance.

“Job insecurity can cause anxiety, fatigue, and mental health issues, compromising passenger safety. Addressing these challenges is crucial for improving the well-being of e-hailing drivers,” she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Public Transport Users Association (4PAM) President Ajit Johl said there were several apps available that could monitor mental health by analysing facial expressions through your device's camera.

Ajit Johl

He said that this technology could be particularly useful for e-hailing platforms.

"For instance, if a driver is leaving his house after an argument or simply having a bad day, he may switch on the app, but the app might not provide him with any rides. We all have bad days, and this situation could escalate his frustration."

"The issue is that, while the app might stop giving him rides, it may not necessarily help improve his mental state or resolve his anger for the day,” he told Sinar Daily during an exclusive interview Fireside Chat recently.

He said while regulating drivers' emotional states could help, it may not address underlying mental health issues. For example, denying rides based on detected frustration might worsen a driver’s stress, especially if they rely on the income.

However, he added if both the platform and the driver are aware of the situation, it could encourage the driver to step back and calm down, understanding how their emotions affect their business.

"I believe that's one aspect of technology, how it allows you to do things on the go, whether it's every half hour or every 45 minutes, knowingly or unknowingly,” he added.

Ajit said that mental health was a serious issue, not just for drivers, but for anyone responsible for transporting passengers, including pilots, train operators and ship captains.

He highlighted that if someone was in a bad mood while driving, they would not want their family in the car with them, emphasising the importance of self-awareness and emotional regulation in high-risk situations.

Ajit emphasised that personal experience proved that feedback was crucial to recognise how emotions could affect performance.

“When there's feedback, so solutions are there, tools are there, it will be good for the rideshare platform to incorporate those mechanisms into it. It's not too difficult,” he added.

He pointed out that the technology were readily available and integrating it would not be particularly difficult, but it could have a significant impact on both driver well-being and passenger safety.