UNDERSTANDING MILITARY DRIVING BEHAVIOUR: A SCIENTOMETRIC AND SCOPING REVIEW OF GLOBAL RESEARCH TRENDS AND GAPS

Abstract

This study undertakes a comprehensive scientometric and scoping review of the global research landscape pertaining to driving behaviour within military contexts. The objective is to delineate research trajectories, theoretical underpinnings, and interventional strategies that directly impact driver safety and performance. Data were extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, resulting in a corpus of 170 publications. These were analysed using ScientoPy and VOSviewer to assess publication trends, keyword co-occurrence patterns, and institutional contributions. A supplementary scoping review, informed by the SPIDER framework, synthesised evidence from intervention-focused studies. The scientometric analysis reveals a consistent increase in research output since 2005, with a notable acceleration post-2015, particularly in areas concerning driver performance, fatigue, driving outcomes among veterans, and safety interventions. However, the field exhibits conceptual limitations; only game theory and molecular dynamics theory were explicitly identified as foundational frameworks. This indicates a conspicuous absence of psychological, behavioural, and human factors theories to elucidate driver decision-making and performance under operational stress. The scoping review identified three primary intervention categories: digital educational, behavioural, and psychological. These interventions demonstrated quantifiable improvements in safety-related outcomes, including reductions in fatigue, sleepiness, road hostility, and crash risk. Notwithstanding these encouraging findings, the literature is marked by methodological heterogeneity, a paucity of longitudinal evaluations, and limited theoretical integration, thereby restricting the generalisability and long-term efficacy of the interventions. By explicitly connecting driver behaviour to occupational safety, human performance, and workforce sustainability, this study contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). It demonstrates how evidence-based military driving interventions can mitigate non-battle injuries, conserve skilled human capital, enhance operational productivity, and foster enduring organisational resilience within defence institutions.