Work-related violence experienced by San Francisco taxi drivers

Aims: 1. To measure prevalence of work-related violence (defined as a physical assault, robbery, or being confronted with a weapon) in taxi drivers. 2. To describe socio-demographic and work factors associated with violence. 3. To determine if night driving is associated with a higher prevalence of violence. Methods: This was a descriptive study with personal interviews conducted with 130 taxi drivers. Results: 130 drivers participated, representing 10 different taxi companies. The sample was male (94%), age 45, married (54%), born outside of the USA (55%), with 24% speaking Arabic as the primary language at home. 51% were night drivers, driving on average 9.7 years and 41 hours/week. 51% reported their taxi driving income as insufficient; 19% held a second job; 58% had no health insurance. 48% reported violence, experiencing physical assault, being confronted with a weapon, or being robbed during taxi driving careers. Violence reports were significantly lower in those born outside the USA (p=0.002), and for primary Arabic speakers (p=0.013). In the prior 12 months, 12%of drivers were physically assaulted, 8% were robbed, and 6% reported being confronted with a weapon. Driving at night posed additional risk: a higher prevalence (8% vs. 3% in day drivers) of being confronted by a weapon per year of driving (p=0.040), and a higher number of physical assaults in the prior 12 months (p=0.047). Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of work-related violence from driving a taxi in San Francisco. Strategies are needed to prevent violence in all taxi drivers, particularly night drivers.