Food delivery riders are overrepresented in road crashes. Arguably, the increased risk experienced by food delivery riders is linked to the working conditions offered by the “gig economy”. Research is needed to fully understand the safety-related issues this vulnerable group of road users face daily and identify opportunities for counter measures. In this investigation, we proposed a new theoretical model to explain the risky behaviour of food delivery motorcyclists based on the well-established Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Following the JD-R, we considered the impact of job demands (job aspects that require sustained effort) and job resources (job aspects that help achieve work-related goals, reduce job demands and stimulate personal development) on the risky riding behaviours of food delivery motorcyclists. The JD-R model was also extended with three constructs, including personal demands, personal resources, and perceived safety risk to explore the role of individuals' within-person aspects. The developed model was tested using data collected from 554 food delivery riders in the two biggest cities in Vietnam. The results showed that job burnout, job resources, and personal demands directly impact risky riding behaviours, in which job burnout was the most significant predictor. Constructs such as job demands, personal resources, and perceived safety risk were not significant predictors of risky riding behaviours. This research shows that organisation-level factors could be modified to prevent risky riding behaviour. The gig economy industry can do much more to improve the safety of delivery riders.@en

On-demand food delivery involves transport services based on gig-economy models. Food delivery services rely on motorcycles in many jurisdictions, resulting in safety risks. Motorcycles are generally-two-wheeled and therefore inherently unstable. They also lack rider restraint or roll cage to minimise the consequences of a collision. Given the risks of motorcycle food delivery, there is a need to understand how job design may influence safety behaviour on the roads and regulate this economic activity to minimise potential harmful health consequences on the riders. This study investigated the impact of job demands and resources on food delivery riders' compliance with road safety regulations. The job demands-resources (JD–R) model was used as the theoretical framework for this research. Data were collected using a cross-sectional design involving 550 motorcycle delivery riders in two megacities in Vietnam. A structural equation analysis indicated that job demands (e.g., time pressure, work/life imbalance, working environment) and job resources (e.g., social support, feedback) influence, directly and indirectly, job strain, risk-taking attitude, and road safety compliance. Control variables such as age, gender, and income also influenced road safety compliance. This study has critical implications for the food delivery industry that can help achieve sustainable development goals in the global south.@en