MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY

NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety

Coordinates and promotes research and prevention activities related to motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of work-related fatalities among U.S. workers.

Motor vehicle-related incidents are consistently the leading cause of work-related fatalities in the United States. Thirty-five percent of occupational fatalities reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are associated with motor vehicles. Between 2003-2009, on average:

1308 workers died each year from crashes on public highways
316 workers died each year in crashes that occurred
off the highway or on industrial premises.
347 pedestrian workers died each year as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Motor vehicle crashes have economic costs in addition to human costs. In 1998-2000, motor vehicle crash injuries occurring on and off the job were estimated to cost employers nearly US $60 billion annually. On average, a fatality occurring on the job cost a business over $500,000 USD in direct and liability costs, and each nonfatal injury cost nearly $74,000 USD.*

*Source: NHTSA [2003]. The economic burden of traffic crashes on employers: Costs by state and industry and by alcohol and restraint use (Publication DOT HS 809 682). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Risk of work-related motor vehicle crashes cuts across all industries and occupations. Workers who drive on the job may be “professional” drivers whose primary job is to transport freight or passengers. Many other workers spend a substantial part of the work day driving a vehicle owned or leased by their employer, or a personal vehicle. In the United States, companies and drivers that operate large trucks and buses are covered by comprehensive safety regulations. In contrast, there are no Federal occupational safety regulations that cover the workers who use smaller employer-provided vehicles or personal vehicles.

For all workers who drive on the job, employer safety policies are a critical element in reducing crash risks. Employer policies may be limited to supporting and reinforcing state traffic laws. However, many employers choose to manage road risk more proactively through programs and policies to promote safe driving behaviors, ensure that work-related driving takes place under the safest possible conditions, and ensure that worker vehicles are safe and properly maintained.

Spotlight

NETS Distracted-driving Campaign Materials External Web Site Icon (Available Free of Charge)

NIOSH encourages employers to take advantage of campaign materials on distracted driving available for free download from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety External Web Site Icon (NETS). The 2011 Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) tool kit was developed with support from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Focus360°…Getting there safely is everyone’s business.” The DSWW materials are designed to help employers initiate or sustain a corporate mobile device policy and to inform employers and workers about behaviors that contribute to distracted driving-related incidents. This year’s campaign materials also address the roles and responsibilities of being a safe passenger, pedestrian and cyclist in preventing distracted driving-related incidents.

NETS is dedicated to improving the health and safety of employees, their families and the community by preventing traffic crashes that occur both on and off the job. NIOSH has worked with NETS for more than 10 years to promote employer-based road safety initiatives.

UN Decade of Action for Road Safety

Around the world, an estimated 1.3 million persons die each year from motor vehicle crashes, and the toll is expected to increase if strong actions are not taken.

In developing countries, motor vehicle crashes exact a devastating human and economic toll. May 11, 2011 marked the launch of a UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Work-related traffic is a significant component of the traffic stream worldwide. In many countries, over one-third of all road deaths are judged to be work-related. As a participant in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, NIOSH contributed to the Global Plan for the Decade of Action, helping to identify concrete steps that can be taken to: (1) encourage collection of data on work-related crashes; (2) advance policy and management of work-related road safety by business and governments; and (3) encourage investments in work-related road safety that will improve road safety for all.