About Motor Vehicle Safety at Work

Why it's important

Millions of workers drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. And, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.1 The type of company or job doesn't matter — the risk is there.

Work-related crashes include:

• Single- or multiple-vehicle crashes, on or off public roadways, which occur on the job
• Events in which a pedestrian worker (e.g., a law enforcement officer) is struck by a motor vehicle in operation, on or of a public roadway

Facts

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.1
• From 2011-2022, more than 21,000 workers in the U.S. died in a work-related motor vehicle crash (35% of all work-related deaths).1
• In 2022:
  • 1,369 U.S. workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle off a public road died in a work-related crash (25% of all work-related deaths).1
  • An additional 510 deaths (9% of all work-related deaths) involved workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle off a public road, or pedestrians struck by motor vehicles.1
• Motor vehicle crashes are the 1st or 2nd leading cause of death in every major industry group.1
• In 2019 alone, work-related crashes cost employers $39 billion ($75,000 per nonfatal injury and $751,000 per death).2

What's being done

The Center for Motor Vehicle Safety (CMVS) within CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research and develops strategies to prevent work-related motor vehicle crashes and resulting injuries.

The CMVS prioritizes motor vehicle safety for:

• Truck drivers
• Drivers in other high-risk jobs (e.g., emergency medical services workers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, oil and gas extraction workers)
• Drivers of light vehicles (passenger cards, SUVs, pickup trucks)