October 10, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Fatal on-the-job highway incidents rise in 2001

The number of job-related deaths from highway incidents increased in 2001 following a decline the previous year. Fatal highway incidents were up almost 3 percent from 2000 and continued to be the leading cause of on-the-job fatalities in 2001.

[Chart data—TXT]

Highway incidents accounted for almost one quarter of the fatal work injury total. There were 1,404 fatal work injuries from highway incidents in 2001 out of 5,900 workplace fatalities (excluding fatalities resulting from the September 11th attacks).

These data are from the BLS Safety and Health Statistics Program. Additional information is available from "National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2001," news release USDL 02-541.