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ALERT

Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Traffic-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes

July 1998
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-142

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Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Traffic-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes

 

WARNING!

Many workers are at high risk of injury and death from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes. About three workers die from these crashes each day.

 

If driving is part of your job, take the following steps:

If you employ motor vehicle operators, take the following steps:

If you work or employ workers who work in construction or maintenance zones, take the following steps:

Photo by Earl Dotter(c)

 

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related fatalities.

 

 

 


Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Traffic-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes

 

WARNING!

Many workers are at high risk of injury and death from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes. About three workers die from these crashes each day.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests help in preventing worker deaths associated with motor vehicles. From 1980 to 1992, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of work-related deaths in U.S. workers. During this period, traffic-related motor vehicle crashes accounted for the deaths of 15,830 workersor 20% of all fatal workplace injuries. Also during that period, 1,997 worker deaths were associated with motor vehicle crashes that were not related to traffic on a public highway. The number of traffic-related deaths was eight times the number not related to traffic.

This Alert examines traffic-related motor vehicle crashes that resulted in the death of a person who was at work when the incident occurred. Events that occurred while traveling to or from work are not included.

NIOSH requests your help in bringing this Alert to the attention of workers and employers. To raise the awareness of all workers who drive as part of their jobs, NIOSH also requests help from the following groups: safety and health officials, labor organizations, businesses and trade organizations, the academic and public health communities, advocacy groups, insurance companies, and other Federal agencies.

 

 

DATA SOURCES

NIOSH data for the period 1990 through 1992 were taken from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) Surveillance System. NTOF is a death-certificate-based surveillance system composed of fatal occupational injuries to workers aged 16 and older. The NTOF data were supplemented with information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) for the same period. FARS, which is now called the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, is a census of fatal traffic crashes that includes data abstracted from many sources, including police records and reports from coroners and medical examiners. NTOF data were supplemented with FARS data to obtain information not included on death certificates. The actual number of fatal occupational traffic-related motor vehicle crashes from 1990 through 1992 is higher than reported in this Alert because death certificates are estimated to capture only 60% to 83% of the work-related fatalities associated with traffic-related motor vehicle crashes [Cone et al. 1991; Karlson and Baker 1978; Paulson et al. 1988; Russell and Conroy 1991].

 

DATA DESCRIPTION

For the period 1990�, NTOF data indicate that 3,066 workers died from motor vehicle crashes related to traffic [NIOSH 1996]. Of these worker deaths, 2,523 (82%) were successfully matched with FARS data. These deaths involved

    —2,438 events that involved at least one work-related fatality, and

    —2,104 motor vehicles occupied by at least one fatally injured worker.

The average annual fatality rate associated with motor vehicle crashes was 0.7 per 100,000 workers (note that the rates presented in this Alert are per 100,000 workers and are not calculated on the basis of miles driven).

The characteristics of the fatally injured workers, the events, and the vehicles involved are described in more detail as follows.

Fatally Injured Workers

Sex.—Of the 2,523 workers fatally injured in traffic-related motor vehicle crashes, 93% were male. The injury rate for male workers was 11 times that for female workers (1.2 compared with 0.1 per 100,000 workers).

Age.—Nearly 70% of the motor-vehicle-related fatalities occurred among workers aged 25 to 54. Workers aged 30 to 34 were involved in the highest number of fatalities (360), and workers aged 65 and older had the highest fatality rate—1.3 per 100,000 workers (Table 1).

Drivers, Passengers, and Pedestrians.—Most fatally injured workers were drivers (76%); 14% were pedestrians, and 9% were passengers.

Restraints.—Of the 2,158 fatally injured workers who were either drivers or passengers in a motor vehicle, 62% were not using any type of safety restraint. Thirteen percent used lap and shoulder belts, and nearly 5% used lap belts. Information about the type of restraint was not provided from the FARS data for 19% of these fatally injured workers.

Blood Alcohol Concentration.—Blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were provided for 72% (1,812) of the fatally injured workers:

 

BAC (g/dl)

Fatally

injured workers

 

0

1,601

(88%)

 

0.01�09

79

(4%)

0.10+ (legal limit in most States)

132

(7%)


 


Of the fatally injured drivers, 75% (1,451) had BAC results that were reported in the data:

 

 

BAC (g/dl)

Fatally

injured workers

 

0

1,269

(87%)

 

0.01�09

68

(5%)

0.10+ (legal limit in most States)

114

(8%)

 

 

 

Table 1. Occupational deaths from traffic-related motor vehicle

crashes by age of worker, 1990�

  Deaths
Age of worker Number %* Rate
16� 77 3.1 0.5
20� 222 8.8 0.6
25� 306 12.1 0.7
30� 360 14.3 0.7
35� 330 13.1 0.7
40� 256 10.2 0.6
45� 271 10.7 0.8
50� 235 9.3 0.9
55� 192 7.6 0.9
60� 141 5.6 1.0
65+ 133 5.3 1.3
*Column does not add to 100 because of rounding.

Rates were calculated as number of deaths per 100,000 workers per year using annual average employment data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment and Earnings [DOL 1991, 1992, 1993].

 

Of the drivers who had BACs of  0.10 g/dl or higher,

 

        —33 were driving pickup trucks,

        —32 were driving tractor-trailer trucks, and

        —12 were driving 2- or 4-door sedans.


Industry and Occupation.—Of the 2,523 workers fatally injured in traffic-related motor vehicle crashes, 35% (880) worked in the transportation/communication/public utilities industry. Industry sectors with the highest number of work-related deaths from motor vehicles were establishments engaged in trucking service (689) and construction (332). Sectors with rates three or more times the overall rate of work-related deaths from motor vehicles are listed in Table 2. Trucking service establishments had a rate 17 times the average annual rate of motor vehicle fatalities for all workers.

Of the 2,523 fatally injured workers, 43% (1,091) were employed in transportation and material moving occupations. Truck drivers had the highest number of work-related deaths from motor vehicles (973). Occupations with rates four or more times the average annual rate of death (per 100,000 workers) from motor vehicles are listed in Table 3. Truck drivers had the highest rate, followed closely by garbage collectors.

 

Events

Of the 2,438 motor vehicle events that involved at least one work-related fatality, 1,073 (44%) involved a collision with an object other than a moving motor vehicle (Table 4). Of these 1,073 collisions, 243 (23%) involved a collision with a pedestrian.

More than half of the 2,438 motor vehicle events occurred on State highways (27%) and interstate highways (24%) (see Table 5). One-hundred and forty-seven (6%) of the 2,438 motor vehicle events occurred in a highway construction or maintenance zone; 79 (54%) of the 147 events involved pedestrians. Of the 2,438 events, 65% (1,594) occurred during daylight; 82% (1,987) occurred on dry roadways; and 85% (2,077) occurred during normal weather conditions.

 

Vehicles

 

The 2,104 motor vehicles occupied by at least one fatally injured worker were of the following types:

 

Vehicle type  

Number

Tractor-trailer truck..... 741 (35%)
Pickup truck................. 329 (16%)
2- or 4-door sedan....... 299 (14%)
Other............................ 735 (35%)

 

 

The Other category includes such vehicles as vans, farm equipment being operated on a public highway, station wagons, and compact utility vehicles.

The most harmful event* for 291 (39%) of the 741 tractor-trailer trucks was an overturn. Of the 741 tractor-trailer trucks, 125 (17%) were involved in collisions with another moving motor vehicle and 90 (12%) were involved in fires or explosions.

 

Table 2. Industry sectors with the highest average annual rates of deaths from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes, 1990�
  Deaths

Sector and BOC* code

Number

Rate

Trucking service (410) 689 12.1
Logging (230) 39 9.0
Fuel dealers (672) 19 5.6
Petroleum products (552) 24 5.2
Agriculture crop production (010) 124 4.2
Sanitary service (471) 37 4.1
Taxicab service (402) 13 3.9
Farm supplies (561) 12 2.9
Oil and gas extraction (042) 31 2.6
Bus service (401) 34 2.3
Coal mining (041) 9 2.1
*Bureau of Census. Industries were classified according to the 1980 Census of Population: Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations [U.S. Department of Commerce 1982] and to the 1990 Census of Population and Housing: Classified Index of Industries and Occupations [U.S. Department of Commerce 1992].

Rates were calculated as number of deaths per 100,000 workers per year using employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey [BLS 1992] microdata. Rates were not calculated for cases with insufficient information to categorize into specific industries.

 

 

Table 3. Occupations with the highest average annual rates of death from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes, 1990�
Deaths

Occupation and BOC* code

Number Rate
Truck driver (804) 973 12.2
Garbage collector (875) 16 11.5
Sheriff/bailiff (423) 24 7.1
Supervisor, farm worker (477) 6 5.2
Surveying and mapping technician (218) 11 5.1
Policeman/detective (418) 70 4.9
Taxicab driver (809) 29 4.7
Logging occupations (496) 11 4.3
Construction laborer (869) 82 3.9
Operating engineers (844) 23 3.7
*Bureau of Census. Occupations were classified according to the 1980 Census of Population: Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations [U.S. Department of Commerce 1982] and to the 1990 Census of Population and Housing: Classified Index of Industries and Occupations [U.S. Department of Commerce 1992].

Rates were calculated as number of deaths per 100,000 workers per year using employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey [BLS 1992] microdata. Rates were not calculated for cases with insufficient information to categorize into specific industries.

 

Table 4. Occupational deaths from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes by type, 1990�
  Deaths
Type of event Number % total
Collisions with other objects 1,073 44.0
Pedestrian* 243 22.7
Guardrail 153 14.3
Tree 107 10.0
Rail train 86 8.0
Other 484 45.1
Collisions with other moving motor vehicle 884 36.3
Head-on 297 33.6
Angle 293 33.1
Rear-end 237 26.8
Other 57 6.4
Non-collision event 481 19.7
Overturn 414 86.1
Fell from vehicle 35 7.3
Other 32 6.6
Total 2,438 100.0
*Although 243 events were initiated by a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian, 345 pedestrians were fatally injured at work in the 2,438 events.

 

 

Table 5. Occupational deaths from traffic-related motor vehicle events by type of roadway, 1990�
  Deaths
Type of roadway Number % total*
State highway 657 27.0
Interstate 587 24.1
U.S. highway 487 20.0
County road 380 15.6
Municipality 177 7.3
Township 75 3.1
Other 69 2.8
Unknown 6 0.3
Total 2,438 100.0
*Column does not add to 100 because of rounding.

 

 

The 331 motor vehicles that struck a pedestrian were of the following types:

Vehicle type  

Number

2- to 4-door sedan..... 123 (37%)
Tractor-trailer truck............ 48 (15%)
Pickup truck 45 (14%)
Other............................ 115 (35%)

 

 

 

CURRENT REGULATIONS

 

Two Federal agencies hold the primary responsibility for setting and enforcing motor vehicle standards: the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and NHTSA.

FHWA

The FHWA under the U.S. Department of Transportation regulates and enforces Federal requirements relating to the safe operation and equipment for commercial motor carriers under 49 CFR 350�9 as follows:

NHTSA

The NHTSA (also under the U.S. Department of Transportation) is responsible for setting and enforcing safety performance and use standards for motor vehicle equipment under 49 CFR 500�9. These standards pertain to all vehicles manufactured in the United States. The Administration also sets and enforces safety standards to ensure that motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment imported into the United States conform with all Federal motor vehicle safety standards. All vehicles purchased should be equipped with appropriate crash protection for occupants, as prescribed by 49 CFR 571.208.

Other Regulations

FHWA and NHTSA also have responsibilities in areas other than regulating motor carriers, drivers, and vehicle regulatory issues. NHTSA and the FHWA Office of Motor Carriers are responsible for overseeing State-sponsored or -conducted education and enforcement activities. In addition, all States and local communities have programs that can affect the work environment (i.e., the streets and roads). Components of the Child Labor Requirements Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations (for example, those for logging and construction) also address the safe operation of motor vehicles for particular populations or settings.

 

CONCLUSIONS

 


Traffic-related motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related injury death. They reduce our workforce by more than three workers each day. However, the environment in which these crashes occur is complex and may not be as controllable as other workplaces. Uncontrollable factors include aggressive or impaired drivers and motorists who ignore the dangers of sharing the road with commercial vehicles (for example, those who do not allow enough room for a truck to turn a corner).

Although the data reported here help us understand the magnitude and circumstances of U.S. worker deaths from traffic-related motor vehicle crashes, many factors remain unclear. Furthermore, because data are not available for total miles driven and miles driven classified by industry, occupation, season, and geographic location, the rates presented here per 100,000 workers may not accurately reflect the risk among worker groups.

Government and public safety organizations have long studied ways to prevent injuries from motor vehicle crashes. But researchers have paid little attention to preventing work-related motor vehicle crashes. Prevention efforts must be emphasized to reduce the number and rate of occupational fatalities involving motor vehicles.

Injury prevention and control technologies such as safety belts, air bags, daytime running lights, and vehicle design were developed to improve public safety; but they may also be applicable to workers whose jobs involve driving or travel by motor vehicles [CDC 1994]. Prevention efforts should include a combination of education, enforcement, and engineering controls. Companies with large fleets of motor vehicles can provide unique opportunities for researchers to study injury prevention strategies to begin answering the many remaining questions about risk factors and effective methods of injury prevention.

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS



Companies must rely on their own experience when establishing safety procedures. Any employer who is developing and implementing a comprehensive traffic safety program for the workplace must gather and analyze internal data so that the company's program targets the problems that will reduce the crashes, deaths, and injuries. The recommendations presented here highlight the issues to keep in mind when developing these safety programs.

NIOSH recommends that employers take the following measures to prevent traffic-related deaths and injuries of workers from motor vehicle crashes:

NIOSH recommends that researchers thoroughly evaluate existing and proposed prevention strategies and further investigate the causes and circumstances of work-related motor vehicle crashes. Research areas include the following:

 

 

ACKNOWLDEDGEMENTS

 

Suzanne M. Kisner from the NIOSH Division of Safety Research and E. Lynn Jenkins from the NIOSH Office of the Director were the principal contributors to this Alert. Comments or questions concerning this Alert should be directed to Director, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505�88; telephone, (304) 285�94.

We greatly appreciate your assistance in protecting the lives of American workers.



Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H.

Director, National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

BLS [1992]. Labor force, employment, and unemployment from the current population survey. In: BLS Handbook of Methods. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, pp. 3�.

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) [1994]. Occupational injury deaths--United States, 1980�89. MMWR 43(14):262�4.

CFR. Code of Federal regulations. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, Office of the Federal Register.

Cone JE, Daponte A, Makofsky D, Reiter R, Becker C, Harrison RJ, et al. [1991]. Fatal injuries at work in California. J Occup Med 33(7):813�7.

DOL (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) [1991]. Annual averages. Employment and earnings 38(1):162�3.

DOL (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) [1992]. Annual averages. Employment and earnings 39(1):172�3.

DOL (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) [1993]. Annual averages. Employment and earnings 40(1):162�3.

Karlson TA, Baker SP [1978]. Fatal occupational injuries associated with motor vehicles. Proceedings of the 22nd Conference of the American Association for Automotive Medicine. Vol. 1. Arlington Heights, IL: American Association for Automotive Medicine, pp. 229�1.

NIOSH [1994]. Tree trimmer foreman dies after being struck by a pickup truck--South Carolina. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Report No. 94�.

NIOSH [1996]. National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) Surveillance System. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Unpublished database.

Paulson KM, Marine WM, Weiser JK, Keefer SM [1988]. Colorado population-based occupational injury and fatality surveillance system report, 1982�84. Denver, CO: Colorado Department of Health.

Russell J, Conroy C [1991]. Representativeness of deaths identified through the injury-at-work item on the death certificate: implications for surveillance. Am J Public Health 81(12):1613�18.

U.S. Department of Commerce [1982]. 1980 Census of population: alphabetical index of industries and occupations. Final ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, PHC80璕3.

U.S. Department of Commerce [1992]. 1990 Census of population and housing: classified index of industries and occupations. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, CPH璕�

 


*The most harmful event is defined in FARS as the event during a crash that produces the greatest personal injury or property damage.

 


Code of Federal Regulations. See CFR in references.

 


DISCLAIMER

Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

This document is in the public domain and may be freely copied or reprinted.

 

Copies of this and other NIOSH documents are available from

Publications Dissemination, EID
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998

Fax number: (513) 533-8573
Telephone number: 1-800-35-NIOSH   (1-800-356-4674)
E-mail: pubstaft@cdc.gov

To receive other information about occupational safety and health problems,
call 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674), or visit the NIOSH Homepage
on the World Wide Web at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 98-142

July 1998


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