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Motor Vehicle Safety |
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Most of the occupational fatalities occur on public
highways where there are seat belt requirements and traffic laws between the
hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. The following references aid in recognizing motor
vehicle hazards, and provide examples of possible solutions.
Hazard Recognition
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Motor Vehicle Safety. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Safety and Health Topic. Provides information on motor
vehicle-related topics such as general information, crash statistics, and
more. The risk of roadway crashes associated with on-the-job operation of
motor vehicles affects millions of US workers. Data from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics show that in 2005, nearly 3.9 million workers in the
U.S. were classified as motor vehicle operators. Over 40% (1.6 million)
of these motor vehicle operators were employed as heavy truck (including
tractor-trailer) drivers.
- Work-related Roadway Crashes.
US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Publication No. 2004-137, (2004, March). Includes information on
background and trends, worker characteristics, industry and occupation
characteristics, and more. From 1992 through 2001, roadway crashes were
the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the US, accounting for
13,337 civilian worker deaths (22% of all injury-related deaths).
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Ways
to Prevent Job-Related Roadway Deaths, Critical Research Areas Identified by NIOSH.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (2003,
November 6). Employee deaths in roadway crashes increased by 18.7
percent from 1992 to 2000, totaling 11,952 over the nine-year period.
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The Economic Burden of Traffic Crashes on Employers: Costs by State and
Industry and by Alcohol and Restraint Use. National Highway Safety
and Traffic Administration (NHSTA).
Reports that by
preventing motor vehicle crashes, the potential health care savings are
substantial. Motor vehicle injury costs to employers are included in this
report on a nationwide, state-by-state, and industry basis.
- Fatigue, Alcohol, Other Drugs and Medical Factors in Fatal to the Driver Heavy Crashes.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), (1990, February 5). From
NTSB toxicological tests, the Safety Board found that 33 percent of the
fatally injured drivers tested positive for alcohol and other drugs of
abuse. Fatigue and fatigue-drug interactions were involved in more
fatalities in this study than alcohol and other drugs of abuse alone. A
disproportionately high percentage of drivers who used drugs are single,
separated or divorced.
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Highway Work Zones are potentially hazardous for both motor vehicle
drivers and the personnel working in the zone. For more on these hazards
and controls, see OSHA's
Highway Work Zones and Signs, Signals, and Barricades Safety and Health Topic Page.
Possible Solutions
- Drowsy & Distracted Driving.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports
that driver inattention is the leading factor in most crashes and
near-crashes, according to a landmark research report released by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia
Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65
percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within
three seconds before the event. Provides references to programs,
information, and statistics.
- Work-Related
Roadway Crashes - Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention. US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2003-119, (2003,
September). Provides a comprehensive view of issues impacting the
prevention of work-related roadway crashes. Identifies the single most
important driver safety policy that employers can implement and enforce
as the mandatory use of seat belts. NHTSA estimated that in 2000, the use
of seat belts prevented 11,889 fatalities in the United States and could
have prevented 9,238 fatalities that did occur.
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Driver Acceptance of Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) Technology in the Motor Carrier Environment. US Department of Transportation (DOT).
Summarizes the findings of a series of interviews with commercial vehicle
operators across the United States
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Traffic Safety. National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). Provides links to articles, studies/reports,
frequently asked questions, and more.
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Safety and Health and Return to Employment (SHARE) Initiative.
US Department of
Labor (DOL), Employment Standards Administration (ESA). "Fewer federal
employees were injured, became ill, or died on the job over the past
three years as a result of the SHARE initiative and a greater awareness
of workplace safety and health," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "We look to build on
these tremendous results, which benefit not just federal employees and
their agencies, but all American taxpayers."
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Highway Work Zones are potentially hazardous for both motor vehicle
drivers and the personnel working in the zone. For more on these hazards
and controls, see OSHA's
Highway Work Zones and Signs, Signals, and Barricades Safety and Health Topic Page.
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