Regardless of industry, the leading cause of death for workers in this country is on-the-job motor vehicle accidents, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Statistics show that in every major industry, motor vehicle accidents are either the first or second leading cause of death for workers. See, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Fatal occupational injuries resulting from transportation incidents and homicides, all United States, 2003-2018.
As NIOSH explains:
Millions of workers drive or ride in a vehicle as part of their jobs, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. All workers are at risk of crashes, whether they drive light or heavy vehicles, or whether driving is a main or incidental job duty.
Of course, some industries are inherently riskier for a fatal crash than others. NIOSH data reveals that the Transportation and Warehousing Industry had the highest share of roadway fatalities involving workers on the job (38%); followed by the Construction Industry (12%); Wholesale and Retail Trade (9%); and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting (7%).
As for the vehicles themselves, NIOSH ranked them as follows:
- semi, tractor-trailer, and tanker trucks (involved in 38% of worker fatalities);
- pickup trucks (involved in 17% of worker fatalities);
- delivery trucks/vans (involved in 9% of worker fatalities); and
- automobiles (involved in 7% of worker fatalities).
NIOSH Safety Study 2020 – 2029
To that end, last year NIOSH began implementing a study to address motor vehicle safety issues on the job with the goal of creating a national strategy to address the unacceptably high risk of dying on the job in a motor vehicle crash. Read, NIOSH Plans for the Next Decade of Motor Vehicle Safety, written by Guy Burdick and published in EHS Daily Advisor on January 6, 2020.
Meanwhile, other studies focus not on the particular industry, but on the workers themselves. This research focuses on drivers involved in fatal on-the-job crashes in order to identify workers facing the greatest danger of dying in a crash while at work regardless of their occupation.
Four Workers Facing the Greatest Risk of Deadly On-the-Job Motor Vehicle Accident
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four types of workers face the highest risk of a fatal motor vehicle accident while on the job. They are either very young or older drivers, or they are drivers operating a motor vehicle while distracted or fatigued.
1] Distracted Drivers
The danger of distraction involves anything that takes the driver’s focus off the task of operating the motor vehicle, whether it is reaching for a coffee cup in the console to rummaging in a purse or glove compartment. However, most distracted driving concerns focus upon the temptation of a driver to use their phone while driving, either to chat or to text.
Of course, texting while driving is outlawed in Indiana and Illinois. Moreover, commercial motor vehicle drivers (trucks and buses) are forbidden under federal law from either texting while driving or using a hand-held phone while behind the wheel.
For more on distracted driving, particularly the high risk of a crash while the driver is distracted by a phone, read:
- Distracted Driving in 2020: New Findings Warn of Continued Risk of Deadly Accidents Due to Phone Distractions
- Employer Liability for Distracted Driving Accidents in Indiana or Illinois
- Fatal Distracted Driving Accidents: How Much at Risk are You Here in Indiana and Illinois?
2] Older Drivers
Any driver who is 55 years old or older is considered an “older driver” by the CDC and NIOSH. While these workers may have more expertise and experience on the job, researchers warn that “… age-related physical and mental changes may affect older workers’ driving.”
Age-related changes include things like: (1) eyesight that is more sensitive to light, including the glare from headlights; (2) hearing loss, where the driver is less likely to hear horns or sirens; (3) arthritis, where the driver may be less able to check for hazards or apply the brakes; and (4) loss of flexibility or range of motion.
These age-related changes are considered to increase the risk of a fatal motor vehicle accident for workers behind the wheel who are 55+ years old. The CDC warns that motor vehicle accidents are the cause of 32% of all work-related deaths for workers over the age of 55 in this country.
For more, read:
- Older Drivers: Fatal Accidents and Senior Drivers in Indiana and Illinois
- Older Driver Safety Awareness Week: December 1 -7, 2019
- Accident Victims Over 65 Years Old: Seniors Hurt on the Job.
3] Fatigued Drivers
Workers choosing to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when they are tired, weary, fatigued, or exhausted because they have a job to do, may have great dedication to their work but will be endangering both themselves and others on the road. The risk of a fatigued driver being involved in a fatal crash is high (1 in 5 fatal crashes are caused by driver fatigue). The CDC points out that 37% of workers admitted to getting less than seven (7) hours of sleep before driving in a national survey, while adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day as a general rule.
For more, read:
- Commercial Truck Safety and Truck Driver Fatigue: Fatal Truck Crashes, ELDs, and HOS Rules
- Ridesharing and Traffic Fatalities: Driver Fatigue and Drowsy Driving as a Public Safety Risk
- Fatigued, Tired Drivers Said to Cause 20% of All U.S. Traffic Deaths: Drowsy Drivers at Fault?
4] Young Drivers
The CDC and NIOSH define “young drivers” as workers between the ages of 16 and 24 years. These drivers are considered to be a high risk for a fatal on-the-job motor vehicle accident because they lack experience in driving and facing roadway challenges. Over a third (37%) of all work-related traffic deaths involve young drivers who perish in on-the-job motor vehicle accidents.
For more on the risks facing young drivers, see:
- Teen Drivers and Fatal Car Accidents: High Risk in Indiana and Illinois
- Teen Driver Accidents in the Summer: the 100 Deadliest Days for Fatal Teen Car Crashes
- Teen Drivers Legally Licensed and Still Dying Behind the Wheel; Car Crashes Number One Cause of Teen Deaths (14 – 18 Year Olds).
Justice for Workers Killed in an On-the-Job Motor Vehicle Accident
The risk of dying in a vehicular collision while on the job is unacceptably high, and employers all too often fail to protect working drivers, with a breached duty of care and safety resulting in the worker’s untimely death.
Under the state laws of Indiana and Illinois, employers may be held legally liable for a worker who has died in a fatal crash while on the job.
Workers’ compensation may provide compensation for professional drivers (truckers, bus drivers, etc.) who are fatally injured in a roadway accident. State protections may also establish legal liability for a fatal motor vehicle accident involving an on-the-job driver in a variety of situations where the worker is involved in some type of task pertaining to his employment. An employer may be held responsible for the office worker driving to attend an out-of-town seminar who is involved in a fatal collision, for instance, as well as for the teenager who dies in a fatal accident while delivering pizzas.
For more on worker’s compensation and fatal crashes, see:
- Indiana Workers Compensation and Car Accidents On the Job
- Workers Compensation in Indiana and Illinois: Work-Related Injuries and the Fight Against Corporate Greed
- Job Site Injury in Illinois or Indiana: When Accidents at Work Are Not Worker’s Compensation Claims
The risk of someone perishing in a motor vehicle accident while driving on-the-job is a very real risk for every worker in Indiana and Illinois. According to the CDC, workers between the ages of 16 and 24 years; workers over the age of 55 years; distracted drivers; and workers who are driving while they are fatigued are at the highest risk of a fatal crash. Please be careful out there!
