Occupational Road Safety: U.S. Perspective Stephanie Pratt National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Occupational Crash Data for the U.S. Data we have: Information on fatalities: worker, incident, vehicles Specialized data on crashes of large trucks Data we do not have: Information on non-fatal crashes at work How many miles are driven during work hours How many fatalities or injuries occur during commuting

Fatal Crashes at Work: U.S. Statistics Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of occupational fatalities Fatalities each year:  1,400 in single- or multiple-vehicle crashes on public roadways  350 in single- or multiple-vehicle crashes off public roadways  350 pedestrians struck and killed MVCs are 35-40% of all workplace fatalities Almost 40% are truck drivers

Work-related motor vehicle deaths for selected private industry divisions,* U.S., *Private industry (government shown separately) Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (see stats.bls.gov) Pedestrian Occupant

Crash Characteristics Influence Safety Regulations and Programs Emphasis on safe driving, with less emphasis on pedestrian safety Emphasis on crashes of large trucks:  Safety of truck drivers, and safety of other road users

Driving for Work in the U.S. Comprehensive safety regulations: Large trucks and buses No driving safety regulations: Smaller trucks and passenger vehicles  Company-owned vehicles  Personal vehicles  “Best practices” standard (ANSI Z-15, Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations)

CDC/NIOSH International Road Safety Activities Federal agencies “Global Road Safety Roundtable” UN Road Safety Collaboration  Government, NGOs, private sector  Fleet Safety Project Group CDC collaboration with Indian Council of Medical Research In progress: online library of technical and policy documents related to occupational road safety 

NIOSH Road Safety Web pages Global Road Safety: programs/twu/global/ Motor Vehicle Safety: topics/motorvehicle/

Policy Recommendations Driving for work should be a part of broader road safety initiatives. Jurisdictional issues need to be resolved. Policy makers should classify the roadway and the vehicle as part of the workplace. Prevention of road crashes at work deserves coordinated action by OSH agencies and transport agencies.

Research Recommendations ‘Evidence-based’ studies that demonstrate the value of road safety programs at work are needed. Organizations that operate fleets should consider participating in collaborative research projects.

Questions? Stephanie Pratt, Research Health Scientist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The findings and conclusions in this presentation are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.