NIOSH Road Safety Research Current Projects and Future Directions May 25, 2005 Stephanie Pratt National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Rationale for NIOSH Involvement  Related to mission of conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injury and illness  Motor vehicle crashes are leading cause of death for all workers  Truck drivers have high numbers of crash fatalities and nonfatal injuries from all causes  Customers want prevention strategies based on research

Motor Vehicle Research Projects Trucking focus: Work Organization Influence on Fatigue in Truck Drivers  Examining organizational factors associated with driver fatigue and crashes Mortality among Independent Owner- Operator Truck Drivers  Assessing whether truck drivers are at risk of premature mortality from specific diseases

Research Projects (cont.) Focus on other worker populations: Ambulance Crash Survivability Improvement  Developing engineering interventions to improve occupant restraint systems and structural integrity of ambulance patient compartment Risk Factors for Vehicle Crashes among Public Employees  Analyzing nonfatal crash data for state DOT employees and assessing vehicle safety programs; collaborating with U.S. Department of Defense to analyze crash data for active duty military personnel

NIOSH Transportation Initiative  Preventing motor vehicle crashes and crash-related injuries among all workers who drive on the job  Preventing all types of occupational injury and illness among workers employed in the transportation industry

Transportation Initiative Focus  Virtual research center, with NIOSH-wide steering committee providing guidance  Develop capacity among NIOSH staff  Identify and fill research gaps  Build collaborations with partners in public and private sectors

Pilot Projects for 2005  Evaluation of the effects of firefighter apparel on the operation of a fire response vehicle  Non-fatal work-related roadway crash injuries by industry and occupation  Field evaluation of a continuous passive lumbar motion system for long haul truckers  Truck operator warning zones  Identification of risk factors leading to injuries among female package delivery drivers

Committees  ANSI Z-15 Committee, Safe Practices for Motor Vehicle Operations  Transportation Research Board, Truck and Bus Safety Committee [FMCSA]  Network of Employers for Traffic Safety [NHTSA, FMCSA, FHWA]  National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH), motor vehicle safety work group [OSHA]  Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services [NHTSA]  Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Coalition [with OSHA, construction trade associations, and labor]  Interagency panel advising on formulating an evidence-based strategy for regulating truckers’ hours of service [FMCSA]

Possible Future Activities  Multi-year project: anthropometric database for a nationally representative sample of truck drivers (FY06)  External research initiative: trucker safety and health (FY07)  Collaboration with a national provider of pest control services  Matching of Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries with FARS

Research Needs  Non-fatal crashes: circumstances and risk factors  Driving habits, intensity, and exposure, especially among non-”professional” drivers  Effect of commuting on risk for workplace crashes  Effectiveness of hours-of-service regulations for trucking  Effects of in-vehicle technologies and electronic devices on safety

NIOSH Hazard Review  Crash data  Regulations  Special topics: distracted driving, age, fatigue  Safety recommendations  Internet and print resources NIOSH

Fact Sheets Prevention Strategies for Employers Who’s at Risk?

NIOSH Motor Vehicle Web Page

Planning for the Second Decade of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)  Since 1996, NORA has provided a national framework for OSH research  With new NORA, research will be grouped by industry sectors  NIOSH is seeking input on research needs (  Subscribe to NIOSH eNews for NORA updates (

Questions? Stephanie Pratt 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.