Key points
- All workers are at risk of crashes, whether they drive light or heavy vehicles, or whether driving is a main or incidental job duty.
- Work-related motor vehicle crashes have a societal and economic impact.
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working to make sure that those who operate vehicles or work near vehicles come home safely at the end of their workday.
Why it's important
Millions of workers drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. And, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.1 The type of company or job doesn't matter — the risk is there.
Work-related crashes include:
- Single- or multiple-vehicle crashes, on or off public roadways, which occur on the job
- Events in which a pedestrian worker (e.g., a law enforcement officer) is struck by a motor vehicle in operation, on or of a public roadway
Facts
- Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.1
- From 2011-2022, more than 21,000 workers in the U.S. died in a work-related motor vehicle crash (35% of all work-related deaths).1
- In 2022:
- 1,369 U.S. workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle off a public road died in a work-related crash (25% of all work-related deaths).1
- An additional 510 deaths (9% of all work-related deaths) involved workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle off a public road, or pedestrians struck by motor vehicles.1
- 1,369 U.S. workers driving or riding in a motor vehicle off a public road died in a work-related crash (25% of all work-related deaths).1
- Motor vehicle crashes are the 1st or 2nd leading cause of death in every major industry group.1
- In 2019 alone, work-related crashes cost employers $39 billion ($75,000 per nonfatal injury and $751,000 per death).2
What's being done
The Center for Motor Vehicle Safety (CMVS) within CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research and develops strategies to prevent work-related motor vehicle crashes and resulting injuries.
The CMVS prioritizes motor vehicle safety for:
- Truck drivers
- Drivers in other high-risk jobs (e.g., emergency medical services workers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, oil and gas extraction workers)
- Drivers of light vehicles (passenger cards, SUVs, pickup trucks)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics [2024]. Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2011-2022. Create customized tables.
- NETS [2021]. Cost of Motor Vehicle Crashes to Employers – 2019