Work-related road safety in the United States
Other U.S. industries with high fatality rates due to work-related MVCs were logging (11.7 per 100,000 workers), wholesale distribution of petroleum products (8.6), waste management (8.5), support activities for mining (7.9), and taxi and limousine services (6.8).
However, because CFOI must capture information on all kinds of occupational fatalities, it provides little detail on circumstances and risk factors specific to MVCs.
A national surveillance system based on police crash reports provides more detailed information on circumstances and contributing factors for fatal MVCs.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) collects comprehensive data on the crash, the vehicle, the driver and other persons involved.
Workplace driving in the U.S. takes place in two distinct settings: the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulatory regime that covers large trucks and buses, and the unregulated operation of lighter-weight fleet or personal vehicles driven for work purposes.
[6] Further, OSHA has issued regulations covering limited aspects of mobile equipment operation in construction, logging, marine terminals, and agriculture.
In general, the OSHA policy response to occupational risks of light vehicle operation has been carried out through voluntary initiatives, guidance documents and ad hoc advisory committees.
In the U.S., laws related to mobile-phone use, safety belts, speed limits, age of licensure, and license renewal are the responsibility of individual states.
Many employers, recognizing the substantial economic and human toll of MVCs on their organizations and their workers, have implemented organizational policies for road safety that exceed the requirements of traffic laws.
In response to safety advocacy, public opinion, and increasing threats of costly litigation, U.S. employers are moving to ban text messaging or use of mobile phones while driving on organizational business.
FMCSA has recently issued rules banning both text-messaging[7] and the use of handheld mobile phones[8] by operators of commercial motor vehicles (large trucks and buses).
In addition, OSHA recently implemented its first broad-based enforcement initiative related to motor vehicle safety on the topic of distracted driving.
Its research has influenced recent changes in FMCSA regulations that prohibit operators of large trucks and buses from engaging in text-messaging and using handheld mobile phones while driving.
[23] In progress at VTTI is a case-control study that seeks to differentiate commercial drivers who are involved in a crash from those who are not according to individual and organizational characteristics.
[32] Researchers in the United States have undertaken field evaluations of in-vehicle devices that monitor driver behaviours and fuel consumption.
[33][34] The researchers reported that the technology demonstrated sustained cost savings in regards to vehicle maintenance and required minimal retraining of drivers.
[34] Another study of EMS drivers reported similar results and recommended gradual implementation of in-vehicle monitoring, with attention to defusing potential concerns regarding a punitive approach to corrective action.
They also hypothesized that an intervention's effectiveness depends on four variables: The studies conducted by Ludwig, Geller, and colleagues focused on inducing drivers to use safety belts and turn signals and to come to a complete stop at intersections.
In this small pilot test, drivers who were unbelted experienced sustained haptic feedback to the gas pedal when they exceeded 25 miles per hour (mph).
Although drivers could continue to drive unbelted and exceed 25 mph by pressing on the pedal harder, they needed to exert constant mental and physical effort to do so.
Over the past 10 to 15 years, NIOSH has devoted considerable effort to building its capacity for research and prevention activities related to occupational road safety.
NIOSH also provides technical assistance and exchanges information with international partners such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)[59] and the European Transport Safety Council,[60] and with government agencies and non-governmental organizations in the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Australia, Mexico, India, and other locations.
Based on its investigations, NTSB makes safety recommendations directed to those groups best-positioned to bring about change, in most cases the Federal government, states, or manufacturers.
For example, in 1997, President Bill Clinton issued an Executive Order requiring all Federal employees to wear safety belts while on official business, and encouraging government contractors to follow suit.
As noted above, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recently implemented a new enforcement directive around prohibition of text-messaging while driving.
The OSHA Web site also provides case studies of corporate fleet safety initiatives in the U.S., and guidance for employers produced in collaboration with NETS and NHTSA.
[64] Although this information is not designed specifically for the work environment, it is comprehensive and up-to-date, and could easily be adapted for use by organizations whose employees and contractors are expected to drive outside the United States.
Originally, NETS worked primarily through a large network of state-based coordinators, many of whom were based in governors’ highway safety offices.
[68] Since its inception, NETS has delivered its signature road safety campaign, Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW), through member companies and state partners.
As a group, NETS member companies participating in the benchmarking program operate nearly half a million vehicles worldwide, with more than nine billion miles driven annually (Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, unpublished data).
