February 6, 2023
From delivering food to carrying cargo across the country, there are many jobs that consist of driving. This increases the chances of getting into accidents.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vehicle crashes are the number one cause of work-related deaths. They also result in injuries that require time off and medical treatment.
Information and statistics related to work-related accidents
Of the deaths that occur from crashes, 43% were in the warehousing and transportation industry, 14% were in construction, and 9% occurred in retail and wholesale trade. More than 33% of semi-truck drivers have been in serious accidents, and almost half of EMS provider deaths are due to vehicle crashes.
Common factors involved in crashes
There are various reasons for work-related vehicle accidents. For passenger vehicles, 23% of fatalities involved alcohol use, while only 3% of truck-related fatalities involved alcohol. Distractions, fatigue, speeding and poor weather conditions are additional factors.
For large trucks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration discusses that accident factors vary from driver error to vehicle safety to passenger vehicle drivers. Specific factors include:
- Fatigue due to the hours of service
- Poor maintenance resulting in brake issues and other defective components
- Load shifts and truck design flaws
- Improper licensing or driver monitoring
- Speeding, inattentiveness and other poor driver performance
- Inadequate training and experience
The inability of other drivers to maneuver around trucks is another factor involved with crashes. Many of those who operate passenger vehicles and small trucks do not understand the importance of giving large trucks adequate space to stop, speed up and turn.
