Work-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes: Preventing Injuries to Yound Drivers. What Employers Should Know

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Work-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes: Preventing Injuries to Yound Drivers. What Employers Should Know

Teens and young adults have higher crash rates than any other group. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related fatalities among young people in the United States ages 16 to 24. From 2003 to 2010, 843 workers ages 16 to 24 died in motor vehicle crashes at work. These incidents accounted for 22% of all workplace fatalities in this age group. In 67% of these incidents, the young worker was driving the vehicle involved in the crash. Risk for young workers is highest in the waste management, mining, and agriculture industries (graph). In many of the industries shown on the graph, younger workers are at higher risk of dying in a motor vehicle crash at work than adult workers ages 25 or older. Federal child labor laws severely limit workplace driving by youth under 18 years of age. Although most young adults are allowed by law to drive on the job starting at age 18, they lack the maturity and driving experience of their older co-workers. Young drivers might also be more likely to engage in driving behaviors that increase their risk of injury or death, such as not wearing seat belts and driving while distracted. This fact sheet will help employers be more aware of the risk of motor vehicle crashes among younger workers. It gives information about Federal and state laws that cover workplace driving and offers recommendations to employers for preventing motor vehicle crashes among younger workers. Finally, it provides links to useful resources on the Internet.