 Identify crash risk 

factors and evaluate 

safety practices. 

 Analyze fleet safety data 

from the Network of 

Employers for Traffic 

Safety (NETS). 

Participate in the American 

National Standards Institute 

(ANSI)/American Society of 

Safety Professionals (ASSP) 

Z15 standards committee, 

NETS, and the Road to Zero 

Coalition. 

Publish a quarterly 

eNewsletter, Behind the 

Wheel at Work, to reach 

more than 25,000 

subscribers with research 

updates, practical tips on 

workplace driving, and 

news about events. 

Millions of workers drive light vehicles to meet with clients or customers. 

Light-Vehicle Drivers

1

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table A-6. Fatal occupational injuries resulting from 

transportation incidents and homicides by occupation, all United States, 2016. 

58% of the workers who died in workplace motor vehicle crashes in 2016 were not in 

vehicle-operator jobs such as truck, bus, or taxi driver.1 

Key Actions: 

Key Findings: 

 In-vehicle warning lights, combined with supervisory coaching, reduced risky driving behaviors by 43%

among light-vehicle fleet drivers. 

 Using only Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data, work-related crash fatalities are dominated 

by transportation workers and trucks. Adding cases identified by the Census of Fatal Occupational 

Injuries (CFOI) showed that fatal work-related crashes significantly impact workers across all industries 

and occupations. 

 For 70 NETS companies, several practices were related to lower collision and injury rates, including 

mobile phone record checking, fatigue management practices, driver training, and an intensive collision 

review process. 

NIOSH Motor Vehicle Safety Impact Story
 Journal of Safety 

Research article: Evaluation of an in-vehicle 

monitoring system 

(IVMS) to reduce risky 

driving behaviors 

 Accident Analysis & Prevention article: Workrelated fatal motor 

vehicle traffic crashes: 

Matching of 2010 data 

from CFOI and FARS 

Repackage research results 

for safety professionals: 

 Professional Safety 

article: Fleet safety: 

Developing & sustaining an effective 

program with ANSI/

ASSE Z15.1 

 Older drivers in the 

workplace fact sheet

 Preventing work-related 

motor vehicle crashes 

fact sheet

 Keep workers safe 

on the road infographic

Key Outputs: 

Key Impacts: 

 NIOSH contributed technical expertise to the revised ANSI/ASSP Z15.1 standard, Safe practices for 

motor vehicle operations. This standard outlines requirements for managing fleets of all sizes, 

industries, and vehicle types. 

 NIOSH contributed technical expertise to the ANSI/ASSP TR-Z15.3 technical report, Management 

practices for the safe operation of partially- and fully-automated motor vehicles. 

 Analysis of NETS benchmarking data identified road safety practices that were significantly associated with lower collision and injury rates, providing member companies with important information to 

improve and/or reinforce practices. 

 A large health care company developed safety campaigns to target issues identified by NIOSH. The 

company extended its IVMS program to newly-hired drivers based on NIOSH research that showed 

higher collision rates for drivers with the shortest tenure with the company. 

Masthead: ©iStock/Thinkstock 

This product is a component of the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety 

Evaluation of Strategic Plan for Research and Prevention, 2014-2018: 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2019-166 • https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019166