Category: Motor Vehicle Safety

Protecting Workers on the Roadways: The Use of Truck-Mounted Attenuators in the Fire and Emergency Services

  Workers who respond to roadway emergencies, such as vehicle crashes, can face multiple hazards. Working at roadway incidents frequently exposes responders to potentially being struck by passing motor vehicle traffic leading to serious injury or death. These secondary crashes during responses to roadway incidents contribute to about 50 emergency responder fatalities and injuries annually.[1][2] Additionally, Read More >

Posted on by Wesley R. Attwood, DrCJ; Meghan Kiederer, BA; David E. Fosbroke, BS, MSF; Tammy L. Schaeffer; Jarrad E. Clift, MBA; Joseph Tebo; David Bryson, EMT14 Comments

Health Equity, Work, and Motor Vehicle Safety

  Among U.S. workers, driving a motor vehicle or being exposed to traffic hazards as a pedestrian while at work is a significant risk. In fact, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause death at work in the United States [1]. Many factors can play a role in work-related MVCs, but have you considered Read More >

Posted on by Kyla Hagan-Haynes, Rosa Rodríguez-Acosta, Rebecca Knuth, and Stephanie Pratt

And to All a Safe Flight: Transportation Safety Tips for Santa

As we continue our work at the North Pole, we are ready to help Santa take flight! Flying around the world in one night is a difficult task, but Santa is up to the challenge. With a few tips from our researchers, we guarantee it will be a safe and successful night! Being out all Read More >

Posted on by Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA, and Katie Shahan, JD1 Comment

Driving Safety Tips to Keep Your Employees Safe this Holiday Season

  ‘Tis the holiday season—the busiest time of year for workers in the retail and delivery industries. Sadly, more fatal crashes happen during the holidays because more people travel, drink more alcohol, and drive at unsafe speeds. [1] Due to the seasonal rise in online shopping, many employers will hire temporary drivers for the holiday Read More >

Posted on by Debbie Hornback, William K. Sieber, Eric Carbone, Rebecca Knuth, and Srinivas Konda

Setting Objectives for Fatigue Detection Technologies

This is the third blog in the series on fatigue detection technologies.   Work-related fatigue can have serious consequences for worker health and safety if not properly managed. One effective option for mitigating work-related fatigue is a well-designed fatigue risk management plan, which can be informed by many approaches and tools, such as fatigue detection technologies Read More >

Posted on by Tim Bauerle, PhD; Emanuele Cauda, PhD; Imelda Wong, PhD; and Kyla Hagan-Haynes, MPH

Here Comes the Sun! Tips to Adapt to Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time (DST) marks the time to “spring” ahead one hour for most of the United States. Where it is observed, Daylight Saving Time begins this year on Sunday, March 13, 2022. This transition from Standard Time was first enacted to conserve energy and shift the timing of our activities to match more daylight Read More >

Posted on by Imelda Wong, PhD, and Beverly Hittle, PhD, RN8 Comments

10 Steps Employers Can Take to Keep Young Drivers Safe

  From 2011–2019, 846 workers ages 16–24* died in motor vehicle crashes at work, accounting for 26% of all work-related deaths in this age group.1 This week, as we observe National Teen Driver Safety Week, we share recommendations to reduce these preventable deaths by keeping young workers that perform driving duties as part of their Read More >

Posted on by Rosa L. Rodríguez-Acosta, PhD; Rebecca Knuth, MS; Rebecca Guerin, PhD, CHES1 Comment

The Who, What, How and When of Implementing Fatigue Monitoring and Detection Technologies

  Worker fatigue can result from a variety of sources, such as insufficient sleep, long work hours, physical exertion and stress. Fatigue can slow down reaction times, reduce attention or concentration, limit short-term memory, and impair judgment, affecting the health and safety of workers and their co-workers1,2. Worker fatigue has contributed to catastrophic industrial events Read More >

Posted on by Kyla Retzer, MPH, Imelda Wong, PhD, and Emanuele Cauda, PhD6 Comments

Choosing the “Right” Fatigue Monitoring and Detection Technology

Fatigue can shorten concentration, slow reaction times and impair decision-making skills resulting in increased health and safety risks for workers. It has been estimated that one in five fatal motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. can be attributed to fatigue. In addition, workers with sleep problems are 62% more likely to experience a work-related injury1,2. Read More >

Posted on by Imelda Wong, PhD; Kyla Retzer, MPH; and Emanuele Cauda, PhD1 Comment

Preparing Your Fleet for Automated Vehicles

Many of us already drive personal or company vehicles with automated features such as lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. While automation clearly improves safety, it also presents new issues for safety professionals. Companies need to integrate policies on vehicles with automated features into their current fleet safety management systems. They also need to Read More >

Posted on by Stephanie Pratt, PhD, and Rebecca Olsavsky, MS12 Comments

Improving Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction and Mining Industries

With nearly 126 million full-time U.S. workers at risk of occupational illness and injury, it is critical to prioritize our research efforts to address the most important issues. One approach used by NIOSH and its partners to establish priorities is to consider the burden, need, and impact of potential research topics. This method allows us Read More >

Posted on by Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Eileen P. Betit and Dana R. Willmer, PhD2 Comments

Workplace Safety Communications Campaigns Should be Driven by Employer, Industry, Workflow, and Culture

Employees who drive for work face significant roadway risks, and motor vehicle crashes can devastate families, communities, and organizations. Crashes are the leading cause of workplace fatalities, with 1,252 deaths of vehicle drivers and passengers on public roads in 2016. In 2013, on-the-job crashes cost employers over $25 billion and led to 155,000 lost work Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer Alexander, Jules Payne, Sydney Webb, Stephanie Pratt, David Fosbroke, and Rebecca Olsavsky1 Comment

Using Clear Communication at NIOSH

What is clear communication? Clear communication means using familiar concepts, words, numbers, and images presented in ways that make sense to the people who need the information – your intended audience.     Why should I care about clear communication? Whether you’re communicating health messages to employers or workers, every audience has its own level Read More >

Posted on by Sydney Webb, PhD; Rebecca Olsavsky, MS; Stephanie Pratt, PhD; and Tanya Headley, MS 1 Comment

Ambulance Crash Test Methods

Ambulance crashes are a major safety concern for workers and patients. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed data from 45 special crash investigations from 2001-2015, and found that 84% of EMS workers were not wearing a seat belt in the patient compartment.1 For EMS workers, wearing a seat belt can be at odds with Read More >

Posted on by Jim Green and Sydney Webb, PhD 2 Comments

National Police Week and NIOSH’s Work in Officer Safety

Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week are observances that pay tribute to local, state, and Federal officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty.  The Peace Officers Memorial Day occurs annually on May 15 which was designated by President John F. Kennedy in 1962.  National Police Week is the Read More >

Posted on by Hope M. Tiesman, PhD; Jeff Rojek, PhD; Hongwei Hsiao, PhD; Claire Caruso, PhD3 Comments

Keeping Workers Safe on the Road

Reducing deaths due to motor vehicle crashes has been one of the greatest public health achievements of the last 50 years. In 2014, the rate of crash deaths in the United States, based on miles driven, was one-fifth the rate for 1966. And, the number of deaths decreased from 50,894 in 1966 to 32,675 in Read More >

Posted on by Stephanie Pratt, PhD, and Rebecca Olsavsky, MS6 Comments

Using a Seat Belt: A safety priority on- and off-the-job

Share Roads Safely is this week’s emphasis for National Safety Month. Motor vehicle safety is an important topic in the workplace as motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatal injuries among workers in the United States. When it comes to reducing severity of injury or death in a crash, seat belt use can Read More >

Posted on by Rosa L. Rodriguez-Acosta, PhD and Winnie Boal, MPH3 Comments

National Safety Month

It’s National Safety Month. Each June, the National Safety Council and its partners raise awareness on preventing the leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities.  This year’s theme is SafeForLife. Each week of June has a different focus area. In this joint blog from the Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD, and Kathy Lane 2 Comments

Workers Memorial Day Message 2016

  Each year we pause on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day to publicly remember the workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. While worker deaths in America are down, on average, even one death or one injury is still too many. To prevent injury, illness, and death in today’s workplaces, Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD 6 Comments

How Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. Millions of workers, such as long-haul truck drivers, sales representatives, and home health care staff, drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. As our workforce ages, we need to pay special attention to the needs of Read More >

Posted on by Rosa L. Rodríguez-Acosta, PhD; Rebecca Olsavsky, MS; James Grosch, PhD; Harpriya Kaur, MPH; Bermang Ortiz, BA; and Juliann Scholl, PhD 5 Comments