CF TB 08/08/96 Highway X Characteristics ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FATAL WORK INJURIES Fact Sheet AND WORK HAZARDS CFOI 96-1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ U.S. Department of Labor Office of Safety, Health Bureau of Labor Statistics and Working Conditions August 1996 (202) 606-6175 JOB-RELATED HIGHWAY FATALITIES PROFILED Highway fatalities accounted for one in every five of the 6,210 job-related deaths during 1995 and was the leading cause of fatal work injury, according to the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). This fact sheet summarizes the characteristics of the 1,329 workers who were fatally injured in highway traffic incidents, the occupations and industries in which they worked, and the type of highway incident responsible. (See accompanying table.) About half the highway fatalities resulted from collisions between two or more vehicles. One-fifth of the fatalities resulted from a crash with an object other than a vehicle, such as a tree, bridge abutment, or utility pole, and another fifth occurred when the vehicle jackknifed or overturned. Patterns varied somewhat according to the type of vehicle involved. Collisions with other vehicles, crashes with objects on the side of the road, and jackknifings and overturnings contributed about equally (roughly 30 percent each) to the deaths of those riding in tractor trailers. For workers killed while riding in other types of highway vehicles, collisions between vehicles accounted for slightly over half of the fatalities. Trucks played a large role in the incidence of job-related highway fatalities. Over half of the highway fatality victims had been driving or riding in a truck at the time of the incident, half of which were tractor trailer rigs. And in one-fourth of the job-related highway fatalities, a truck collided with the vehicle in which the victim was riding. About two-fifths of the decedents were truck drivers by profession with the rest scattered throughout other occupational groups, such as sales workers, farm occupations, police officers, and executives and managers. A similar pattern is evident in the industry of the worker's employer. One-fourth of the workers fatally injured in highway incidents worked in the trucking and courier service industry. The remaining fatalities were widely dispersed among various other industries. Half of the job-related highway fatalities occurred between the hours of 8 am and 4pm. The worker who was killed was operating the vehicle 88 percent of the time. Twelve percent of the highway fatality victims were riding as passengers. Victims were primarily white males. About two-thirds were between the ages of 25 and 54. Table A. Job-related highway fatalities(1) by selected characteristics, 1995 Number Percent -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 1,329 100 Employee status --------------- Wage and salary workers 1,182 89 Self-employed 147 11 Gender ------ Men 1,197 90 Women 132 10 Age --- 16 to 17 years 7 1 18 to 19 years 33 2 20 to 24 years 123 9 25 to 34 years 295 22 35 to 44 years 316 24 45 to 54 years 272 20 55 to 64 years 188 14 65 years and over 88 7 Other or unspecified 7 1 Race ---- White 1,095 82 Black 146 11 Asian or Pacific Islander 10 1 Other or unspecified 78 6 Hispanic origin --------------- Hispanic 114 9 Event ----- Collision between vehicles 634 48 Re-entrant collision 9 1 Moving in same direction 125 9 Moving in opposite directions, oncoming 244 18 Moving in intersection 97 7 Moving and standing vehicle--in roadway 31 2 Moving and standing vehicle--side of road 13 1 Vehicle struck object or equipment in roadway 19 1 Vehicle struck object or equipment on side of road 249 19 Noncollision incident 350 26 Jack-knifed or overturned--no collision 260 20 Ran off highway--no collision 57 4 Other or unspecified 77 6 Primary source(2) ----------------- Vehicles 1,309 98 Highway vehicle, motorized 1,271 96 Highway vehicle, unspecified 89 7 Automobile 344 26 Bus 11 1 Motorcycle, moped 11 1 Truck 729 55 Delivery truck 28 2 Dump truck 19 1 Pickup truck 136 10 Semitrailer, tractor trailer, trailer truck 359 27 Van--passenger or light delivery 74 6 Plant and industrial powered vehicles, tractors 31 2 Tractor 29 2 Machinery 20 2 Construction, logging, and mining machinery 9 1 Road grading and surfacing machinery 7 1 Occupation ---------- Managerial and professional specialty occupations 172 13 Executive, administrative, managerial occupations 102 8 Professional specialty 70 5 Engineers 23 2 Technical, sales, and administrative support jobs 152 11 Sales occupations 94 7 Supervisors and proprietors, sales occupations 28 2 Sales representatives, commodities except retail 23 2 Sales workers, retail and personal services 31 2 Administrative support occupations, including clerical 34 3 Service occupations 107 8 Protective service occupations 69 5 Police and detectives 46 3 Police and detectives, public service 31 2 Service occupations, except protective and household 38 3 Farming, forestry, and fishing occupations 84 6 Farm operators and managers 34 3 Farmers, except horticultural 24 2 Other agricultural and related occupations 45 3 Farm workers 28 2 Precision production, craft, and repair occupations 108 8 Mechanics and repairers 41 3 Vehicle, mobile equipment mechanics, repairers 20 2 Construction trades 49 4 Operators, fabricators, and laborers 663 50 Transportation and material moving occupations 580 44 Motor vehicle operators 559 42 Truck drivers 508 38 Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers 72 5 Construction laborers 30 2 Laborers, except construction 28 2 Military 31 2 Other or unspecified 12 1 Industry -------- Private industry 1,135 85 Agriculture, forestry, and fishing 88 7 Agricultural production, crops 47 4 General farms, primarily crop 24 2 Agricultural services 21 2 Mining 27 2 Oil and gas extraction 20 2 Construction 120 9 Heavy construction, except building 35 3 Special trade contractors 64 5 Manufacturing 110 8 Lumber and wood products 27 2 Transportation and public utilities 377 28 Local and interurban passenger transit 27 2 Trucking and warehousing 312 23 Trucking and courier services, except air 300 23 Local trucking without storage 66 5 Trucking, except local 199 15 Wholesale trade 87 7 Wholesale trade, durable goods 44 3 Wholesale trade, nondurable goods 42 3 Groceries and related products 22 2 Retail trade 116 9 Automotive dealers and service stations 33 2 Eating and drinking places 21 2 Miscellaneous retail 30 2 Finance, insurance, and real estate 22 2 Services 166 12 Business services 51 4 Health services 23 2 Engineering and management services 22 2 Other or unspecified 22 2 Government 194 15 Federal 49 4 State 45 3 Local 97 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Includes job-related fatalities that occurred on a public roadway, shoulder, or surrounding area. Excludes off-road (i.e., parking lot, farm, etc.), train, and pedestrian fatalities. 2 Identifies the vehicle in which the fatally injured worker was an occupant. NOTE: Totals for major categories may include subcategories not shown separately. Percentages may not add to totals because of rounding. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1995