Behind the Wheel at Work

5 Things You Should Know About the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety

1. The NIOSH CMVS is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s focal point for research and prevention of motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S.
2. We envision that all workers exposed to motor vehicle traffic risks while working have the highest possible levels of protection from the risk of motor vehicle crashes and resulting injuries.
3. Through the CMVS, NIOSH researchers and external partners work to respond to emerging issues and provide research-based guidance so that those who work in or near motor vehicles come home safely at the end of their work day.
4. We’re working to ensure that recommended solutions are clearly communicated to employers and workers. The safety of workers who drive on the job is a responsibility shared by many—employers, workers, policy makers, vehicle manufacturers, and the research community.
5. Our online resources cover , , and , among other motor vehicle safety topics.

NIOSH Survey Results Highlight Long-Haul Truck Driver Safety Issues

Long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) are essential to transporting goods such as food and clothes across long distances, and in many cases across several states. In 2012, more than 1.7 million people were employed as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in the U.S.—the majority of them being LHTDs. On average, LHTDs work 60 hours per week and drive more than 107,000 miles per year.

Due to limited information available on workplace safety and health of these workers, NIOSH conducted personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,265 LHTDs at 32 truck stops across the U.S. in 2010. Interview questions covered roadway safety, work-related injuries, work environments, safety culture, self-reported driving behaviors, and drivers’ opinions on their training, job-related frustrations, and job satisfaction.

Survey findings showed:

• More than 1 in 3 LHTDs had at least one truck crash at work during their career.
• 73% of LHTDs perceived their delivery deadlines as unrealistically tight, which may be an incentive for risky driving behaviors such as speeding (4.5% often and 26% sometimes), hours-of-service violations (10% often and 27% sometimes), and continuing to drive despite fatigue, bad weather, or heavy traffic (24% often and 47% sometimes).
• 14% of LHTDs stated that they sometimes or never wore a seatbelt. This is an important finding because wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in the event of a roadway crash.
• 38% of LHTDs reported receiving inadequate training at the beginning of their careers.
• 5% of LHTDs reported at least one non-crash injury involving days away from work in the previous 12 months; among company drivers, 68% of these non-crash injuries involving days away from work were not reported to employers.

Employers: What can you do to promote LHTD safety? Consider the following recommendations from CDC’s Vital Signs :

• Ensure that drivers do not need to violate hours-of-service rules to make on-time deliveries.
• Educate drivers on seatbelt use, cargo securement and weight limits, safe driving, and ways to avoid drowsy or distracted driving.
• Ensure that entry-level truck driver training meets current needs.

The results of this first national survey of LHTDs highlight critical safety issues that are worthy of future research and interventions to keep truckers and others on the road safe.

Publication: National survey of U.S. long-haul truck drivers; Injury and safety. Accident Analysis and Prevention 2015; 85: 66-72. Chen GX, Sieber WK, Lincoln JE, Birdsey J, Hitchcock T, Nakata A, Robinson CF, Collins JW, Sweeney MH.

NIOSH Driving Simulator on the Road to Improving Specialized Vehicle Safety

Checking the rearview mirrors, pressing your foot to the gas pedal, and feeling the movement of a vehicle making a wide turn, you might almost forget you’re in the NIOSH driving simulator. The simulator gives users a realistic physical driving experience in a virtual traffic environment and fuels research to improve the safety of specialized vehicles in occupations such as firefighting and law enforcement. It’s the centerpiece of the Vehicle Safety Lab, the NIOSH focal point for engineering and technology-based safety intervention research to reduce the number and severity of work-related motor vehicle crashes.
 

Two high-performance computers control the driving simulator, which features:

• Three 70” high-definition display screens
• Commercial-grade foot controls
• A precision steering system
• A reconfigurable digital dashboard
• Four linear actuators for motion

NIOSH researchers are using the simulator with vehicle-modeling and gaming development software to create unique interactive driving scenarios featuring a range of vehicles for the purposes of different studies. They also have specialized equipment, including eye-tracking devices, to measure driver perception and performance.

Current project goals are to develop intersection-safety best practices and create design requirements for effective fire truck vehicle warning systems during an emergency response. Learn more about NIOSH traumatic occupational injury research labs .
 

Focus on NIOSH CMVS Researchers