NIOSH Factsheet Helps Employers Prevent Work-Related Vehicle Crashes Among Young Drivers

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. To help curb these numbers, NIOSH has developed a new set of factsheets to help young drivers stay safe on the job.

Two new NIOSH documents identify risk factors and provide recommendations on how to prevent motor vehicle crashes on the job. "Work-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes: Preventing Injuries to Young Drivers - What Employers Should Know" will help workers, employers and parents understand and address the risks that can lead to crashes among young drivers. The workplace factsheet gives information about Federal and state laws that cover workplace driving, offers recommendations for preventing motor vehicle crashes among younger workers, and provides links to Internet resources.


“Young people are the future of our workforce and bring fresh ideas and energy into the workplace, however their lack of experience may also place them at higher risk of workplace injuries,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.

Laws related to youth who drive for work include:

• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the Federal law that includes standards to protect young workers. This law applies to businesses engaged in interstate commerce with gross revenues of at least $500,000 per year.
• Under FLSA, non-agricultural workers younger than age 17 are prohibited from driving a motor vehicle on a public road or working as an “outside helper” (that is, riding or hanging on to a motor vehicle outside the cab while helping to transport or deliver goods).
• Under FLSA, agricultural workers younger than age 16 are not permitted to drive a bus, truck or automobile to transport passengers, or to ride on a tractor as a passenger or helper. At age 16, the FLSA no longer applies to young agricultural workers. However, young agricultural workers driving on public roads are not exempt from state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws and state traffic laws.

Individual states may have stricter limits on workplace driving by youth. State graduated driver license (GDL) laws and state traffic laws contain basic road safety rules that cover and help protect drivers of all ages. GDL laws apply to novice drivers, generally younger than 18 years.

Learn more with these links:

• Download the factsheet on work-related crashes here. (pdf)
• Visit the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety.
• Read more on the workplace and parent's factsheets here.
• Browse Vehicle Safety signs and labels at ComplianceSigns.com.