Driving is the leading cause of work-related deaths each year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 2,000 people died as a result of occupational transportation incidents in 2022, making up 37.7% of the total occupational fatalities that year.
Part of the problem, according to the National Safety Council is that some drivers who do not have commercial driver's licenses, but need to drive to perform their jobs, might not have any formal training. The group said that number could be as high as 15.5 million drivers in the U.S. who may not be properly trained to operate a vehicle on the job.
Furthermore, delivery truck drivers and sales employees have the highest rates of injuries and fatalities among all occupations, both of whom are non-CDL drivers.
“Many assume fleet drivers are well-trained, but unfortunately, that’s not always the case,” said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway practice at NSC, said in a statement. “At the National Safety Council, we follow the data, and the data are showing that workplace deaths are taking place on our roads at devastating rates, thus making this training truly essential —essential to saving lives and keeping workers safe on every jobsite, which includes America’s roadways.
To help address this issues, last month the NSC launched the Fleet Essentials training program. The training program includes courses for passenger vehicles, delivery vans and medium-duty trucks. The training program also addresses topics such as vehicle dynamics, driving professionally, and distraction awareness unique to driving for work.