In 1995, Congress legislated that highway accident and fatality statistics, normally registered by the Federal Highway Administration, should be segregated into occupational and non-occupational-related categories.
In 1989, there were 47,575 occupational vehicular accidents and fatalities. By 1999, 3.2 million Americans were injured and more than 15,000 killed (including 5,000 pedestrians) annually in vehicle accidents. In 1995, Congress legislated that highway accident and fatality statistics, normally registered by the Federal Highway Administration, should be segregated into occupational and non-occupational-related categories. The work-related automobile accidents, injuries and fatalities would be recorded under the Occupational Safety and Health statistics by means of the OSHA 200 log.
Almost immediately, OSHA’s leading category for injuries and deaths became vehicle related. In 1995, work-related deaths caused by motor vehicles were 20 percent of the total occupational fatalities at 1,232. This led homicides (1,063) and struck-by accidents (1,039). Over half of the decedents were either riding or driving in a truck at the time of the incident. Almost 40 percent involved young drivers 16 to 25 years old. A quarter of the total fatalities were in another vehicle struck by a truck.