Traffic Accidents Cause Many Work Deaths

October 2008

More people are killed on the job in auto accidents than in any other type of accident, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. This trend is true for the nation as a whole as well as for the state of Pennsylvania.

Nationally, 5,488 people were killed on the job in 2007, and 1,311 of them died in highway accidents. In PA, 64 workers, or 29 percent of the 220 people who died while working were involved in car crashes. This type of work-related death stretches across occupations, involving salesman, construction workers, administrative office workers, and farm workers.

Pennsylvania experienced an eight percent decrease in fatal workplace injuries in 2007, down from 240 in 2006. Two-thirds of the recorded workplace injuries fell into four categories: highway crashes, homicides, falls, and being struck by objects or equipment. Men accounted for 93 percent of the workplace fatalities in PA with 204 deaths, and 16 women were killed at work in 2007.