News & Information

Vehicle Backing Accident Facts & Statistics

Each year there are on average 463 fatalities and 48,000 injuries, of which 6,000 are incapacitating, as a result of backing crashes.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, November 2008

One out of four vehicle accidents can be blamed on poor backing techniques.

Source: National Safety Council

Each month, at least one worker is killed by being backed over by a construction vehicle, often a dump truck.

Source: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

According to government statistics, backing up unsafely is one of the key factors contributing to vehicle accidents.

Source: The Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP) Motor Vehicle Safety Programs Fact Sheet

The leading cause of fatalities for workers in work zones is being run over or backed over by vehicles

Source: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

When a pickup truck or multipurpose passenger vehicle strikes a pedestrian in a backover collision, the incident is four times more likely to result in a fatality than if the vehicle were a passenger car.

Source: Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,  Dec 2010

From 1998 through 2007, Caltrans (California Dept. of Transportation) drivers were involved in 2,926 backing crashes, 93.2% of which were determined to have been preventable by the driver. In contrast, only 47% of non-backing crashes were determined to be preventable by the driver.

Source: California PATH Research Report

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes cost employers $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage and lost productivity.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The average crash costs an employer $22,000. When a worker has an on-the-job crash that results in an injury, the cost to his or her employer is $100,000. Costs can exceed $500,000 when a fatality is involved.

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

From 1998 through 2007, preventable backing crashes cost Caltrans at least $5.45 million in vehicle repairs alone; this is not counting medical costs, employee lost time, vehicle lost time, and third-party expenses.

Source: California PATH Research Report

From 2000 through 2006, the majority of fatal accidents at US surface mines involved obstacles or workers in the rear blind area of reversing equipment (67%).

Source: Department of Health and Human Services

Hitting a pole at just 5 MPH, can easily result in $500.00 to $1500.00 in damages to your vehicle".

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of workplace fatalities.

Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

In a typical fleet, vehicle accidents usually represent one of the largest areas of financial loss. Every time a company vehicle moves on or off the premises, there is a risk it will become involved in an accident. The risk has little to do with whether the vehicle comes from a large or small fleet or from a common or private carrier, whether the vehicle is a passenger car or a semi-trailer truck, or who is driving it. If the vehicle becomes involved in an accident. the company may be held liable.

Source: Motor Fleet Safety Manual

In addition to the insurance premium and other direct costs of vehicle accidents, there are many indirect costs to the company. These costs arise from disruption of service to customers, cargo loss, downtime of damaged vehicles, supervisory time and expense involved in cleaning up after the accident, overtime, and many other expenses. Total indirect costs are often many times higher than direct costs.

Source: Motor Fleet Safety Manual

On-the-job vehicle accidents are largely preventable, so employers can avoid these costs. A good vehicle safety program can help a lot. OSHA cites a survey of business executives by a major insurance company, in which a majority said employers save $3 for every $1 they invest in safety.

Source: The Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP) Motor Vehicle Safety Programs Fact Sheet and OSHA -Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes

Developing an effective motor vehicle safety program is one of the best ways for employers to protect their employees who drive and to protect themselves from the high cost of accidents.

Source: The Worker Occupational Safety and Health Training and Education Program (WOSHTEP) Motor Vehicle Safety Programs Fact Sheet

 

Fleet Safety Links

Job-Site Safety 101 What's New
Keeping a construction job site safe requires the right products and procedures acknowledging that things can change from minute to minute.

How to Increase Truck Fleet Safety
Focusing on driver training, proper vehicle specs, and safety technology are a few ways to increase truck fleet safety.

10 Ways to Improve Fleet Safety
What, specifically, can be done to increase safety awareness, prevent accidents and injuries, plus save time and money? What are other organizations doing? Fortunately, most companies are proactive about their safety programs and offer one or more ways to get the message across to their drivers. Here are a few tips:

Safety Bulletin - Backing Accident Prevention
Drivers should adhere to the following safe backing procedures to prevent backing collisions:

Fleet Safety News
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