Stressed, Tired, and Behind the Wheel: Why Some Jobs Come With a Higher Risk of Deadly Car Crashes

For many Americans, driving is just part of the job. Whether it’s long hours behind the wheel of a truck, a daily commute to a job site, or responding to emergencies, some professions come with a higher risk of being involved in a serious or even fatal vehicle accident.

New data from John Foy & Associates suggests that occupational stress and fatigue are playing a major role in motor vehicle accident rates across certain industries. In short, the more pressure workers are under, the more likely they are to make dangerous mistakes on the road.

Transportation Accidents: Still the Leading Cause of Work-Related Deaths

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 5,283 workers died on the job in 2023. Of those, transportation incidents accounted for 1,942 deaths, or roughly 37% of all workplace fatalities. While this marks a slight decrease from 2022, it still highlights a persistent and deadly issue, especially in jobs where driving is part of the daily grind.

OSHA puts that into perspective: that’s a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 full-time workers.

So, which professions face the greatest danger on the road?

The Jobs With the Highest Vehicle-Related Fatalities

Some jobs are more dangerous than others when it comes to driving-related deaths. In 2023, the following professions saw the highest number of fatal work-related vehicle crashes:

• Transportation & material moving workers: 1,011 deaths (includes truck drivers, delivery drivers, and equipment operators)

• Construction workers: 243 deaths

• Managers: 105 deaths across industries

• Protective service workers: 98 deaths (includes police officers, firefighters, and EMS)

• Farmers, fishers, and forestry workers: 87 deaths

• Private healthcare & social assistance workers: 63 deaths

• Retail workers: 54 deaths

While it’s no surprise that transportation jobs top the list, it’s worth noting how other industries like healthcare and retail also see significant risks, particularly among women who make up the majority of those sectors.

Who’s Most at Risk?

Breaking it down further:

• Men made up the vast majority of work-related deaths in 2023, accounting for 4,832 fatalities.

• Women accounted for 447 deaths, with healthcare and retail jobs being the most dangerous for female workers.

Across the board, jobs that require frequent driving, long hours, or high-stress environments tend to have the highest rates of vehicle-related fatalities.

What’s Causing These Accidents?

Many factors contribute to these alarming statistics, and many of them are directly tied to the job itself:

Long hours and irregular schedules (especially in trucking and transportation) can lead to chronic fatigue, poor sleep, and slower reaction times.

Construction workers often deal with physical strain, tight deadlines, and dangerous work conditions, all of which contribute to mental fatigue and distraction. 

Managers are increasingly experiencing burnout, according to Forbes. When you’re juggling deadlines, meetings, and staffing issues, it’s easy for your focus behind the wheel to slip.

First responders face exposure to trauma, high-risk situations, and PTSD, all of which can affect driving performance.

Farmers and forestry workers face isolation, physical exhaustion, and weather-related stressors that can lead to mental health challenges and risky driving conditions.

On top of all this, the CDC and Cornell University both point to distracted driving, speeding, impaired driving, and poor road conditions as additional layers of risk, especially when combined with occupational fatigue or emotional stress.