This study, carried out by the "FREMAP Health Observatory," elaborates on the different aspects that affect the serious and fatal accident rate of road traffic accidents at work.

MADRID (21/12/2022)

Road traffic accidents have historically been and continue to be one of the major challenges for occupational risk prevention, not only because of the high incidence of this type of accident but also because of the serious consequences that they have for working people, companies and the social security system.

Fatal work-related traffic accidents represent 27.74% of deaths from work-related accidents, the second cause of death after stroke and brain haemorrhage (28.5% of the total).

With regard to permanent disabilities, traffic accidents are the third most common cause, representing one in every 10 recognised disabilities (9.45%).

For this reason, establishing prevention and promotion programmes for road safety is key to reducing the serious and fatal work-related accident rate.

The study prepared by "FREMAP's Prevention Area" presents indicators of interest for companies to implement road safety programmes.

The study's conclusions include:

• Incidence is four times higher in men than in women.
• The importance of including commuter road traffic accidents (64.8%) in the promotion of road safety and mobility plans, which must take into account the conditions that make the accident rate during the journey to work twice that of the journey home.
• The need to assess age, paying special attention to people over 49 years old, in mobility plans and their significance according to mobility type.
• The influence of the socio-labour conditions specific to each sector with respect to mobility. In addition to the transport sector, these include: construction, hospitality and industry.
• Inclusion of seasonal aspects: journeys during daylight hours without sunlight, day of the week, time of day, distribution of the day, month, etc., as essential elements for determining mobility plans. · Identify the type of mobility, paying special attention to:
  • the use of motorcycles, the mode of transport affected, representing 37.2% of accidents.
  • bicycles and scooters, which, as an emerging mode of transport, already accounts for 3.2% of the accidents analysed.
  • The prevention of pedestrian collisions, which have caused 9.4% of the traffic accidents selected.

The company can develop actions to minimise the outcomes shown throughout the report. This requires road safety and mobility plans, vehicle fleet management, planning of safe routes and other measures identified in the analysis of road risks to be incorporated into the prevention plan.

Furthermore, people must be aware of their ability to put into practice the measures indicated to prevent work-related traffic accidents. Personal attitude and culture with regard to mobility are key to putting a stop to these kinds of accidents.

Work-related traffic accidents are a problem with personal and social consequences, and must be more prominent in companies' prevention plans, and deserve the utmost attention of all the those involved in preventing the risks of the various modes of transport.

Click on this link to read FREMAP's "Study of traffic accidents at work, mortality and permanent incapacity".