What you need to know
OSHA says transportation incidents average 39% of occupational fatalities and asks employers to run written vehicle-safety policies. It specifically warns that dispatching and rerouting systems can cause distracted driving, which matters for every field-service team that sends jobs to phones.
Potentially affected
Security, fire, IT and cabling companies with technicians who drive service vehicles, and the dispatchers, fleet managers and supervisors who direct them.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends writing a vehicle-safety policy that covers dispatch practices as well as driver behavior.
OSHA says transportation incidents average 39% of occupational fatalities and asks employers to run written vehicle-safety policies. It specifically warns that dispatching and rerouting systems can cause distracted driving, which matters for every field-service team that sends jobs to phones.
Source facts
OSHA’s motor vehicle safety page says that on average 39% of all occupational fatalities are due to transportation incidents. Its guidance for employers calls for a risk assessment and written policies covering driver training, vehicle maintenance, safe operation, seat belt use, distracted, drowsy and impaired driving, accident reporting and mechanical failure procedures.
OSHA says employers should review operational procedures to ensure they are not causing distracted driving, noting that systems for dispatching and rerouting vehicles can cause cognitive, visual and manual distractions. Workloads and schedules should allow employees to drive at a safe speed, and employers should track driver license expiration dates and enforce mandatory seat belt use.
The distracted driving page calls texting while driving especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction. For in-vehicle monitoring systems, OSHA cites a NIOSH study in which driver feedback plus supervisory coaching using driver- and outward-facing video significantly reduced risky driving, and says to explain to workers why the system is used and how it works.
Applicability
Use this for any organization whose employees drive for work, whether in company, rented or personal vehicles. Federal motor carrier rules may also apply depending on vehicle type and cargo.
DSE recommendation
DSE recommends writing a vehicle-safety policy that covers dispatch practices as well as driver behavior. Set the rule that technicians accept and read new jobs only when parked, configure dispatch and navigation apps to support that, build travel time into schedules so nobody has to speed to make an appointment, and report every crash for root-cause review. If dash cameras are used, publish what they record, who can view it and how long it is kept.
Verification
Audit dispatch logs for jobs pushed to moving vehicles, check license-expiration tracking and vehicle maintenance records quarterly, and review crash reports for root causes and policy changes. Ask technicians annually whether schedules or apps push them to drive distracted.
Official references
OSHA — Motor Vehicle Safety: Employers. OSHA — Motor Vehicle Safety. OSHA — Distracted Driving. Reviewed October 18, 2026.
Review the official source
OSHA — Motor Vehicle Safety: Employers · Verified October 18, 2026
Need help applying this guidance safely?
DSE can help confirm applicability, protect service continuity, and validate the result across physical security and IT systems.
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