Sanitation workers killed in frequent traffic accidents, industry organizations focus on distracted driving prevention

In Brown County, Ohio, Harold Bowman was a familiar face on garbage collection day. As the owner of Bowman Waste Collection, he was happy to walk the extra steps to fetch bins when neighbors forgot to push them to the curb. Customers commented on the company's Facebook page that neighborhood kids loved to come out and greet him when his truck arrived.

In June, Bowman was killed at the end of a driveway while collecting trash along his usual route when a vehicle swerved to avoid rear-ending the collection truck. The Ohio State Highway Patrol told local TV station WLWT that Bowman's truck had its flashing lights on and he was wearing high-visibility safety gear. The Facebook page was subsequently filled with condolence messages.

This year, sanitation workers in other parts of the U.S. also died in similar accidents. In April, in New York City, a van driver struck and killed a collection worker from Cogent Waste Solutions while going around a garbage truck. Sanitation workers are not the only victims. In November, near San Diego, a passenger died after a car rear-ended a garbage truck, and the driver fled the scene.

Although these are recent cases, vehicle-related deaths are not new for sanitation workers. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists "transportation incidents" as a leading cause of death for solid waste collection workers. While the factors leading to such incidents are not always documented, distracted driving is considered a major contributor.

The waste industry says multiple measures have been taken to reduce the risk of distracted driving faced by sanitation workers, but experts disagree on the effectiveness of existing strategies and the potential of alternative or supplementary measures. The industry has for years worked to educate the public on how to safely interact with waste vehicles, invested in cab safety technology, advocated for stricter cellphone use regulations, and called for more distracted driving initiatives at the municipal, state, and federal levels. Some believe better data collection and more involvement from federal regulators could also help.

Known and Unknown

The limitations of existing data mean that researchers and waste industry professionals learn about distracted driving mostly from anecdotal sources, but most believe that factors such as cellphone use, driver impatience, and inattention combine to cause multiple accidents each year.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) counted 52 waste worker deaths in the U.S. and Canada in 2020, with 36 classified as "collection/driving"-related deaths, of which 6 were "struck by vehicle" and another 9 were "struck by waste vehicle." SWANA also tracks public deaths in waste-related incidents, with 76 total deaths in 2020, including 47 drivers or passengers and 22 pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists.

BLS uses different metrics to count collection worker deaths, but its results also point to vehicle-related incidents as a leading cause. BLS data released on December 16 for 2020 shows 31 deaths in the "solid waste collection" category, with 16 related to "transportation incidents." This year, overall collection worker deaths have declined, but the occupation remains the sixth most dangerous in the U.S. This is the second time since 2012 that garbage and recyclable material collectors have not ranked in the top five most dangerous occupations, and the total is significantly down from the peak of 57 deaths in 2018, including 44 transportation incidents.

The waste and recycling industry, researchers, and federal agencies seem to agree that distracted driving is a significant part of the problem of collection worker deaths, but all acknowledge that the full role of distracted driving is not yet understood. Some experts say better data would help reduce the casualties that make waste collection one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.

Jesse Maxwell, SWANA's senior manager of advocacy and safety, who compiles industry fatality data, says he sifts through municipal, police, and local news reports for clues. Even in well-documented places, "the root cause of the incident—such as whether someone was looking at their phone at the time—we don't always know."

One reason for the information gap: when an incident results in death, "there may be no survivors to describe what happened," says Jane Terry, vice president of government affairs at the National Safety Council (NSC), which tracks distracted driving incidents and other factors leading to vehicle crashes.

Researchers and organizations like NSC believe distracted driving data is underreported. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate shows about 8 people die each day in the U.S. in crashes reported to involve distracted driving. Terry notes that the word "reported" carries significant weight in these statistics because such data relies on anecdotal information in police reports or details voluntarily provided by those involved.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in its 2018 report on distracted driving, noted that police crash reports lack standardization in asking about distracted driving information and may therefore miss important information that could help prevent future crashes. The report states: "Police crash reports vary by jurisdiction, creating potential inconsistencies in reporting. Many variables are nearly universal in police crash reports, but distraction is not one of them." According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, most police crash report forms include fields for listing potential distracted driving factors, except in New Hampshire and Connecticut.

The NHTSA report also notes that stigma may contribute to low distracted driving data. Drivers involved are unlikely to tell police they were distracted before a crash because "distracted driving—especially when linked to a crash—carries negative connotations." Survey research shows that "self-reported rates of negative behaviors are lower than actual occurrence rates."

Researchers are working to change this ambiguity. The Environmental Research and Education Foundation is partnering with the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) to compile clearer, more detailed data on crashes, injuries, and fatalities in the waste and recycling industry, which Kirk Sander, NWRA's vice president of safety and standards, says will also help clarify the impact of distracted driving in the data.

Educational Efforts

NSC's Terry says avoiding distracted driving incidents requires cooperation from collection workers and the public. Waste collection workers—along with tow truck drivers and professionals in other industries facing high transportation-related injury and death risks—share the road daily with members of the public who may not know how to safely navigate around their vehicles. "Think about it: thousands of people reach driving age every day, and we strongly believe driver education helps improve awareness of road hazards," she says.

Broad educational efforts on how passenger vehicles and waste vehicles should interact are underway, and the newly signed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides $200 million annually through fiscal year 2026 for Safe Streets grants to support programs aimed at preventing transportation-related deaths, including innovative "low-cost, high-impact strategies that can improve safety across a broader geographic area."

However, the continued emphasis on education and personal responsibility frustrates some waste and recycling professionals, who say that after years of watching preventable crashes claim lives, the slow progress is disheartening. NWRA's Sander says, "For years, the narrative has been to encourage drivers to 'do the right thing.' We've done that year after year, but the death toll hasn't come down. We need more."

Cutting Off Phone Distractions

What else could drive progress on distracted driving? Sander suggests starting with stronger restrictions on phones. Drivers use phones for navigation, music, messaging, and more, which he believes makes phones the "perfect distraction" while driving. "From a public perspective, we universally understand and believe that phones are addictive," he says.

In recent years, researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute have gained deeper insights into driver behavior by installing cameras and other devices in volunteer vehicles. They confirmed earlier anecdotal reports that phones are among the biggest distractions, writing in a 2016 study that "electronic device use is high and risky," with distracted driving doubling a driver's crash risk.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has banned texting while driving for commercial vehicle drivers, and most states have similar laws applying to the public. In its first year of implementing a "hands-free" law (prohibiting drivers from holding phones in vehicles), Massachusetts issued nearly 30,000 citations in 2020, with minimum fines of $100.

NWRA says more measures are needed to regulate phones themselves, not just consumer behavior. Drivers can choose to use apps that silence text alerts and calls while driving, but Sander says companies like Apple should make such technology a default setting rather than an optional feature.

NWRA is running a campaign aimed at holding phone manufacturers and regulators, such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and NHTSA, accountable for the role phones may play in vehicle crashes. Over the past few months, NWRA has urged the White House Domestic Policy Council to coordinate federal efforts on phones and distracted driving and to recognize the specific impact of these dangers on waste and recycling collection workers. Sander says he is frustrated by claims from various federal agencies that they have no jurisdiction over phones.

In a separate December 7 letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, NWRA called for legislation mandating distracted driving prevention technology in new vehicles, similar to the drunk/impaired driver prevention technology mandated in IIJA. "Only legislation that combats addictive products can have a beneficial impact on our workers and American drivers," NWRA President and CEO Darrell Smith said in the letter. Representatives from the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Senate committee did not respond to requests for comment.

Reexamining State 'Move Over' Laws

Beyond reducing common distractions like phones and radios, organizations such as NWRA and SWANA are also working to advance state laws requiring drivers to exercise a certain degree of caution when approaching collection vehicles. However, the effectiveness of these laws so far is unclear, prompting more calls for discussion and research into these approaches.

These laws, sometimes called "slow down or move over" policies, have been passed in 30 states, defining solid waste collection trucks as service vehicles and requiring drivers to yield to the vehicle and its workers when lights are flashing and collection is underway. "Slow down or move over" laws expand on "move over" laws sometimes targeting emergency, law enforcement, and certain service vehicles.

"Having move over laws that cover waste and recycling workers as well as emergency vehicles is very important," Sander says. But the bigger obstacle is often raising awareness that such laws exist. Many drivers—even law enforcement officials—simply don't know that waste vehicles fall under the law, leaving the burden of education on waste companies, which often put "slow down or move over" stickers on trucks. For example, Maryland has included waste vehicles in its move over law since 2018, but its educational website does not specifically mention waste and recycling vehicles.

Enforcement of "slow down or move over" laws also varies by state, with some states imposing fines on violators while others treat them more as public awareness campaigns. Kentucky passed its slow down law in 2017, but the legislature did not include any penalties when passing the bill.

Despite the obstacles, NWRA believes slow down laws are a valuable tool in preventing more vehicle-related deaths of collection workers. IIJA may help address some inconsistencies in the application of such laws. The legislation requires a study evaluating the effectiveness of such state programs and making recommendations for improving public awareness campaigns, research, or educational efforts. Maxwell says this could help streamline existing programs and solidify messaging over time. "At the end of the day, we know this is a dangerous job. But sometimes the public really doesn't know how dangerous it is," he says.

Relying on Driver Assistance Technology

Distracted driving awareness campaigns often focus on changing driver behavior, but waste companies have long been familiar with truck technology they believe helps reduce crash risk. One option is "dash cam" hardware that records driver and traffic behavior, used both for driver accountability and for collecting data and evidence to prove fault in accidents. Most large waste companies say dash cams are increasingly common in their vehicles.

John Andel, director of corporate health, safety, and compliance at Pennsylvania's Leck Waste Services, said at a SWANA safety summit in March that a series of safety improvements helped reduce accidents and near-misses involving company collection vehicles and lowered insurance premiums. In addition to requiring drivers to take defensive driving courses, Leck invested in 3rd Eye camera systems that monitor driver behavior through 5 to 8 cameras in each waste vehicle. Andel said he initially faced resistance from drivers who felt the cameras meant the company didn't trust them, but drivers eventually came to appreciate the way cameras documented incidents caused by other drivers' faults.

These recordings can also capture teachable moments. NSC's Terry adds: "When there's an incident between a Toyota Corolla and a garbage truck, people might instinctively blame the truck. But these cameras can prove the driver innocent. They're also great training tools, especially when they capture drivers with years of experience—cameras can show how they react well under pressure."

Andel encourages small waste companies to invest in such equipment too, but he acknowledges that pandemic-related budget cuts and other capital investment priorities may put the technology out of reach. Automated side-loading waste vehicles—designed so collection workers don't need to leave the cab to empty curbside bins—are technology that municipalities and waste haulers hope can play a role in reducing struck-by incidents or hazards like slips, trips, and falls, but they come at a high price.

Next Steps in Addressing Driver Distraction

Whether waste companies invest in more truck technology, training, or other options, most advocates agree that broader, long-term solutions are still needed from both the industry and the public to combat distracted driving. Terry says overall traffic deaths have continued to rise since the pandemic began, adding urgency. According to NHTSA preliminary estimates, traffic deaths in the first half of 2021 rose 18% compared to the same period in 2020. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement that the numbers indicate the U.S. is in a "crisis," and announced the department would work on developing a national road safety strategy.