Transportation Hazard Alert: Preventing Rideshare and Delivery Driver Homicides

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Description:
  Five rideshare drivers and one delivery driver died by homicide on the job from 2020 through 2024 in Washington State. Half were killed during carjacking attempts, the others in altercations with strangers. All were working alone during late night or early morning hours. Transportation industry workers suffered the most fatalities and homicides in 2024. Here are three of their stories. STABBED DURING ATTEMPTED CARJACKING: A 28-year-old rideshare driver was killed shortly after answering a request for a ride. A couple had created a fake rideshare profile at around 9 p.m. and planned to steal the driver's car. Within minutes of getting into the car, they stabbed the driver repeatedly, causing him to crash into a tree. Nearby residents found the driver in his car after the attack. SHOT IN DISPUTE WHILE DELIVERING PACKAGES: A 50-year-old delivery driver was shot and killed while using his personal vehicle to deliver packages in an apartment complex. His body was found in the parking lot at around 5 a.m. the next morning. Police believe he was killed following a dispute. SHOT BY PEDESTRIAN IN ROAD RAGE INCIDENT: At around 10 p.m., a 31-year-old rideshare driver made a left turn while a pedestrian was in the crosswalk. When the driver rolled down the window to apologize, the pedestrian pulled out a gun and immediately began shooting at him. He died at the hospital shortly after. TIPS TO LIVE BY: There is no single way to keep drivers safe-instead, focus multiple efforts on personal safety and security. Drivers: 1) Equip vehicles with effective security technology features. a) Install monitored alarms (some municipalities already require them). Major rideshare companies and large delivery companies have in-app emergency buttons. b) Install in-car cameras, including dashcams with audio, night vision, and real-time two-way recording capabilities to record the road ahead and inside the vehicle. c) Contact your car manufacturer or dealer, or a vehicle security consultant, to help find the best options to make your vehicle safer, like installing safety barriers between drivers and passengers. 2) Apply high visibility stickers inside and outside of the vehicle that notify passengers that dashcam audio and video recording is in progress and that no cash is kept in the vehicle. 3) Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas and always be aware of your surroundings. 4) Report violent passengers and attempted robberies to police and supervisors. Alert other drivers of violent passengers. 5) Use caution when accepting or completing rides in isolated areas away from people and other businesses. Employers: Create a violence prevention and safety program as part of your Accident Prevention Program (APP). Perform a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) to identify and assess personal safety and vehicle security vulnerabilities that could expose drivers to violence. Develop policies based on the JHA findings and best practices. Train drivers on how to de-escalate violent situations, and how to protect themselves if de-escalation fails. Provide drivers with dashcam equipment to improve in-car safety and security. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Homicide
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
  • Violence
  • Workplace Violence
• Keywords:
  • Fatalities
  • Safety education
  • Drivers
  • Transportation workers
  • Workplace violence
  • Violence prevention
  • Homicides
• FACE - NIOSH and State:
  All
• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• Subseries:
  State
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Fact Sheet
• Place as Subject:
  San Francisco Region OSHA ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1 pdf page
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071780
• Citation:
  Olympia, WA: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, 47-34-2025, 2025 Aug; :1
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• NAICS and SIC Codes:
  485310 - Taxi and Ridesharing Services - (NAICS 2022)
• Start Date:
  2005/07/01
• End Date:
  2026/06/30
• Resource Number:
  47-34-2025
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/260004/cdc_260004_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 240.22 KB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3f5745aaf74d9e34f7b9a36c498baf0a7745b39dbf4f979109c3eaf0717793bda7e28226d6e31dec5707eb4b990ac13309ac25a62a0cb7a97b32dedb920f5cd7