Too many construction transportation crashes get written off as “part of the job.”

Construction companies operate a large fleet of pickups, service trucks, and crew vans. Every mile on the road is a risk, and small and midsize firms often lack the same safety resources as larger fleets.

A new effort led by the National Center for Construction Safety (NCCS) at the University of Kansas, backed by the nonprofit Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), is looking squarely at one question: Can telematics meaningfully cut crash frequency and severity of construction accidents for these firms?

What are common types of construction transportation accidents?

The most common types of transportation accidents in construction, both on public roads and inside work zones, include:

• Work-zone intrusions: A passing driver enters the work area and strikes a worker, a work vehicle, or equipment.
• Backovers and runovers: A truck or piece of equipment reverses and hits a pedestrian worker, often due to blind spots, noise, or poor spotter/driver communication.
• Pedestrian struck-by incidents (non-backing): Workers on foot are hit by moving dump trucks, loaders, pickups, or other rolling equipment moving forward within the work area.
• Roadway crashes involving work vehicles: Collisions with other vehicles (rear-end, angle, and head-on), collisions with fixed objects, and loss-of-control incidents while crews are traveling to or between sites.
• Nonroadway vehicle collisions: Crashes between mobile equipment (e.g., dump truck vs. skid-steer) within the site or yard, often during tight maneuvers or poor traffic separation.
• Vehicle/equipment rollovers or tip-overs: Dump bodies up, soft shoulders, or high centers of gravity can lead to rollovers during hauling, turning, or dumping.
• Loading/unloading strikes and shifting loads: Workers are hit by moving trucks, trailers, or by materials that shift or fall during loading, unloading, or securing activities near the vehicle path.
• Equipment entering/exiting traffic: Crashes occur when work vehicles merge with live traffic near taper zones or temporary lane closures. Speed and driver inattention among the public elevate the risk.

What problem is this study trying to solve?

Work-related transportation incidents are a leading threat to worker safety in construction, year after year. The project funded by JSI asks researchers to build a business case study for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs). It examines whether telematics can improve driver behavior, whether it reduces crash frequency and severity, and whether it’s worth the cost for smaller fleets.

The scope specifically compares two tiers of technology: GPS/data-only telematics and GPS plus video (dash cams). It looks at practical adoption barriers such as price, privacy concerns, and “too much data” without a clear plan to use it.

Timeline-wise, JSI announced the request for proposals on January 15, 2025. Submissions were due March 15, 2025, and a final case study is expected by December 31, 2025.

How does telematics actually change driver behavior?

Telematics isn’t just “dots on a map.” Modern systems capture vehicle location, distance driven, time of day, acceleration and hard braking, cornering, top speed, seat-belt use, and even potential cellphone use or activation of electronic warnings.

When paired with video, they add context around near-misses and risky habits. That stream of signals becomes the raw material for coaching and policy. This includes weekly reviews, thresholds for unsafe events, incentive programs for improvement, and consequences when coaching doesn’t stick.

The mechanism is simple and powerful: visibility leads to feedback, which translates to consistent reinforcement. Drivers get timely coaching on specific behaviors. Supervisors see trends across the fleet. Safety leaders align telematics with MVR checks, new-driver orientation, refresher training, and periodic driver meetings.

Over time, the goal is fewer risky behaviors (speeding, distraction, not buckling up), which should translate into fewer crashes and lower costs. The heart of the NCCS/JSI study design is to measure behavior change and crash outcomes, not just install hardware and hope for the best.

What can contractors do right now?

You don’t have to wait for the final paper to benefit. Use the study’s framework to build a simple, practical plan. This includes:

• Starting with a pilot. Pick a representative slice of your fleet (a few pickups and service trucks) and define what you’ll measure (e.g., speeding over posted limit, hard-brake events per 100 miles, and seat-belt compliance).
• Choosing the right tier. GPS/data-only systems reveal patterns. Adding video gives context and sharper coaching. The study will compare both, which is a smart way to frame evaluations.
• Closing the loop with coaching. Review results weekly or monthly, set thresholds, and recognize improvements. Tie telematics to existing safety programs such as MVR checks, onboarding, refreshers, and incentives.
• Being transparent. Contractors can explain what they collect, who sees it, how long they keep it, and how it’s used. Address privacy and “data overload” upfront so drivers understand it’s about safety, not surveillance.
• Tracking outcomes, not just events. Log near-misses, collisions (even minor), and repair downtime. Internal results can later be compared with the NCCS/JSI findings when they’re published.

Hurt in a construction transportation accident? Talk to a New York construction accident lawyer today.

When a job site injury turns your life upside down, you need a team that moves fast and knows New York law. Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano LLP digs in from day one. We preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and line up the medical proof your case deserves. We can guide you through a workers’ compensation claim and, when a non-employer is responsible, pursue a third-party claim. You focus on healing. We handle the claim, the calls, and the pushback.

Your free consultation is practical and pressure-free. We’ll listen to what happened, review any photos, incident reports, or medical records you have, and explain your options clearly. You’ll leave with a clear game plan and answers to your questions.

We also work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing up front for our services and no fees unless we win your case. Deadlines move fast, so let us start protecting your rights today.

We proudly serve injured workers across all five NYC boroughs, including the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. If you were hurt on a construction site, contact us online or call for a free consultation.

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