Seriousness of Traffic Accidents during Work and Commuting

Abstract

This study examined the seriousness of traffic accidents that happened either on work errands or during commuting. The article was based on three independently gathered data sets, of which two were based on compensation claims to the insurance companies ( N = 2,050 and N = 17,108) and one on the interviews of victims ( N = 328). The traffic accidents at work led to a major injury or death more often than the commuting accidents. On the other hand, the work-related traffic accidents were less serious than the leisure-time traffic accidents. One explanation could be that heavy vehicles used during the working hours protected the drivers of these vehicles.