Dive Brief:

• A new study conducted on behalf of the Nation Waste & Recycling Association determined that only a third of Americans who come across a sanitation truck slow down, while almost 40% consider speeding up to drive around the vehicles.
• The survey concluded that while a majority of respondents believe that law enforcement officers and firefighters have deadlier jobs than waste workers, data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that waste and recycling collectors have higher fatality rates than those professions. 
• Research suggests that the public is supportive of finding a solution to this dangerous issue. 85% of those surveyed agreed that they were "in favor of laws protecting garbage collectors." 

Dive Insight:

"While we are not surprised by the BLS data, we are disappointed to see the slight increase in fatal injuries in our industry," said John Haudenshield, director of safety at the NW&RA, regarding preliminary data released in 2013. "Most of these fatalities are the result of workers being struck by vehicles."

The NW&RA has offered guidance to improve safety laws for waste workers. The waste and recycling trade organization backed the "Slow Down to Get Around" bill in West Virginia. The bill is geared toward reducing the number of accidents involving waste workers.

The NW&RA was also instrumental in moving a similar bill to pass in Florida in 2014. The “Move Over Act” was amended to extend to sanitation and utility vehicles. Cars are now required to reduce speeds by 20 miles per hour from the applicable speed limit.