Protective measures to make taxi drivers safer
Saying that the number of assaults and homicides against taxi drivers now borders on "epidemic," U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman recently released guidelines for safety measures that could protect drivers. The list of 10 recommended safety measures was published in an OSHA fact sheet.
"Taxi drivers are 60 times more likely than other workers to be murdered on the job," Herman said. "We can’t control random violence, but better protection could save lives. I hope this information will spur drivers and their employers to take protective steps."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 510 drivers were murdered on the job between 1992-98. Taxi drivers are also victim to more violent assaults (184 per 1,000 workers) than any other occupation with the exception of police (306 per 1,000) and private security guards (218 per 1,000).
The Occupational Safety and Health Admini-stration developed the fact sheet in consultation with taxi driver safety advocates, an industry trade association, and transportation regulators. Called "Risk Factors and Protective Measures for Taxi and Livery Drivers," the fact sheet lists 10 protective measures to help prevent injury to drivers and speed response time to those who need help.
The measures include:
• automatic vehicle location or global positioning systems to locate drivers in distress;
• caller ID to help trace location of fares;
• first-aid kits in every car for use in emergencies;
• in-car surveillance cameras;
• partitions or shields;
• protocol with police — owners and police to track high-crime locations;
• radios to communicate in emergencies (e.g., with an "open mike switch");
• safety training for drivers;
• silent alarms;
• use of credit/debit cards ("cashless" fare systems) to discourage robberies.
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