Young workers who drive: how employers can keep new drivers safe
How to protect young workers who drive, from federal teen rules to safer schedules
Picture a 17 year old in her third week at a garden center. A customer across town is waiting. A manager hands her the keys to the store pickup and asks her to hurry. She got her license 4 months ago and wants to look capable, so she says yes.
That errand stacks a new driver, an unfamiliar vehicle and a deadline into one trip. It may also break federal child labor rules. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that crashes caused 35% of work deaths among workers ages 16 to 24 from 2011 to 2022 [1].
In 2024, drivers ages 15 to 20 were 5.2% of licensed drivers but 9% of drivers in fatal crashes, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) [5].
This guide covers rules for workers under 18, a staged plan for driving tasks, and the coaching, schedules and rules that protect new drivers. For program basics, see our guide to building a workplace motor vehicle safety program.
Why new drivers face higher risk on the job
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) points to two causes: inexperience, which makes hazards hard to recognize, and immaturity, which shows up as risk taking. Speeding plays a part in almost a third of teen drivers’ fatal crashes [6].
- Per mile, drivers ages 16 to 19 have a fatal crash rate just over 3 times that of drivers 20 and older, in IIHS’s 2024 figures [7].
- Risk fades slowly. In 2024, drivers ages 15 to 20 were in fatal crashes at about 39 per 100,000 licensed drivers. The rate was about 33 at ages 21 to 24 and 23 at ages 35 to 44 [5].
- The first months are worst. In a study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, crash and near miss rates rose 8 fold once teens began driving alone [3].
Experience matters more than age, so a 23 year old with a new license is a novice too. A new driver’s clean record mostly reflects limited time on the road, not proven skill.
How workplace pressure amplifies novice risk
Federal child labor rules define urgent, time sensitive deliveries as trips where customer demands, product quality or pay incentives set deadlines that might push a driver to hurry. Such trips are banned for 17 year olds. The rule’s examples include pizza delivery, bank deposits at closing and shuttling travelers to catch a bus, train or plane [2].
Research on app based drivers points the same way. A 2019 British study interviewed 48 people and surveyed 231 gig economy drivers and managers. Some couriers described pressure to speed and to use their phones while driving. Of the survey respondents, 42% had been in a crash that damaged their vehicle [8]. U.S. research on young delivery drivers is thin, so treat this as a warning sign, not a measure.
Pressure hits novices hardest because a new driver has less spare attention. A deadline uses up the rest. A new worker may also not feel free to say no, call for help or admit being lost. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urges employers to invite young workers’ questions and pair them with a mentor [9].
Common pressure points include promised arrival times, tips or ratings tied to speed, calls from a manager during a drive, unfamiliar routes and the end of shift rush.
Work driving check for drivers under 18: what federal rules allow
Child labor rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) treat driving as hazardous for workers under 18. The key rule, Hazardous Occupations Order No. 2 (29 CFR 570.52), covers any driving done as part of the job, even in a teen’s own car [2].
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Age | Driving on public roads for work (nonfarm jobs) |
|---|---|
| 14 to 15 | Not allowed. Riding in work vehicles is allowed only in narrow cases the rules spell out [10]. |
| 16 | Not allowed. Riding outside the cab to help with deliveries is also barred [2]. |
| 17 | Allowed only if every condition in the checklist below is met [2]. |
| 18 to 20 | Federal child labor limits end. Drivers under 21 may not drive a commercial motor vehicle across state lines [1]. |
The driving task ladder: assign driving in stages
The NIH researchers suggested that teens may benefit from a more gradual drop in supervision during their first months of solo driving [3]. NIOSH urges employers to consider policies stricter than the law [1]. This ladder applies both ideas to any new driver, of any age.
Comparison compiled by Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
| Stage | What the driver may do | To move up |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ride and learn | Ride with an experienced coworker; learn the vehicle, routes and stops; call out hazards aloud | Finish orientation and pass a check ride before driving solo |
| 2. Supervised driving | Drive work routes with a mentor aboard, in daylight and good weather, with no deadlines | Mentor sign off after 5 or more trips with no critical errors |
| 3. Solo, low risk | Short daytime trips on familiar local roads in a light vehicle; no passengers or promised arrival times | 30 days with no incidents, a clean telematics trend and a 30 day check ride |
| 4. Wider range | New routes, highways, dusk and light rain; one approved coworker passenger | A 90 day check ride and supervisor review, with no phone or belt violations |
| 5. Full duties | Normal driving for the role; passenger vans, trailers and night routes need separate training and a check ride | Yearly review and refreshers |
Trip counts and time frames are our suggestions, not a standard. A 16 year old stays at stage 1. A 17 year old can never go past the federal limits [2].
Skills checks before solo driving, then at 30 and 90 days
Run a scored on road check before anyone drives alone for work. Then repeat it at 30 and 90 days, while risk is highest [3]. Our guide to employee driver training and assessment has a full scoring form.
With novices, watch scanning and hazard callouts, speed choice in poor conditions, and gap choice for left turns and merges. Check following distance, slow backing after a walk around, and setting the phone before the vehicle moves.
Add hazard perception training. NHTSA’s Countermeasures That Work cites a review of 19 studies in which this training improved young drivers’ hazard skills, though none measured crashes. The free online Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) takes 30 to 45 minutes. An NHTSA funded evaluation found 23.7% lower crash risk for male drivers who took it, but no effect for female drivers [12].
Choose vehicles that forgive mistakes
IIHS advises young drivers to avoid high horsepower models and vehicles that are too small or too big. It calls electronic stability control a must and urges the best crash test ratings possible [6]. It also suggests a curb weight of at least 2,750 pounds [13].
An IIHS study found that automatic emergency braking, lane departure prevention and blind spot monitoring could be relevant to about a third of teen driver deaths [13]. Write them into your vehicle specs.
Keep novices out of 15 passenger vans, box trucks and towing until they train in that vehicle. For 17 year olds, the 6,000 pound limit and towing ban are federal rules [2]. So check each vehicle’s weight before assigning it.
Supervisor coaching and weekly check ins
Feedback works best when a person follows up. In a NIOSH led study of 315 work vehicles, in cab warning lights alone made no significant difference. Lights plus supervisor coaching with video cut the odds of risky driving about in half [14].
Teen studies show the same pattern: real time feedback plus reports to parents reduced risky driving. Feedback to teens alone did not [6]. At work, the supervisor plays the parent’s role. Our guide to using telematics for coaching, not punishment shows how.
Ten minute weekly check in questions
- Which trip felt hardest this week, and why?
- Did you ever feel rushed? If so, what caused it?
- Did you have any near misses or confusing moments?
- Did you touch your phone or navigation while moving? What would help you avoid it?
- Was there a time you didn’t feel free to say no or call for help?
- What does the telematics report show? Which habit will you work on next?
- What would you like more practice with?
- What did you do well?
Keep it about learning, not blame, and fix the schedule problems you hear about. Recognize clean weeks, consistent belt use and honest near miss reports, but never praise the fastest run.
Schedule around the riskiest hours
Night. In 2024, 35% of teen crash deaths happened between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. [7]. Keep novices off the road after dark. For 17 year olds, daylight only driving is the law [2].
Late closes and long days. Skip deliveries and bank runs at closing time. Federal hour limits cover only 14 and 15 year olds [10]. So older teens’ schedules are up to you and your state. Don’t assign driving after a full school day plus a long shift.
Buffer time. Add 10 to 15 minutes of slack to every trip. Never promise customers a novice’s best case time. Let drivers delay for bad weather without penalty.
Four rules every young work driver follows
No phone use, hands free included. NIOSH recommends banning all phone use in company vehicles, noting that hands free phones distract as much as handheld ones [4]. Set navigation before moving, and never call or text a driver on the road.
The speed limit is a ceiling. In 2024, 39% of young male drivers and 20% of young female drivers in fatal crashes were speeding [5].
No passengers without approval. For drivers ages 16 and 17, the risk of death per mile rose 44% with 1 passenger under 21, doubled with 2 and quadrupled with 3 or more. With a passenger 35 or older, it fell 62% [15]. An older coworker can be a mentor, but a car full of young coworkers is a hazard.
Belts, every seat, every trip. In 2024, 53% of drivers ages 15 to 20 killed in passenger vehicles were unbelted [5].
Put the four rules on one signed page that applies to managers, too.
Bring parents in for workers under 18
NIOSH encourages parents to learn the child labor and licensing limits on teen driving and to ask about the job’s driving tasks and training [1]. Help them by sending home a one page note on the teen’s driving duties, ladder stage and rules. Ask parents to report any license change, too. Have HR and legal counsel review policies on minors’ driving data, consent and discipline.
Frequently asked questions
Can a 16 year old drive for work?
Not on public roads, under federal child labor rules for nonfarm jobs. A 16 year old also may not ride outside the cab as a delivery helper [2]. State rules may add limits.
Can a 17 year old deliver pizza?
No. Federal rules bar 17 year olds from urgent, time sensitive deliveries and name pizza and prepared food as examples [2].
Can a 17 year old use their own car for work errands?
Only if every federal condition is met, including daylight, a 30 mile limit, no more than 2 delivery trips a day and occasional driving only [2]. State licensing limits and insurance questions apply, too.
Do these rules apply to 18 year olds?
Federal child labor limits on driving end at 18 [2]. Drivers under 21 still may not drive a commercial motor vehicle across state lines [1]. Crash risk stays high into the early 20s [5], so keep using the ladder.
Can a young employee drive coworkers?
A 17 year old may carry no more than 3 passengers, coworkers included [2]. For any novice, require approval, since each young passenger adds risk [15].
What if a young driver has a crash or near miss?
Pause their driving and review what happened without blame. Then retrain, drop back a stage and require a passing check ride before moving up again.
The bottom line
Recommendation from Safety Behind the Wheel Foundation
Treat driving as a skill a young worker earns step by step, not a perk that comes with the job. Follow the rules for workers under 18 exactly, start every novice on low risk trips and coach them weekly. Above all, take the hurry out of their work.
Related articles
- Graduated driver licensing: a parent’s roadmap from permit to full license
- Driver qualification for work: license checks, MVRs and who may drive
- Learning to drive as an adult: a step by step guide for first timers
- Work driving fatigue: safer shifts, schedules and trip rules for employers
- Distracted driving policy at work: a guide for employers and drivers
Sources and further reading
- 1CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Young Drivers at Work. Last reviewed April 3, 2024; accessed October 3, 2026. cdc.gov/niosh/motor-vehicle/young-drivers
- 2Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 29 CFR 570.52, Occupations of motor-vehicle driver and outside helper (Order 2). Up to date as of October 1, 2026. ecfr.gov
- 3National Institutes of Health. Teen crash risk highest during first three months after getting driver’s license (news release on Gershon P, Simons-Morton B, et al., Journal of Adolescent Health). July 10, 2018. nih.gov
- 4CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Distracted Driving at Work. Updated February 16, 2024. cdc.gov/niosh/motor-vehicle/distracted-driving
- 5National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Young Drivers: 2024 Data. DOT HS 813 814. July 2026. crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov
- 6Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Teenagers (research area overview). Updated August 2026. iihs.org/research-areas/teenagers
- 7Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Fatality Facts 2024: Teenagers. Posted June 2026. iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/teenagers
- 8Christie N, Ward H. The health and safety risks for people who drive for work in the gig economy. Journal of Transport & Health 13:115 to 127. 2019. sciencedirect.com
- 9Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Young Workers: Employer Responsibilities. Accessed October 3, 2026. osha.gov/young-workers/employer-responsibilities
- 10Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. 29 CFR Part 570, Child Labor Regulations, Orders and Statements of Interpretation (sections 570.33, 570.35, 570.50 and 570.71). Up to date as of September 28 to October 1, 2026. ecfr.gov
- 11Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). Teens & Novice Drivers (state law summary). Issue overview June 2026; laws last reviewed by state highway safety offices June 2025. ghsa.org/state-laws-issues/teens-novice-drivers
- 12National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Countermeasures That Work, 11th Edition: Young Drivers, Hazard Perception Training. DOT HS 813 490. November 2023. nhtsa.gov/book/countermeasures-that-work
- 13Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Young driver safety. Updated May 2026. iihs.org/research-areas/teenagers/young-driver-safety
- 14Bell JL, Taylor MA, Chen GX, Kirk RD, Leatherman ER. Evaluation of an in-vehicle monitoring system (IVMS) to reduce risky driving behaviors in commercial drivers. Journal of Safety Research 60:125 to 136. 2017. sciencedirect.com
- 15AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (Tefft BC, Williams AF, Grabowski JG). Teen Driver Risk in Relation to Age and Number of Passengers. May 2012. aaafoundation.org
This article reflects the safety priorities of young driver research and occupational motor vehicle safety. It is general education, not legal, HR or professional advice for any employer, family or worker. Child labor rules, licensing laws and data change. Verify details with official sources such as the U.S. Department of Labor, eCFR.gov and your state agencies. Reviewed October 2026.
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