In the past decade, more than 300 oil and gas workers were killed in highway crashes, the largest cause of fatalities in the industry. Many of these deaths were due in part to oil field exemptions from highway safety rules that allow truckers to work longer hours than drivers in most other industries, according to an article in The New York Times. According to a recent study, oil and gas workers are 8.5 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident while on the job than people who work in other industries.
Many oil field truckers say exemptions help them earn more money, but they are routinely used to pressure workers into driving after shifts that are 20 hours or longer.