Young Drivers at Work: Rules, Risks and Tips for Employers and Parents

Workers aged 16 to 24 are still developing their driving skills and may be less able than older drivers to recognize and respond to risks. Employers and parents can play a big part in keeping them safe.

The risk

• Drivers aged 16–24 have the highest rates of involvement in fatal and injury crashes per 100,000 licensed drivers.
• From 2011 to 2022, 1,550 workers aged 16–24 died in motor vehicle crashes at work — 35% of all work-related deaths at those ages.

What the law allows

Rules for 17-year-olds

They may drive on public roads occasionally for work if they:

• have completed a state-approved driver education course;
• hold a valid state driver's license;
• had no moving violations (such as speeding) when hired;
• drive a vehicle of 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or less, with seat belts for every occupant.

They may not drive as their main job duty, or:

• make urgent or time-sensitive deliveries (such as pizza);
• make route deliveries or route sales;
• tow another vehicle;
• drive more than 30 miles from their main workplace;
• be hired to transport goods or passengers;
• carry more than 3 passengers, including coworkers;
• make more than 2 trips a day away from the main workplace to carry goods or other employees.

Under federal child labor law, their driving may take up no more than 33% of a workday and 20% of a workweek, and only in daylight. (Agricultural child labor rules apply only to workers under 16.) States may add more restrictions.

Tips for employers

Before hiring a young worker to drive:

• confirm a valid license for the kind of driving the job needs;
• check the driving record for moving violations, impaired driving and suspensions;
• confirm a state-approved driver education course (for drivers under 18).

Before assigning driving:

• follow state graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws, such as limits on night driving and carrying other teens;
• give driver training at hire, including the vehicle's safety features;
• consider rules stricter than the law for less-experienced drivers, such as no towing trailers or driving certain vehicles.

Tips for parents

• Ride along to assess skills, and help your teen learn to recognize traffic risks, anticipate danger and spot developing problems quickly.
• Learn the child labor and GDL laws that limit work driving, and share them with your teen.
• Talk about the driving tasks in your teen's job, and ask whether the employer has safe-driving policies and training — if not, encourage your teen to ask a supervisor for guidance.

Sources

Based on "Young Drivers at Work," National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.