The rapid expansion of app-based delivery services has brought a growing safety challenge to American roadways, where workers must balance navigation, customer instructions, delivery deadlines and earnings opportunities while operating in increasingly hazardous traffic conditions.
A 2026 nationwide study by the Texas Law Dog found that Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina have the highest combined roadway risk scores for gig and delivery drivers. However, the analysis also identified a broader concern: rising occupational injuries, widespread distracted driving and work-related pressures that can influence driving behavior.
The study examined roadway conditions across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., incorporating data on speeding, urban roadway fatalities, pedestrian deaths, cyclist deaths and the concentration of gig-related business activity.
Federal occupational statistics provide important context for these findings.
Emergency-department-treated injuries among workers in the courier and messenger industry increased from approximately 13,000 in 2015 to 35,000 in 2022, a rise of roughly 169%.
Meanwhile, nationwide distracted-driving crashes claimed 3,208 lives in 2024, while an estimated 315,167 people sustained injuries.
These national distracted-driving statistics encompass all motorists, not only delivery workers. Nevertheless, they illustrate the dangers associated with divided attention as app-based employment increasingly depends on smartphones for navigation, dispatching and customer communication.
The Texas Law Dog’s analysis also found that six of the 10 highest-risk jurisdictions for gig and delivery drivers ranked among the nation’s 10 highest for speeding-related fatality risk.
Together, the findings raise questions about how employment demands, traffic conditions and insurance arrangements intersect for workers who spend substantial portions of their shifts on public roads. The Texas Law Dog
Delivery Worker Injuries Increased Sharply Between 2015 and 2022
Occupational injury data reveal a substantial increase in the number of courier and messenger workers receiving emergency medical treatment for workplace injuries.
According to estimates from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, approximately 182,000 emergency-department-treated occupational injuries occurred among workers in the courier and messenger industry between 2015 and 2022.
The annual estimate climbed from roughly 13,000 injuries at the beginning of the period to approximately 35,000 by 2022.
| Occupational Safety Measure | Reported Finding |
|---|---|
| Estimated annual injuries, 2015 | 13,000 |
| Estimated annual injuries, 2022 | 35,000 |
| Approximate increase, 2015–2022 | 169% |
| Estimated injuries, 2015–2022 combined | 182,000 |
| Estimated transportation-related injuries, 2015–2022 | 14,000 |
| Employer-reported injury and illness cases, 2023 | 77,000 |
| Fatal occupational injuries, 2024 | 56 |
| Transportation-related occupational deaths, 2024 | 35 |
The 2023 employer-reported total comes from a different reporting system than the emergency-department estimates and should not be treated as a direct continuation of the earlier injury series.
The 2024 fatality data also reveal transportation’s prominent role in workplace deaths within the industry.
Of the 56 courier and messenger workers who died from occupational injuries that year, 35 were killed in transportation incidents.
That represents 62.5% of occupational fatalities in the industry.
While the data include traditional courier operations and other workers outside the app-based economy, they demonstrate the significant risks associated with occupations requiring frequent transportation.
Younger Workers Account for More Than Half of Estimated Injuries
The federal injury estimates also reveal a substantial concentration among younger workers.
Employees ages 25 to 34 represented the largest share of emergency-department-treated injuries, followed by those ages 18 to 24.
| Demographic Group | Share of Estimated Injuries |
|---|---|
| Ages 25–34 | 30% |
| Ages 18–24 | 22% |
| All other age groups | 48% |
| Men | 69% |
Workers between ages 18 and 34 collectively represented 52% of estimated injuries in the courier and messenger industry.
Men accounted for more than two-thirds of the total.
The figures identify which groups experienced the largest proportions of recorded injuries, but they do not establish which demographic groups faced the highest injury rates relative to the number of workers employed or hours worked.
Still, the concentration among younger adults is relevant to discussions about safety training, occupational exposure and the financial consequences of injuries among people earning income through driving-related jobs.
Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina Have the Highest Road Risk Scores
The Texas Law Dog developed a five-factor index to evaluate the conditions workers encounter while driving for deliveries or transporting passengers.
Each factor received equal weighting, with the final score measured on a 0-to-100 scale.
The five components were gig and delivery work exposure, speeding risk, urban roadway risk, pedestrian fatality risk and pedalcyclist fatality risk.
Arizona ranked first with a score of 75.16, followed by Nevada and South Carolina.
| Rank | State or Jurisdiction | Overall Risk Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | 75.16 |
| 2 | Nevada | 70.00 |
| 3 | South Carolina | 68.38 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 63.25 |
| 5 | Florida | 60.71 |
| 6 | New Mexico | 57.60 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 55.74 |
| 8 | California | 51.02 |
| 9 | Texas | 50.35 |
| 10 | Delaware | 48.66 |
The rankings demonstrate that delivery-related roadway danger is not confined to states with the largest concentrations of gig workers.
South Carolina ranked only 30th nationally for gig and delivery work exposure but placed third overall due to elevated speeding, urban roadway, pedestrian and pedalcyclist risks.
New Mexico ranked 40th for work exposure but sixth for overall risk.
Conversely, New York led the nation for gig-related exposure, with 1,335.60 nonemployer establishments per 100,000 residents, yet did not appear among the 10 highest-risk jurisdictions overall.
This distinction is important because the index evaluates the driving environment rather than counting crashes directly attributed to gig workers.
Speeding and Delivery Deadlines Create Competing Pressures
Time-sensitive deliveries introduce work demands that can overlap with common traffic safety risks.
Drivers frequently must assess order offers, estimate travel distances, navigate pickup locations and complete assignments within expected delivery windows.
These responsibilities can become particularly challenging when workers are paid per assignment or when delivery times influence their performance evaluations.
A 2026 peer-reviewed study examining discussions among food-delivery drivers analyzed 87 online posts and 1,970 comments from DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats communities.
The researchers identified recurring discussions linking on-time performance expectations to speeding decisions.
Some participants also described higher tips as a motivation to travel faster, although company speed monitoring and driving-record reviews appeared to discourage the behavior.
These qualitative findings indicate that financial incentives and delivery expectations can influence how workers think about speed. They do not establish how frequently all delivery drivers speed or how many crashes result from those pressures.
National roadway data nonetheless demonstrate the importance of speeding in the broader safety environment.
Six of the 10 highest-risk jurisdictions in the Texas Law Dog index were also among the nation’s 10 highest for speeding fatality risk.
Texas ranked ninth for speeding risk, recording 0.485 speeding-related fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
The state’s rate exceeded the national median of approximately 0.322.
There were also notable exceptions to the relationship between speeding and overall risk.
Montana recorded the highest speeding fatality rate in the index but ranked 28th overall. Florida ranked fifth overall despite having the lowest speeding fatality rate.
These differences illustrate why speeding must be evaluated alongside other road hazards when assessing the environment faced by working drivers. Below are the top 10 highest risk states and the bottom 10 lowest risk states:
Top 10 Highest-Risk Jurisdictions:
- 1. Arizona, 75.16
- 2. Nevada, 70.00
- 3. South Carolina, 68.38
- 4. Louisiana, 63.25
- 5. Florida, 60.71
- 6. New Mexico, 57.60
- 7. District of Columbia, 55.74
- 8. California, 51.02
- 9. Texas, 50.35
- 10. Delaware, 48.66
Lowest-Risk Jurisdictions:
- 42. Kansas, 20.85
- 43. Ohio, 19.57
- 44. Wisconsin, 17.89
- 45. New Hampshire, 17.52
- 46. Utah, 17.42
- 47. Iowa, 15.36
- 48. Minnesota, 15.33
- 49. Idaho, 14.97
- 50. Maine, 12.07
- 51. North Dakota, 7.25
Delivery Volume Is Rising as Workers Complete More Orders Per Hour
Research from New York City provides additional insight into the pace of app-based delivery operations.
During the first quarter of 2024, food-delivery workers completed an average of 1.89 deliveries per hour, representing a 25% increase from the same period one year earlier.
The total number of weekly app deliveries also increased by 8%, reaching more than 2.77 million.
| NYC Delivery Activity | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| Deliveries completed per worker-hour, Q1 2024 | 1.89 |
| Annual increase in deliveries per worker-hour | 25% |
| Weekly app deliveries | More than 2.77 million |
| Annual increase in weekly delivery volume | 8% |
The growth in deliveries per hour demonstrates an increase in worker throughput, although it does not establish that drivers were traveling faster or taking greater risks.
Greater delivery volume can also intensify demands around parking, pickup coordination and navigating congested commercial streets.
For workers operating in cities with elevated pedestrian and cyclist fatality rates, the surrounding roadway environment adds another dimension to those occupational demands.
Smartphones Create Multiple Types of Driving Distraction
Unlike many traditional driving occupations, app-based delivery frequently depends on a smartphone serving several functions simultaneously.
Workers may use their devices to receive orders, compare earnings opportunities, follow GPS directions, communicate with customers and confirm completed deliveries.
Each task creates the potential for distraction if performed while the vehicle is moving.
The Texas Law Dog’s research examined three categories of distraction recognized by NIOSH:
- Visual distraction: Looking away from the roadway to read delivery instructions, assess incoming requests or check navigation information.
- Manual distraction: Removing a hand from the driving controls to tap an order notification, send a message or interact with an app.
- Cognitive distraction: Dividing mental attention between traffic conditions and decisions about earnings, deadlines, routing or customer requests.
A 2025 survey found that 68% of gig drivers used at least two platforms during a typical month.
That finding suggests workers frequently manage relationships with multiple apps, although it does not establish that they operate multiple platforms simultaneously while driving.
National crash figures illustrate why these behaviors warrant attention.
In 2024, distracted-driving crashes killed 3,208 people and injured an estimated 315,167 nationwide. Distracted drivers were involved in approximately 8% of fatal crashes.
Texas recorded 86,384 distracted-driving crashes in 2025, resulting in 299 deaths and 2,437 serious injuries.
Those numbers reflect distracted driving across the general motoring population and cannot be assigned specifically to gig workers.
The study excluded distraction from its five-factor index because differences in state reporting practices can make comparisons unreliable.
Commercial Driving Stress Adds Another Layer of Concern
The demands of driving for work extend beyond deadlines and digital devices.
Workers may encounter congestion, unpredictable motorists, difficult parking situations and repeated route changes throughout their shifts.
A 2026 study examining commercial drivers found substantial levels of stress and negative driving emotions.
Reported experiences among surveyed commercial drivers
Often felt stressed while driving for work
47%
Often felt frustrated
43%
Often felt enraged
27%
Worried aggressive drivers could cause a crash
60%
Source: 2026 commercial-driver research cited in the Texas Law Dog study. These findings are not specific to gig drivers.
The results suggest that stress and frustration are common concerns within professional driving environments.
Separate research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 96% of surveyed drivers reported at least one aggressive-driving or road-rage behavior during the previous year.
However, the available evidence does not establish that gig drivers experience road rage more frequently than other motorists.
The findings instead illustrate how workers operating under job-related demands must navigate traffic environments where aggressive behavior is already widespread.
Pedestrians and Cyclists Face Significant Risks Around Delivery Activity
The growth of app-based delivery also has implications for road users outside passenger vehicles.
In cities with dense delivery operations, workers frequently travel through intersections, bicycle lanes, pedestrian crossings and commercial loading areas.
The national study incorporated 2024 data documenting 7,080 pedestrian deaths and 1,103 pedalcyclist deaths.
Among the highest-risk jurisdictions, pedestrian and cyclist danger emerged as particularly prominent indicators.
- Louisiana recorded the highest pedalcyclist fatality rate, at 0.957 per 100,000 residents.
- New Mexico recorded the highest pedestrian fatality rate, at 4.225 per 100,000 residents.
- Arizona ranked fourth for pedalcyclist risk and fifth for pedestrian risk.
- Florida ranked second for pedalcyclist risk and sixth for pedestrian risk.
- Nine of the 10 highest-risk jurisdictions also ranked in the top 10 for pedestrian fatalities.
New York City offers a particularly relevant example of the relationship between delivery work and micromobility.
More than 65,000 app delivery workers in the city rely on e-bikes, bicycles and mopeds, according to research included in the study.
E-bikes were involved in 76% of cycling fatalities in New York City in 2023.
That percentage describes the involvement of e-bikes in cycling deaths rather than the share caused by delivery workers.
The findings highlight the importance of examining roadway design, protected bicycle infrastructure and intersections where turning vehicles interact with cyclists and pedestrians.
Insurance Coverage Can Complicate the Financial Consequences of a Crash
The consequences of a work-related collision can extend well beyond the immediate injury.
For app-based drivers using personal vehicles, insurance coverage may depend on whether the driver was working, waiting for an assignment or actively transporting a passenger or delivery.
A Cornell University survey of 500 New York City food-delivery workers found that 49% reported experiencing a work-related crash or accident.
Among those who experienced an incident, 75% reported paying their own medical expenses.
These results come from a specific survey population and should not be interpreted as nationally representative rates for all gig workers.
Nevertheless, the findings demonstrate the potential financial exposure associated with workplace transportation incidents.
Insurance arrangements can differ substantially depending on the platform, driver policy and stage of work.
| Driver Activity | Potential Insurance Consideration |
|---|---|
| App turned off | Personal auto coverage generally applies, subject to policy terms |
| App active, awaiting an assignment | Coverage gaps may occur |
| Delivery or trip accepted | Platform coverage may apply, depending on policy conditions |
| Active ride or delivery | Coverage may be more extensive, but limits and deductibles vary |
| Assignment completed | Applicable coverage depends on driver status and policy terms |
The Texas Department of Insurance warns that some personal auto policies exclude paid delivery driving. Failure to disclose business use can also create the possibility of a denied claim.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has separately identified coverage gaps that can arise while drivers are online but have not yet accepted a ride or delivery.
These distinctions make an individual’s app status at the time of a crash a potentially important factor in determining which insurance policy applies.
Findings Point to Broader Road Safety Challenges for Gig Workers
The Texas Law Dog’s study presents a multifaceted picture of the transportation hazards surrounding app-based employment.
Occupational injuries have increased substantially in the broader courier and messenger industry. Traffic fatalities involving speeding, distraction and vulnerable road users remain significant nationwide. Commercial-driver surveys also indicate that stress and frustration are common experiences among people who drive for work.
At the state level, Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina lead the composite road risk rankings, while Texas places ninth.
The data show that high concentrations of gig-related economic activity do not necessarily correspond to the greatest roadway danger. States such as South Carolina, Louisiana and New Mexico rank prominently because of hazardous road conditions despite comparatively lower exposure measures.
The findings also highlight how delivery work intersects with broader transportation safety concerns, including dense urban traffic, pedestrian and cyclist vulnerability, time-sensitive assignments and uncertainty over insurance protection.
As the gig economy continues to rely on workers traveling between restaurants, stores, businesses and residential neighborhoods, the study suggests that improving safety requires attention to both working conditions and the roads those workers use.
Measures such as realistic delivery expectations, reduced smartphone interaction while driving, safer intersections, protected cycling infrastructure and clearer insurance coverage could address several of the hazards identified in the research.
Ultimately, the findings emphasize that road safety for gig and delivery workers is not solely a question of individual driving behavior. It is also shaped by the transportation systems, economic pressures and coverage arrangements surrounding an increasingly important segment of the American workforce.