Motor Vehicles on Site — Driver Duties and Rules of the Road

Before a motor vehicle goes into service, OSHA requires it to have working safety equipment. The basics:

• Service brakes, an emergency (secondary) braking system, and a parking brake — all operable.
• At least two headlights and two working tail lights whenever visibility calls for extra light.
• Working brake lights, regardless of the light conditions.
• Windshields and powered wipers; cracked or broken glass gets replaced, not ignored.
• A reverse-signal alarm audible above the surrounding noise, or a spotter, on any vehicle with an obstructed rear view.
• A cab shield or canopy on haulage trucks that get loaded by a crane, power shovel, or loader, to protect the operator from spillage.

If a required item is broken, the vehicle is out of service until it's fixed — that's not a judgment call.

The person behind the wheel owns the move. That means:

• Buckle the seat belt before you release the brake — every trip, no exceptions.
• Know the site traffic plan: routes, one-way sections, speed limits, and where foot traffic crosses.
• Keep speed to conditions — mud, gravel, blind corners, and congestion all mean slow down.
• Assume pedestrians are in your blind spots; make eye contact before you move near people.
• Secure tools and loose material so nothing shifts or flies off (1926.601(b)(7)).

If you can't see, can't fit, or aren't sure who has the right-of-way, stop. A stopped vehicle has never run anyone over.

Powered industrial trucks (forklifts) run under their own rule and are covered in Forklift Safety. Earthmoving machines — loaders, dozers, scrapers, graders — add requirements under 1926.602 and are covered here in the earthmoving talk. Backing, spotters, alarms, and work-zone traffic each get their own talk in this category.