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Abstract: Work-related transport accidents are a leading cause of work injury and death. A number of these accidents occur while workers are commuting between their home and workplace. Globally, there is dramatic variation in workers’ compensation coverage for commuting injuries. This inconsistency creates inequities for workers and contributes to confusion about the burden of injury.
Focusing on the Australian setting, this article identifies a series of dangerous gaps in the debate over workers’ compensation coverage for commuting injuries. It illustrates the disconnection between the terms of compensation coverage debates, which emphasise the lack of employer control over worker commuting activity, and public health evidence linking modern work practices and fatigue with commuting injury. The article calls for a genuine interdisciplinary effort to improve the evidence base and better inform decisions about compensation coverage for this neglected category of work injury.
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