OBJECTIVE: To estimate the absolute risk of the public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina, Piauí, to develop coronary heart disease over the course of ten years based on the Framingham risk score. METHODS: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study using the Framingham score was conducted with 107 public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina, Piauí, to assess level of risk and its association with the Framingham predictors that include: age, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and smoking. The significance test used was c². The prevalence rate was used as the association measurement. RESULTS: Mean risk was 5% and the greatest majority of the participants were situated in the low risk category (85.05%). Mean values for the variables were: 42 years of age, total cholesterol 200 mg%, HDL cholesterol 49 mg%, systolic blood pressure 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure 85 mmHg. The associations between diabetes mellitus, smoking and HDL cholesterol with level of risk were not statistically significant; however other variables had a great influence on the level of risk obtained. CONCLUSION: The mean absolute risk estimate for the public transportation drivers in the city of Teresina to develop coronary heart disease over the next ten years based on the Framingham score is low. The majority of the participants in the study (85.05%) were situated in the low risk category, that is, with a relative risk less than or equal to 10%.