Transcript Template Presentation

Traffic Safety Strategies for the Workforce
www.drivesmartva.org
In Virginia in 2011
• There were 120,514 traffic crashes
• 764 people died on our roadways
• 63,382 people were injured
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In the United States...Every...
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5 seconds a crash occurs
7 seconds a property damage crash occurs
10 seconds there is a traffic related injury
2 minutes there is an alcohol-related injury
12 minutes someone dies in a traffic crash
31 minutes an alcohol-related crash fatality occurs
113 minutes a pedestrian is killed in a crash
4 days an employee dies in a work-related crash
(NETS)
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Why talk traffic
safety to
employees?
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In the Workplace
• Motor vehicle-related incidents are the leading
cause of work-related fatalities in the United
States.
• There were 118 workplace fatalities in Virginia in
2009 (156 in 2008).
• 30% of those fatalities were transportation
incidents .
• Transportation and material moving occupations
had the highest number of workplace fatalities at
35.
(Virginia Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries)
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Danger in the Workplace
“The most dangerous part of the day
for any employee is the time they spend
in their vehicle.” -- NETS
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Crashes on and off the job effect your bottom line
• The average commuter spends approx 26 minutes
traveling approx 15 miles to work
• 90% of all employees commute
• 81% use their personal vehicle
(NETS)
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What Causes Most Crashes?
• Not the road
• Not the vehicle
• Most crashes are caused by driver error
-Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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Driving distracted
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Distracted Driving
A Virginia Tech study reported that
•80% of all crashes and
•65% of all near-crashes
involved a distracted driving incident within 3
seconds of the crash
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What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted Driving is defined as diversion of
attention away from activities critical for safe
driving toward a competing activity
It could be as simple as changing the radio
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Dangerous Behaviors
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The Danger of Cell Phones
Drivers who use cell phones are 4x more
likely to be in a crash while using a cell
phone.
(1997 New England Journal of Medicine, 2005 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study)
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Type of distraction
• More than 16 people die each day and 1300 are
injured due to crashes involving a distracted driver.
• There are 3 form of distraction:
• Manual/Physical (hands off the wheel)
• Visual (eyes off the road)
• Cognitive (mind off the road)
(National Safety Council)
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Cell Phone & Distracted Driving Policy
• Attorneys frequently subpoena cell phone records in
higher severity incidents.
• Protect your company
• Written policy on cell phone use and texting and driving
• Consequences for non-compliance
• Practice what you preach
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Understanding the brain
• Can we truly multi-task?
• Brains juggle tasks, performing only one task at a time.
• We screen out information to deal with distraction
overload.
• Inattention blindness is big risk: look but don’t see.
• Results: missed exits, running red lights & stop signs,
missing important signage.
(National Safety Council)
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How is this Your Problem?
It is critical that top management
make safety a top priority and send
that message from the top.
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10 steps to safe
driving environment
 Minimize the risk of traffic crashes
 Hire capable drivers
 Only eligible drivers drive
Benefit
• Lower insurance cost
• Safe employees
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Senior Manager Commitment
Employee Involvement
The safety of an organization’s employees is so important,
it requires the attention of top-level managers.
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Provide leadership
Set policies
Allocate resources to create safety culture
Actively encourage employee participation
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Written Policies & Procedures
A written statement emphasizing the commitment to
reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries.
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Comprehensive and enforceable set of traffic safety policies
Communicate to all employees
Post them throughout the workplace
Discuss the policies at company meetings
Offer incentives for sticking to the rules
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Driver Agreements
 Contract for all employees who drive for work
 Employees acknowledge organization’s traffic safety
policies, procedures, and expectations
 Importance of driver performance, vehicle
maintenance
 Need to report moving violations.
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Motor Vehicle Record Checks
 Check the driving record of all employees who drive
for work purposes
 screen out drivers who have poor driving records
 Periodically review driving record
 Clearly define the number of violations for employee
before they lose the privilege of driving for work
 provide training where indicated
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Crash Reporting and Investigation
 All crashes should be reported to employee’s
supervisor as soon as feasible after the incident.
 Traffic safety policies /procedures should clearly guide
drivers through responsibilities in crash situation.
 All crashes should be reviewed to determine their
cause and whether preventable
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Vehicle Selection, Maintenance
and Inspection
 Selecting, maintaining and inspecting company
vehicles is an important part of preventing crashes
 routine preventive maintenance schedule for servicing
 Checking of safety-related equipment.
 Personal vehicles used for company business generally
the responsibility of the owner.
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Disciplinary Action System
 Develop a strategy for occurrence of a moving violation
and/or “preventable” crash.
 corrective action programs available
 progressive discipline if a driver begins to develop a
pattern of repeated traffic violations and/or
preventable crashes.
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Reward/Incentive Program
Develop and implement a driver reward/incentive program to
make safe driving an integral part of your business culture.
 Positive results are realized when driving performance is
incorporated into the overall evaluation of job performance.
 use of incentives to motivate the achievement of a
 predetermined goal or to increase participation
 recognition, monetary rewards, special privileges
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Driver Training/Communication
 Provide continuous driver safety training and
communication.
 experienced drivers benefit from periodic training
 and reminders of safe driving practices
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Regulatory Compliance
 adherence to highway safety regulations
 establish which, if any, local, state, and/or federal
regulations govern your vehicles and/or drivers.
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Review:
10 steps to minimize crash risk
 1. Senior Management Commitment & Employee Involvement
 2. Written Policies and Procedures
 3. Driver Agreements
 4. Motor Vehicle Record Checks
 5. Crash Reporting and Investigation
 6. Vehicle Selection, Maintenance and Inspection
 7. Disciplinary Action System
 8. Reward/Incentive Program
 9. Driver Training/Communication
 10. Regulatory Compliance
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Don’t let this happen to your company
•$18 million lawsuit: Holmes Transport was
ordered to pay damages to a man left unable to
walk or talk after a crash caused by one of their
drivers who was distracted by a cell phone.
•$5.2 million lawsuit: An International Paper
employee was using her company -supplied cell
phone when she rear-ended a vehicle.
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Cost of crashes
• $170 billion overall price tag
• $16,500 per crash
• $76,300 per injury crash
• $504,400 per fatal injury
(NHTSA & NETS)
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Cost of crashes
 Medical care and disability payments; physical and
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vocational rehabilitation
Overtime to cover the work of a missing employee
The loss of special knowledge or skills
Recruiting and replacing personnel
Reassigning and/or re-training employees
Lost business due to absenteeism
Legal Fees
Increase in long-term rates for workers comp, property,
liability, commercial auto, and health insurance
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Not to Mention…
• Lost productivity resulting from using less experienced
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replacements and time taken for training
Operational delays and losses resulting from the absence
of the injured employees services
Diminished company reputation
Lowered employee morale
Regulatory and enforcement actions
Inability to attract new employees and retain existing
employees
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Top 7 Unsafe Driving Behaviors
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Drivers of large trucks & other vehicles involved in truck crashes
are 10 times more likely to be the cause of a crash than other
elements like weather, road conditions, vehicle problems.
Speeding
Right of way
Drifting left of center
Improper turning
Passing or overtaking improperly
Following too closely
Backing
(National Safety Council)
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SMART Goal Setting
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely
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Some Low Cost Program Ideas…
• Establish an “Eyes on the Road” program around your
offices where people would report poor driving behaviors
such as following too closely or distracted driving
• Add proactive signage in and around the work area to
remind drivers of their responsibilities
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Distracted Driving Resources
• DRIVESMARTVA.org
• Distraction.gov
• FMCSA.dot.gov: “Driving Tips”, videos
• DOT.gov (distracted driving)
• AAAfoundation.org
• NYTIMES.com (search “driven to distraction”)
• Cartalk.com/ddc (University of Kansas and Utah)
• Focusdriven.org
• Drivecam.com
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Safety Programs
Resources
 National Safety Council: www.nsc.org
 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/
 American Society of Safety Engineers: www.asse.org
 Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS): www.trafficsafety.org
Programs
 Smith System: www.smith-system.com
 I Drive Safely: http://www.idrivesafely.com/Virginia
 Virtual Driver: www.driverinteractive.com
 Coastal Video Technologies: www.coastal.com
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Sample Cell Phone Policies
 www.nsc.org
 http://www.safetyxchange.org/tools/sample-company-cell-
phone-policy-2
 http://www.csoonline.com/article/486687/sample-cellphone-pda-use-while-traveling-policy http://www.utahsafetycouncil.org/assets/factsheet/sample
%20cell%20phone%20policy.pdf
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Seatbelts
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Occupant Protection
 60% of fatal crashes – victim is not buckled
NHTSA Dec. 2007
 15,147 lives saved by safety belts
 35% unrestrained vehicle occupants ejected
 2% of restrained occupants ejected
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Wear a seatbelt
 You are responsible for every person in the car when you’re
driving.
 Make sure every passenger in the car, including yourself, is
buckled.
 Seatbelts when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front
seat passengers by 45%.
 If you are in a crash and are thrown from the vehicle, you
have a 75% chance of being killed.
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Buckle Up Virginia
 When worn correctly, seat belts reduce the risk of
moderate-to-critical injury by 50%.
 3 out of 4 fatal crashes occur within 25 miles of
victims homes
 Most crashes causing death or injury occur at speeds
below 40 miles per hour.
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Traffic Safety by the Numbers
During this presentation there have been:
 1,420 crashes
 720 traffic related injuries
 10 traffic related fatalites
 1 pedestrian killed
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Aggressive driving
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