Traffic Safety Strategies for the Workforce

1. Traffic Safety Strategies for the Workforce

2. In Virginia in 2011 • There were 120,514 traffic crashes • 764 people died on our roadways • 63,382 people were injured

3. In the United States...Every... • 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)

4. Why talk traffic safety to employees?

5. 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)

6. Danger in the Workplace “The most dangerous part of the day for any employee is the time they spend in their vehicle.” -- NETS

7. 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)

8. What Causes Most Crashes? • Not the road • Not the vehicle • Most crashes are caused by driver error -Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

9. Driving distracted

10. 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

11. 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

12. Dangerous Behaviors

13. 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)

14. 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)

15. 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

16. 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)

17. How is this Your Problem? It is critical that top management make safety a top priority and send that message from the top.

18. 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

19. Senior Manager CommitmentEmployee Involvement The safety of an organization’s employees is so important, it requires the attention of top-level managers. • Provide leadership • Set policies • Allocate resources to create safety culture • Actively encourage employee participation

20. Written Policies & Procedures A written statement emphasizing the commitment to reducing traffic-related deaths and injuries. • 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

21. 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.

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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

27. Driver Training/Communication • Provide continuous driver safety training and communication. • experienced drivers benefit from periodic training • and reminders of safe driving practices

28. Regulatory Compliance • adherence to highway safety regulations • establish which, if any, local, state, and/or federal regulations govern your vehicles and/or drivers.

29. 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

30. 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.

31. Cost of crashes • $170 billion overall price tag • $16,500 per crash • $76,300 per injury crash • $504,400 per fatal injury (NHTSA & NETS)

32. Cost of crashes • Medical care and disability payments; physical and 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

33. Not to Mention… • Lost productivity resulting from using less experienced 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

34. Top 7 Unsafe Driving Behaviors 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)

35. SMART Goal Setting Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Timely

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. 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-cell-phone-pda-use-while-traveling-policy- • http://www.utahsafetycouncil.org/assets/factsheet/sample%20cell%20phone%20policy.pdf

40. Seatbelts

41. 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

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. 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

45. Aggressive driving