Driving To Work Safely Is Often Overlooked

It about a common of a practice as you can get. Jump in the car and head off to work. No big deal right?

Even with a city commute, which many drivers don’t like, it’s still something you get used to as an everyday thing.

But did you know the most dangerous place for your workers was on the road to and from work?

Statistics show that someone dies in a motor vehicle accident every 11 minutes of the day. Someone get’s injured on average about every 18 seconds! That seems hard to imagine until you see how an accident can happen. The author of this article witnessed a head on collision on a state highway that took the life of a 19 year old young woman, and crippled the driver of the other car.

In this particular case one of the drivers became distracted when his kids began acting up in the back seat. In a split second he crossed the center line going 55 mph and before he could correct the error the two cars hit head on. It was a horrific thing to witness.

When we talk about safety with our workforce, driver safety is often overlooked. Yet, just because the accidents don’t occur in the workplace doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reviewed to help improve the safety of every worker.

It’s a good idea to remind employees that during their commute, some simple practices can save lives.

• Buckle up and wear your seat belts and remind your passengers to do the same.
• Work on remaining focused while driving, keeping your eyes on the road and watch out for trouble spots before it’s too late to react. Of particular note here would be while going through intersections or passing another vehicle.
• Stay at least 3 to 4 seconds behind a vehicle in front of you.
• Change your speed and adjust to road and weather conditions.
• Leave early from home and allow a reasonable buffer in time to avoid hurrying or speeding to work.
• And do not text while driving!

And being alert doesn’t always mean your behind the wheel.

• While walking, be extra careful in high traffic areas and don’t assume other drivers see you clearly. Remember what mom always used to say? Look both ways before crossing the street.
• Be cautious on wet or slippery sidewalks or if visibility is limited.
• In unfamiliar areas, stay with a group of people rather than traveling alone if it all possible.

If you use public transportation to get to and from work be sure to follow common sense safety guidelines there as well.

• Watch your step getting on and off the bus or train.
• Stay well back from the loading platform on the vehicle’s arrival.
• Sit near the driver or conductor if possible when the train has only a few passengers.
• Sit up and remain awake and alert while traveling.

Like many safety issues or mistakes, the root cause of many is simply a lack of awareness or attention while traveling. With a bit of training, awareness can be greatly improved and with practice, all workers can learn to travel more safely in there daily commutes.

Stretching Your Safety Program’s Budget In A Tight Economy

With the current economy in turmoil, companies are cutting expenses and tightening budgets across the board. Safety programs are certainly not immune from these cutbacks but there are things you can do as a safety trainer to keep from getting the dreaded axe.

When times get tight, there’s no question that a lot of programs within a company can be greatly affected. Some are trimmed down, and some are dropped outright if they don’t appear to help the bottom line of profits and loss in a clear and direct way.

For some executives, safety training can fall into this grey area of necessity and value and it’s often one of the programs with a bullseye on it. But cutting safety programs can be a risky venture.

Being a safety professional, you know perhaps better than anyone, that with the upset in the economy, the threat of job loss, and other distractions, a worker’s ability to stay focused is greatly challenged. Simply put, workers get distracted with all of this chaos around them and distractions often result in accidents.
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