Distracted driving: a timely reminder
In honor of National Distracted Driving Month, here are some resources to help you and your staff be safe on the road.
by Brian Sornson, State Agency Operations Supervisor
You may have noticed a loose theme with this quarter's Comp Focus articles touching upon traveling. As someone who regularly drives back and forth between Salem and Portland, I'm amazed at the number of drivers I see engaged in cell phone conversations, speeding, eating, tailgating, or other risky activities that draw attention away from safely operating their vehicles.
Since 2005, more than 1,000 state agency and public university workers have sustained work-related injuries in motor vehicle accidents. The costs associated with these accidents are high: more than 9,200 days lost from work (that's over 25 calendar years!) and $7.2 million in paid losses to date. Tragically, seven workers lost their lives during this period, with 29 total fatalities since 1980.
With 54 claims related to motor vehicle accidents filed in the current policy year, and with April being recognized as Distracted Driving Awareness Month by the National Safety Council (NSC), now is the ideal time to bring this topic to the forefront of your efforts to keep staff safe. Whether you represent your organization in leadership, safety, or both, the following sites offer an abundance of user-friendly information.
First, visit www.mycardoeswhat.org is a joint venture between the NSC and the University of Iowa. There are some amazing videos and graphics available which detail the various systems that help us drive more safely.
Second, check out the NSC links devoted to Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Their 2012 white paper titled "Understanding the Distracted Brain" is incredibly insightful and busts the myth that people are able to "multitask," particularly when talking or texting while driving.
Contact your SAIF senior safety management consultant today if you'd like to learn more about driver safety resources or about how you can integrate this into your Total Worker Health® action planning.