Safety Coach
Pave the Way
We’ve all been held up by traffic congestion in work zones. There’s not much we can do about that. However, traffic crashes in work zones are preventable. Join us during National Work Zone Awareness Week April 17-21 as we redouble our efforts to ensure roads are safe for motorists, workers, pedestrians and bicycle riders.
In work zones, traffic patterns shift, lanes narrow and pavement can be uneven. All of these circumstances can raise safety risks. Share these tips as a reminder for your coworkers to use extra caution:
- Slow down: Follow work zone speed limits and adjust your driving to match conditions
- Avoid distractions: Silence your phone and set your GPS before you get behind the wheel
- Back off to allow plenty of time for sudden stops: Rear-end collisions are the most common type of crashes in work zones
How does work zone safety impact you? In 2021, there were more than 26,000 traffic crashes in work zones in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. That’s more than 70 crashes every day. Employers absorb the brunt of crash costs for employees and their family members, whether they occur on or off the job.
Speeding and distracted driving are two of the leading causes of work zone crashes. Get free resources from TxDOT to help raise awareness of work zone safety risks. These tools are available in English and Spanish, and can be used in a variety of ways:
- Posters and banners for public display
- Info cards to share safety tips
- Videos to download and play on monitors at your location
Additionally, you can get a calendar of events from the American Traffic Safety Services Association. Events kick off on Work Zone Safety Training Day April 17. University of South Carolina is hosting Go Orange Day April 19, or you can participate in a Social Media Storm April 20, among other activities.
This year’s theme: “You play a role in work zone safety. Work with us.”
Tailgate Talk
Little Learning, Big Impact
Nearly a half-dozen kids die in hot cars every year in Texas. The majority of these incidents occur between May and September, when the weather often is much warmer than today. Why is this something you need to know? Nationwide, about one-quarter of hot-car deaths occur in a parked car at the driver’s place of work.
Teach everyone at your location how to prevent more tragedies. Introduce free online learning from the National Safety Council: Children in Hot Cars. This 15-minute course is designed to raise awareness of safety risks and help everyone you know keep children safe. A certificate of completion is provided at the end of the training.
Children in Hot Cars is not just for parents and caregivers. This training is meant to be used as:
- An enrichment option in birthing classes for new parents
- An addition to babysitter certification courses
- A tool to heighten the safety culture at daycare centers and other workplace settings
- Organizational training for people transporting children
- Staff training for healthcare providers and first responders
- Community education for child passenger safety technicians
Make this an annual activity. Add this course to your workplace safety training catalog. Group delivery allows workplace administrators to enroll students and monitor their progress. To set up a group, fill out this form.
Get more free resources to create awareness and help reduce the risk of kids dying in hot cars:
When big kids learn to be safety leaders, little ones grow to follow in their footsteps.