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April 2024 Newsletter: Why Change? Because What Was Before Wasn’t Perfect

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A group of people are pictured here with their hands together in a show of teamwork and pledge of support for each other.

Power of Pledge

In April, the National Safety Council leads Distracted Driving Awareness Month to bring attention to the dangers of distracted driving and share simple steps you can take to reduce risk and prevent injuries. This year, NSC is offering a variety of free resources to help you promote safe driving behaviors.

Use the NSC Just Drive Pledge to create safety engagement at your location. Challenge your employees to commit to distraction-free driving on and off the job. Distractions behind the wheel may include:

  • Phone calls
  • Texts
  • Touchscreen controls
  • Children and other passengers

In 2022, nearly one in six crashes on Texas roads was caused by a distracted driver, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. More than 2,800 people were seriously injured in those crashes. How many were friends, coworkers or loved ones?

Be sure everyone on your team knows to dedicate their pledge to someone they can’t live without. Take photos of team members after they’ve downloaded their pledge certificate, and share those photos on your company’s intranet or social channels.

NSC provides a number of other tools you can use to ramp up your driver and transportation safety training efforts during Distracted Driving Awareness Month:

  • A participant guide to help you plan for distraction-free driving
  • Posters, videos and articles on how to prevent distractions

Get everything you need here: Help us create safer roads.

Or, give us 60 seconds for safety. Download and play this Our Driving Concern video at a team meeting:

  • Driver Behavior Safety Series: Distraction (available in English or Spanish)

Need more tools to restock your safety toolbox? Amplify your messages with these free resources from TxDOT:

  • Videos
  • Fact sheets
  • Posters

Be the one to influence positive change.

Arrows on barrels are used to direct traffic in this Houston work zone.

Barrel of Safety

Please join us during National Work Zone Awareness Week April 15-19 as the construction season ramps up across America and we work to promote safe driving through work zones. The theme of this year’s safety campaign, hosted by the Maryland Department of Transportation, is “Work Zones are temporary. Actions behind the wheel last forever.” Use this calendar of events as a guide to participation at your location:

  • Monday, April 15: Work Zone Safety Training Day. Pause during your work day for safety demonstrations, discussions about policies and crash prevention tactics.
  • Tuesday, April 16: National kickoff event. Watch for details to come from the Maryland Department of Transportation.
  • Wednesday, April 17: Go Orange Day. All roadway safety professionals are encouraged to wear orange to show their support for work zone safety.
  • Thursday, April 18: Social media storm. Share messages between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET and use these hashtags to join the conversation nationwide: #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety. Get free social media images from the Maryland Department of Transportation to use on your channels.
  • Friday, April 19: Moment of silence. Encourage your employees and their family members to join for a moment of silence as a tribute to people who have lost their lives in work zone incidents.

Order free posters to display from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, or download the “Work Zones Are Temporary” poster.

Speeding, distracted driving and unsafe lane changes are the leading causes of crashes in work zones in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In 2022, TxDOT reported:

  • More than 25,000 crashes occurred in work zones – that’s about 70 crashes every day
  • 175 motorists and vehicle passengers were killed, along with 27 pedestrians, two bicyclists and one roadside worker

As part of its “Be Safe. Drive Smart.” safety campaign, TxDOT offers these free resources to help travelers navigate work zones safely. Many are available in English and Spanish:

  • Print materials (info cards and posters)
  • Videos
  • Digital banners

In addition, you can share this Safe Driving Toolkit from the National Safety Council and these three tips to promote safe driving behaviors in work zones:

  • Slow down
  • Drive distraction-free (silence your phone and set your GPS device before you depart)
  • Watch for road crews and follow instructions in work zones

During construction season, let’s work together to build better driving habits and keep people safe.