Safety Coach
Leave a Trail of Sunshine
As Memorial Day approaches, many are gearing up for a long weekend off work and the unofficial start of summer. Some will attend parades, picnics or family gatherings, trying to pack as much fun as possible into that 72-hour window. Here are a couple of ways you can encourage them to “pack safety” in their tote bags, too, as the roads in Texas and across the nation will be crowded with holiday travelers.
Make safety personal: Share the story of John Teague, who lost his son in a crash 14 years ago on Texas State Highway 302. John spoke about factors that contributed to the crash in an Our Driving Concern online presentation. He said his son was distracted by text messages, impaired after attending a party the previous night and was not wearing his seat belt. Dustin Teague was ejected from the vehicle he was driving when it slid off the roadway and down an embankment. His wife, the mother of their then-infant child, Chelsea Taylor, was buckled up. She survived.
Watch: Distracted Driving and Reducing Risk.
John Teague is now the safety manager for Hughes Oilfield Transportation and serves on the board of directors for the West Texas Safety Training Center. He also is the founder of Compassionate Friends of West Texas, a support group for those who have lost a child. He still gets emotional talking about the crash that occurred about 2 miles from Dustin’s boyhood home and rocked the lives of everyone in his family.
You will hear John say, “I just don’t want another family to have to go through this.”
You will be reminded that safety is personal. Safety affects everyone’s life. Safety goes beyond work. Safety is more than a company value. It’s valuing each one of your people individually and making sure they stay out of harm’s way.
Make safety about continuous and ongoing education and training: Use these free resources to raise awareness of road safety risks ahead of Memorial Day weekend, including seat belt use, distracted driving and impaired driving. In 2022, one person was injured every 2 minutes 9 seconds in a crash on roads in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
More traffic on a holiday weekend increases the risk of incidents. Seat belt use can be the first line of defense. Can you spare 30 seconds for seat belt safety during your next team meeting? Share this video from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and talk about the importance of buckling up – every time and in every seat.
Put your team to the BAC Test: Present this timeline as a way for everyone at your location to understand how blood alcohol levels can remain elevated long after you have stopped drinking.
Help us create safer roads: Fill your safety toolbox to promote distraction-free driving. Get posters, driver behavior safety series videos, safety coach cards and a co-pilot’s rights infographic, all designed to make your job easier.
Summer is here. Put on your safety sandals before you head out to the beach.
Tailgate Talk
Show of Appreciation
Fifty years ago, President Gerald Ford signed a proclamation establishing EMS Week as a way for people across the nation to support efforts to improve emergency medical care and celebrate the men and women working on the front lines of public safety. Today, we mark that anniversary with an invitation to participate in EMS Week from May 19-25.
Renew the focus at your location on driving and roadway safety. Start by sharing these tips from the Texas Department of Transportation:
- Be on alert and pay attention when approaching roadside law enforcement, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, utility vehicles and TxDOT vehicles with flashing lights on.
- When possible, move out of the lane closest to these vehicles.
- Slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit if safely switching lanes is not possible or the road doesn’t offer multiple lanes.
- Reduce speed to 5 mph on roadways with posted speed limits of 25 mph or less.
Get free Move Over or Slow Down resources from TxDOT to bolster your public safety outreach efforts:
- PSA video (available in English or Spanish)
- Info Card
- Poster
- Social media graphic
Crashes involving emergency vehicles traveling at high speeds can result in severe injuries and fatalities. In fact, National Safety Council research shows:
- 191 people died in crashes involving emergency vehicles in 2021 – that’s a little more than one fatality every other day
- The majority of deaths occurred in multi-vehicle crashes (72%)
- Crashes involving police vehicles accounted for the most deaths (135), followed by ambulances (39) and fire trucks (24).
Visit the Resource Center for National EMS Week to learn more about how you can help create safer roads and participate in activities. Designated themes have been set for each day during the week to help you plan events, conduct trainings and stage your own celebrations.
Keep this in mind: A simple thank you can lift the spirits of first responders in your community.