Enjoy the Ride, Get Home Safe
As your employees prepare for Labor Day gatherings, road trips and celebrations, you have an opportunity to reinforce an important safety message: Impairment is impairment, whether behind a machine, on a jobsite or behind the wheel.
The same decision-making skills that help employees stay safe at work can help protect them, their families and others on the road during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. As seasons change, hazards change. But safety principles don’t.
Build Safer Habits
Let us help you reinforce those safety principles. Our FREE Workplace Impairment Training helps your supervisors recognize and respond to potential impairment through a structured, six-step process. And the training – offered in-person or online – goes beyond alcohol and other drugs to address a broader range of impairment risks, including:
- Over-the-counter medications
- Fatigue
- Stress and mental distress
By recognizing how these factors affect alertness, judgment, coordination and reaction time, employees learn a valuable lesson: If something can affect your ability to work safely, it also can affect your ability to drive safely.
Email us to schedule your training session: [email protected]
Labor Day and Alcohol-impaired Driving
The Labor Day holiday remains one of the most dangerous travel periods of the year. During the 2024 Labor Day holiday period, 170 people were killed in crashes involving at least one alcohol-impaired driver, accounting for 34% of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among drivers ages 18 to 34 who were killed in crashes, 40% were legally impaired.
Encourage employees and their families to:
- Plan for a sober ride before celebrations begin
- Never get behind the wheel after drinking
- Speak up when friends or loved ones are about to drive impaired
- Remember that impairment can occur long before someone “feels drunk”
Get FREE resources from NHTSA to expand your reach by sharing safety messages on your social media channels.
Cannabis, CBD and Driving Risks
A key message for today’s workforce is simple: Legal does not always mean safe when driving.
Cannabis products containing THC can impair reaction time, judgment, coordination and perception. Many users underestimate their level of impairment, creating additional risk. Employers should remind employees:
- Cannabis and alcohol together can create greater impairment than either substance alone
- Edibles may produce delayed effects, leading users to consume more than intended
- Some CBD products can cause drowsiness or contain unexpected levels of THC
Use FREE resources from NHTSA to create greater impact: End Summer on a High Note – Not Driving High.
Takeaway
Workplace impairment training teaches employees to recognize risks before an incident occurs. Carrying that mindset home can help prevent crashes. Whether impairment is caused by alcohol, cannabis, medications, fatigue or stress, the message remains the same: Safe driving starts with sound judgment, planning and recognizing that legal doesn’t always mean safe.
Safety Best Practices
Crash incidents remain one of the most significant workplace safety risks. In fact, medically consulted injuries in crash incidents totaled 4.9 million in 2024 and injury costs were estimated at $559.3 billion, according to Injury Facts®. Cost estimates include everything from property damage to lost productivity.
What Happens After a Crash?
When a crash occurs, an organization’s response can have a lasting impact on employee wellbeing, business continuity and future safety performance. Effective post-crash management involves much more than completing paperwork – it requires preparation, coordination and strong leadership.
Free Online Webinar
Join us Wednesday, Aug. 26, and learn more during our next online session, Post-Crash Management: Best Practices Every Employer Should Know. Register to attend now.
During this webinar, Brian Fielkow, past recipient of the NSC CEOs Who Get It award, will discuss practical tactics to:
- Develop clear and effective post-crash response protocols
- Support employees in the aftermath of a crash
- Coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders
- Apply lessons learned from incidents to strengthen organizational safety culture
- Improve operational resilience and reduce the likelihood of future crashes
Whether your organization manages a small fleet or a large transportation program, this session will provide clear steps to enhance crash readiness, improve recovery efforts and build a stronger, more resilient safety program.
Featured Presenter
Brian Fielkow, executive vice president, Risk Resources, Acrisure
Brian is a nationally recognized safety consultant, professional speaker and author. He is known for helping organizations create sustainable safety cultures that improve both business performance and employee wellbeing. He literally wrote the book on safety – Making Safety Happen: The Roadmap to a Safe, Productive and Profitable Business.
You don’t want to miss this opportunity to gain practical tools and proven strategies for managing the critical hours and days following a crash and turning those experiences into opportunities for continuous improvement.
Hurry! Get Free Calendar
Our 2027 Texas Employer Traffic Safety Calendar is in development and expected to be available in September. We’re accepting pre-orders now! Reserve your FREE copy or copies today and be among the first to receive this practical traffic safety resource.
- You’ll need to act fast: Fill out this form and submit your request by Aug. 31.
Supplies are limited and requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
